Didn't work on clutch but now the gears drag...

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frankroche

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Ok, I fixed up my 85 Aspencade, took off secondary air system, changed the choke cables, cleaned up the vacuum lines, removed the charcoal canister and synced the carbs.

Put it all back together and now it wants to go in 1st gear with the clutch pulled (but of course not in neutral)...

I thinking it could be fluid level in the clutch, and a check says it low but the sight glass looks like it's almost leaking. Last year the Brake Front MC started leaking out the sight glass and I changed it, and still works fine today, so I tried it but no real leaks. Since it is so s I ordered a replacement glass and will change it when I get it. At that time I will add/replace fluid.

Any other thoughts on this? I did also do the starter but removing the shift lever and replacing it shouldn't make the clutch drag.
 
Okay so it sounds to me like it either needs bled or the master cylinder is going bad, I'd change fluid and bleed it first and see if that fixes the issue.
 
Interesting and strange that it worked when I parked it and took it apart, and doesn't now, following the fixes I've done... Well I'm not gonna say it was working before, why doesn't it now... that's the sign of someone who doesn't think!

What are the symptoms of a clutch needing bleeding?
And what are the symptoms of a master cylinder going bad?
 
The clutch works the same way as the brakes. If the master cylinder isn't getting a full push of fluid the slave (clutch actuator) will not have full travel. If there is air in the line it will not have full travel but unlike the brakes. The clutch doesn't end travel and hit resistance so the spongy feeling you get from air in brakes is almost impossible to feel in the clutch. I suppose if you are very familiar and attentive to the clutch feel normally you could notice the spongy feel of air but it is very easy to miss.
 
Something I've noticed is that if the wing has sat for a while, it's like the plates are stuck to each other. Generally add a small amount of power and apply the rear brake. Needless to say this is done on centerstand. I've left it so long and in neutral that it would kill the engine if a shift into first happened with low idle speed. Now I always grab a hand full of front brake and slight rpm increase, shift to first. The other way is put in neutral and rock the bike back and forth (engine off) and the put into first pull in clutch and rock back and forth. Best is to not let it set for a long time. I see the phenomena with bike on center stand, in neutral motor running and the rear wheel is spinning like it's in gear.
Try it and see if that's what's going on, clutch plates stuck together.
 
Well, I parked it last Thursday, and drove it today (Wednesday) so that's 6 days...
And I took it around the block.
I'll add that to my list for tomorrow but 6 days is a long time? It has sat for longer ...
 
Six days isn't a long sit at all. Still these things can and do happen occasionally. If it's just sticking plates you may be able to free them up next ride. Just pull in the clutch on your next ride let the rpm drop or rev it with clutch pulled. If the next stop lets it idle without pulling while clutch is in and it's in gear then that was probably it. If so it might be a good idea to change oil soon. If it still pulls then I think it more likely your clutch hydraulics need attention.
 
2000 since the last oil change, and I added nearly a quart to replace what drained out pulling the starter. (Hey maybe it needs more oil, I thought I put the right amount based on the dipstick but...).

After I drove it around the block, it still dragged.
 
[url=https://www.classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=188322#p188322:3kdhhei0 said:
frankroche » 9 minutes ago[/url]":3kdhhei0]
2000 since the last oil change, and I added nearly a quart to replace what drained out pulling the starter. (Hey maybe it needs more oil, I thought I put the right amount based on the dipstick but...).

After I drove it around the block, it still dragged.
Hmm oil drained out the starter hole eh? That's what was happening when the scavenger pump on mine was plugged, clutch dragged a lot too making it virtually unrideable.

Could try breaking loose the small clutch cover to drain the oil out of the space then see if the clutch still drags. Reinstall the cover before starting of course, and check enough oil in the engine.
 
But you have to either lose oil out the starter hole or drain some first.

I took the starter out while on the side-stand so it wouldn't possibly loose the gear going back in. Then I rebuilt the starter and it works great now, put it back in and checked the oil and refilled.
 
Well I know it's true because it happened to me.
After researching how wet clutches work at the time, I found out oil is designed to cool the clutch plates with a continuous flow of oil over them and NOT be submerged in oil. Submerged in oil as would be the case if oil isn't returning to the sump properly or at sufficient flow, will cause a drag exactly as I was experiencing and what sounded similar to yours.

I'm only posting to try and help you with my experience. It may not be your issue at all but it is in fact a possibility.
 
OK, put in the new sight glass, actually pretty easy. I got it from Amazon, you can find it by searching on: Master Cylinder Sight Lens 18mm - (Pair of 2), Premium Set Replacement with O-Rings for Hydraulic Brake Lever by Precision Auto Products.
sight glass.jpg


They look thick but you have to remove the old sight plastic/glass, the narrow sheet metal sighting window, the o-ring, and the steel surround that encapsulates the sight metal and the plastic. For me I used a pick and a screwdriver, and pulling the o-ring allows room to push the last part out. No directions included but I read, somewhere, that it had to be hammered in. I didn't want to do that so I used a small c clamp and a piece of wood (to protect the outside) and pressed it in. Then gave it a few taps with a hammer and a piece of wood.

Anyway with a full MC it still didn't have clutch, so I hooked up the Mityvac to the slave cylinder and tried to bleed it, added fluid twice. No good.

So one (or more) of the following things:
1) Didn't get a good pull through (hard to get the bleed screw open much) (not sure what size tubing needed)
2) Bad MC
3) Bad Slave cylinder

In response to number 1 I did lower level in MC twice still getting bubbles, would like to try again with correct known size tubing and ability to cet a better turn on the bleed screw.

Number 2, dunno, there was no loss of clutch a little at a time, just there one day, gone the next.
Number 3, dunno though there is a little leakage on the motor cases below it...

1000 points to those that guess it!
 
So it works great but after a ride I got to thinking...

Recently it got harder to put in reverse while in gear with the clutch pulled in (reverse as in with legs)
While trying to fix it, i noticed a faint trail of "leakage" under the slave cylinder

So I ordered a rebuild kit and am planning it maybe for next week.
 
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