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Slash 5 Clutch Installation

kentuvman

New member
Hi Gang,

I'm freshening up this old girl - already replaced main seal & oil pump O ring and new flywheel bolts and blocked the crank . . .

Bought a new OEM clutch as existing was shiny like glass (bike has 80k on the odo). We used a micrometer to check all clutch components and everything is within specs.

Manual says to put grease on diaphragm spring - Haynes is vague and Clymer shows putting it around perimeter and on the fingers (side that bulges out). Was planning to use just a little Honda Moly grease - is this okay? Does grease also go on back of diaphragm spring that comes into contact with the flywheel?

I also know not to put grease inside the splines on the clutch - just on the transmission input shaft.

Also, I have a clutch alignment tool - if I use it do I have to do a "dry run" by lining splines up on transmission to clutch before battening down the clutch bolts?

Any suggestions / tips always appreciated.

Thanks!
 
On my /7 clutch I greased the tips of the fingers as well as the part that touches the flywheel...all of those pieces move around a bit. Also, be sure your clutch pushrod gets grease on the very tip where it sits in the groove on the pressure plate. Honda Moly should be OK...I just a mixture of a red tacky grease with some moly mixed in.

I've put in two clutches without an alignment tool. I basically eyeball very, very closely that the disk is centered in the opening of the compression ring. If it's off a skosh, when I have the tranny in place on the engine case studs, I found a way to push on the clutch lever so that the pressure plate release a bit allowing the disk to center. I've never found it to be a problem. But once you get the tranny in place and before tightening the tranny bolts, definitely actuate the clutch a few times to fully center the disk.
 

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On my /7 clutch I greased the tips of the fingers as well as the part that touches the flywheel...all of those pieces move around a bit. Also, be sure your clutch pushrod gets grease on the very tip where it sits in the groove on the pressure plate. Honda Moly should be OK...I just a mixture of a red tacky grease with some moly mixed in.

I've put into two clutches without an alignment tool. I basically eyeball very, very closely that the disk is centered in the opening of the compression ring. If it's off a skoosh, when I have the tranny in place on the engine case studs, I found a way to push on the clutch lever so that the pressure plate release a bit allowing the disk to center. I've never found it to be a problem. But once you get the tranny in place and before tightening the tranny bolts, definitely actuate the clutch a few times to fully center the disk.

Thanks, Kurt - so as long as the clutch is lined up properly and I can rotate the transmission input shaft, I shouldn't have any trouble linking up the male/female splines - and I can go ahead and compress the clutch - is that right?
 
Right. You may try and slip the tranny forward but it just doesn't go. Pull it back and rotate the input shaft another skosh...then retry. If you have it close, it will eventually slide home. With the tranny slid forward, finger tighted bolted on, hook up the clutch mechanism and get it a try. That's when you want to find out if there's a problem.

I don't recall...did you remove the clutch pushrod? If so, those usually go back in from the front with the felt ring already on the rod. I found that to be the easiest rather than to try and get the felt on from the rear once the rod was slid through the tranny.
 
did you remove the clutch pushrod? If so, those usually go back in from the front with the felt ring already on the rod. I found that to be the easiest rather than to try and get the felt on from the rear once the rod was slid through the tranny.

I did pull everything apart to clean things up & re-lubricate. Did not know I could assemble the clutch pushrod prior to mounting the tranny.
 
I did pull everything apart to clean things up & re-lubricate. Did not know I could assemble the clutch pushrod prior to mounting the tranny.

So much easier installing the pushrod from the front, felt seal goes right in with minimal effort and no tricks involved
 
Does crankshaft still need to be blocked when installing clutch?

Does thin coat of grease go on both sides of perimeter of diaphragm spring?

What kind of grease is used for the clutch pushrod?

Thanks so much!
 
Does crankshaft still need to be blocked when installing clutch?

No, only if the flywheel is removed.

Does thin coat of grease go on both sides of perimeter of diaphragm spring?

I only put it on the side that touches the flywheel.

What kind of grease is used for the clutch pushrod?

I'd just use a dab of the Honda Moly on the tip. As for the felt, you should soak it in oil prior to insertion...it will get oiled by internal splash once you run the tranny through the gears.
 
Question about Pressure Plate R60/5

Cleaned up the pressure plate tonight and I can't see where I'd marked it when it came off.

There are some perforation lines on one part of the plate (the local Airhead Marshall measured the parts and says all the components were in spec except the clutch - have a new one).

Understand the point of making the marks is for balance but honestly don't know where the mark went on this piece.

Picture below - if you look on right outer edge you can see small vertical lines at edge of plate. The lines are between the holes - running my fingers around the plate, I can feel ridges at that spot - maybe I should renew the pressure plate . . .
 

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I wouldn't worry too much about the balance...just do the best you can. I bought all new clutch pieces for my change on the /7 two years ago...none the pieces had any balance marks on it. It could be that now days, it's pre-balanced.

As for the pressure plate and the metal ring that comprises all the holes around the edge...this doesn't really come into play for clutch operation. this gets sandwiched between the compression ring and the flywheel when you bolt everything together. All you care about the pressure plate is its ridigity and flatness as the side we see in the picture will be squeezing against the forward side of the clutch disk.
 
Thanks Kurt - called my buddy Curt Henry the MN Airhead Marshall & his answer was similar to yours.

It rode good when I brought her home and the splines were dry & clutch was shot.
 
kentuvman;861248 It rode good when I brought her home and the splines were dry & clutch was shot.[/QUOTE said:
Just shows how tough these bikes are.

BTW, I never apply any grease to the clutch parts/assembly, I prefer the entire area to be dry with the exception of a light application of the moly mix on the splines. A dry clutch plate is a happy clutch plate...
Regards,
kurt
 
BTW, I never apply any grease to the clutch parts/assembly,

There are a couple of reasons that applying a tacky/sticky grease is good for the clutch. One is the tip of the pushrod...that pushes into the pressure plate which is spinning...having grease on the end of the rod helps slow down the wear. I've seen pictures of the end of a rod which is shaped with a small diameter point rather the larger cone shape shape of a new rod. The effect is that the pushrod sinks deeper into the tranny.

Another good area is on the fingers of the spring that touches the backside of the pressure plate. There is relative motion of these fingers as the spring is compressed. They drag inward and outward as the pressure plate is deflected forward. If there's no grease, a bit of squeaking can be heard at a particular point in the clutch release. Not a real issue, but somewhat annoying with the squeak.

A lubricated clutch can also be a happy clutch! ;)
 
There are a couple of reasons that applying a tacky/sticky grease is good for the clutch. One is the tip of the pushrod...that pushes into the pressure plate which is spinning...having grease on the end of the rod helps slow down the wear.

A lubricated clutch can also be a happy clutch! ;)
And the clutch will be smoother to operate too. Good idea! Wish I'd done that.
 
Ken -

It's just that a few of us have recently been down this road. Now that you've also done it, I suspect you'll be the first with good advice the next time someone has similar questions. It's all kind of confusing until you get your hands dirty!
 
Ken -

It's just that a few of us have recently been down this road. Now that you've also done it, I suspect you'll be the first with good advice the next time someone has similar questions. It's all kind of confusing until you get your hands dirty!

Thanks, Kurt - of all the forums I've never experienced so much fellowship & enthusiasm about Airheads - awesome! I've met more than several people here who are now friends - our younger son graduated from Marine boot camp last week in San Diego - a friend I met here, who restored an R65, rode to our hotel to meet me for coffee - we'd been corresponding and talking over the phone for several years now - I found myself in San Diego and it was a perfect opportunity for us to meet. Much in common, we Airheads! Wonder how many of you have or had cars like Bugs & VW Vans - I had both and at one time a nice convertible Karmann Ghia! Something about these air cooled designs . . . maybe an old Porsche someday.
 
I've put in two clutches without an alignment tool. I basically eyeball very, very closely that the disk is centered in the opening of the compression ring. If it's off a skosh, when I have the tranny in place on the engine case studs, I found a way to push on the clutch lever so that the pressure plate release a bit allowing the disk to center. I've never found it to be a problem. But once you get the tranny in place and before tightening the tranny bolts, definitely actuate the clutch a few times to fully center the disk.

Great thread, thanks for offering such useful information.
I wrestled without the alignment tool last night until my back and arms couldn't take it anymore. I've eyed the disk centered but the tranny splines just won't go in. Turned the splines abit and tried again. It's sooo close but just won't go in. Did this at least 7 times. Maybe the disk is sitting just a little low?
Going to go back and work on it again today.


Last winter I had the engine out when aligning the disk with the transmission. Alot easier!

Cheers
Barrett
 
I've eyed the disk centered but the tranny splines just won't go in.

I've reverted to actually measuring the distances of the clutch disk metal flange WRT to the opening in the compression ring. You're right...if you're off by maybe an 1/8", the tranny might not fit in...but you could see that dimension with a tape measure.
 
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