Cleaning Clutch Plates

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Niagara850

Niagara850

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Well, I'm on to cleaning the clutch plates which were dragging at stop lights when the bike was cold last season. I have a few questions for the knowledge base. Thanks in advance

I believe I have the sintered brass plates which is the best way to clean them. Disk Brake cleaner, Carb cleaner ( I have some of the good NAPA stuff you can't buy anymore), dish soap, Simple green, etc? Do you scrub with some fine steel wool?

Cleaning Clutch Plates

Clutch Plates by niagaraz, on Flickr

Can the Primary Case gasket be reused? It is still stuck to the case on the bike and is undamaged

I installed a Clutch Pushrod Seal, What torque setting should I use or just good and tight?

Mike
 
That seal has only 3 threads, I recommend low strength loctite, #222, and three fingers torque.
 
Hi Mike,

Cleaning the clutch plates is nothing special, just take a brush and any kind of degreaser to them, simple green and rinsed with water is fine. If your all steel driven plates look kind of glazed then yes you could take some medium
steel wool to them to remove it.

And you just nip the seal to firm, there is no pressure on it so just enough to hold it nicely in place.

Yes you can reuse the primary gasket, some folks slather on some silicon stuff so it mates up with the outer cover
and helps to seal against any leaking.
 
Niagara850 said:
I believe I have the sintered brass plates which is the best way to clean them. Disk Brake cleaner, Carb cleaner ( I have some of the good NAPA stuff you can't buy anymore), dish soap, Simple green, etc? Do you scrub with some fine steel wool?
Click to expand...

I use fine sandpaper to remove the glaze from the plates and I don't really worry about using anything specific to degrease them.
I suggest you check the clutch centre for notching,
If it looks like this then it's time for a new one! A notched centre can be the cause a significant amount of clutch drag.
Cleaning Clutch Plates



Niagara850 said:
I installed a Clutch Pushrod Seal, What torque setting should I use or just good and tight?
Click to expand...

http://atlanticgreen.com/rodseal2e.htm
8.
 
I clean my clutch and friction plates on a flat piece of glass with very fine wet and dry sand paper, then clean thoroughly with petrol.
 
Niagara850 said:
by L.A.B. If it looks like this then it's time for a new one! A notched centre can be the cause a significant amount of clutch drag.
Click to expand...

It sure does... I guess its time to replace?

Cleaning Clutch Plates

Clutch Pushrod Seal by niagaraz, on Flickr
Click to expand...

This may be a good place to start a thread or retitle to atract the desidered parties. A Lot of info for different clutch centers and harnesses. This is a classic example of the effect of sintered bronze plates on a soft center.

Time to weigh cost. Hardened center with bronze plate or a standard center with fiber plates (Barnett).
 
I would say time for a new center ( thank you bronze plates ) the better way is to sacrifice the friction plates with them being the barnett or surflex type.

don't forget if you reuse the steel plates to take the advice of one of our ESTEEMED members and rub them on the concrete floor :roll:
 
pvisseriii said:
Hardened center with bronze plate or a standard center with fiber plates (Barnett).
Click to expand...

Any non-hardened 063979 centres still around should be very old stock as the 060743 hardened centre became the standard component from 1973-on and is the only one available from AN.

According to factory service release N3/28 the hardened centre is suitable for earlier clutch assemblies.
 
don't forget if you reuse the steel plates to take the advice of one of our ESTEEMED members and rub them on the concrete floor :roll:
Click to expand...

Yep rough cement does a nice grippy job, then wet it with ATF like Barnett says. Works a treat on brake pads too but w/o the ATF of course. Notched splines suck.
 
Whoa! Clutch Hub search brought 18 pages, seems to be a common wear item. The bike does have 30k miles. Time to buy a new hub. From my reading looks 70lbs torque for the hub nut is also too high.

Is there any trick to removing the clutch hub? I'm hoping it a just matter of removing the nut and tab washer and pulling the hub off the shaft , leaving the basket /primary chain in place. I suppose it will be stubborn.
 
Niagara850 said:
Whoa! Clutch Hub search brought 18 pages, seems to be a common wear item. The bike does have 30k miles. Time to buy a new hub. From my reading looks 70lbs torque for the hub nut is also too high.

Is there any trick to removing the clutch hub? I'm hoping it a just matter of removing the nut and tab washer and pulling the hub off the shaft , leaving the basket /primary chain in place. I suppose it will be stubborn.
Click to expand...

Basket comes out. Which means you might be able to loosen the chain enough to slip it off (I can't recall, it's been too long since I had to pull a chain drive system), but be prepared to pull the front sprocket.
 
I find it very hard to remove clutch w/o also taking the chain and front pulley with it as a unit. Only the clutch center bolt holds it to main shaft. Easy to deform the thin locating clip behind the clutch, so touchy to tighten not to back off yet not tighten to smoosh the circlip. Don't use the soft steel lock washer either, use real hard steel washer. Once fixed if ya don't goof up and ride it much it won't wear again.
 
Niagara850 said:
I'm hoping it a just matter of removing the nut and tab washer and pulling the hub off the shaft , leaving the basket /primary chain in place.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately not, there should be a circlip on clutch centre boss behind the bearing so the basket also has to come out (which does mean the engine sprocket will probably have to be removed - see factory manual section C14).
 
Ok, I was afraid of that. All the diagrams I've seen show it coming out as a unit. In for a penny, in for a pound. The tool collection is about to expand. Will any quality gear puller do or is the Norton puller required? If I'm in this far might as well pull the inner chaincase and check the countershaft sprocket. My plan was to work my way back , put on a new chain and then do the rear brake. I have 2 new chains in the box of parts. Thanks for the advice.
 
The front sprocket is usually really on there good. (That nut gets tightened to 80 ft/lbs.) So best not to mickey mouse it. I always feel a lot better when it comes off!
 
I've only broken two pullers, hm, maybe 3, two cheap steering wheel pullers and one Robust Factory type. So place your puller and tighten like crazy then don't touch it till you have heated enough you can't touch or oil vapors begin. Usually it needs a rap to remove but I've had em just pop off as the heat swelled. Order a few locator clips to keep on hand with other Cdo consumables. The first times off in a few decades is only a bit harder to repeat a few seasons later. Them tapper fits are good binders.
 
When you get the sprocket puller tight, take a heat gun and start heating up the sprocket. It will pop off with a snap, don't go whacking on it with a BFH. Give it time.

Dave
69S
 
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