Clutch Issue

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zepper27
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Clutch Issue

Post by zepper27 »

I drained my clutch oil on my 1984 KDX 200 and refilled it with 10W 40. The little fill window on the side is next to impossible to read so I am not sure if it is full enough. Long story short my clutch will not disengage now. When I pull the clutch lever in while the bike is in gear the bike will not move (rear wheel will not turn). Any ideas of what is going on? Did I use the wrong oil? Any way to make sure it is full enough or anyone know how much needs to be put in? I am trying to avoid pulling the clutch appart since it worked before I drained the oil and the bike sat. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks all!
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Tedh98
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Re: Clutch Issue

Post by Tedh98 »

How long did it sit for?
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rbates9
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Clutch Issue

Post by rbates9 »

If the bike has been sitting for a while the clutch may just be set up. Mine will do the same thing. If you used the wrong oil I would think you would have a slipping problem more than sticking. If everything is adjusted right and the only problem is the clutch is stuck you could try starting the bike up, get it rolling and kick it in gear. Then just keep doing hard accelerations and stoping while using the clutch. It should pop free pretty easy. I probably should have asked first but how long has the bike been sitting?
zepper27
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Clutch Issue

Post by zepper27 »

It sat for a little over a year.
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Tedh98
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Clutch Issue

Post by Tedh98 »

zepper27 wrote:It sat for a little over a year.
The plates are probably just stuck together. You can either ride it around to free them up or take the clutch apart and seperate them.

Was the oil you put in an "energy conserving" oil? Did it have friction modifiers?
zepper27
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Clutch Issue

Post by zepper27 »

Not sure if it was energy conserving it was just regular 10 w 40 oil if I remember correctly. Won't the bike jump pretty bad when I put it in gear to take off since the clutch is not disengaging?
david
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Clutch Issue

Post by david »

zepper27 wrote: Won't the bike jump pretty bad when I put it in gear to take off since the clutch is not disengaging?
That's why rbates9 said '..get it rolling then kick it into gear.' Push the running bike down the street then hop on and click it into 1st. If you pull the clutch in and rev the bike up, the bike should take off then the clutches will let go and all will be normal again.
'81 KDX 175
'90 KDX 200
'07 Vulcan 2000 Classic LT (totaled 4/25/15)
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pumpguy
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Clutch Issue

Post by pumpguy »

FWIW, I would go for a higher gear than first. I busted a set of cases one time because I didn't. Instead of the clutch slipping or freeing, the cases split instead.
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Re: Clutch Issue

Post by david »

Well, not over revving it goes without saying. Up shift when needed.
'81 KDX 175
'90 KDX 200
'07 Vulcan 2000 Classic LT (totaled 4/25/15)
'82 Honda GL500 (sold)
'96 ZXi 1100 JetSki
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Tedh98
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Re: Clutch Issue

Post by Tedh98 »

I've never had a clutch stuck together. The longest I've gone between rides with the clutch in the engine is probably 3-4 months though. Maybe that isn't long enough.

I've bought some clutches where there was an "imprint" or very thin layer of the friction material on the drive plates. I assume those clutches would have been locked together.
Image

I've wondered if the type of oil used has any impact on the friction plates fusing/sticking to the drive plates. I've always used ATF. The clutches that I've pulled apart that I assume were locked together definitely used something other than ATF.
zepper27
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Clutch Issue

Post by zepper27 »

Also having trouble starting the bike since it sat. I am not much of a mechanic so does anyone have any suggestions or tricks to try to get it started?
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Tedh98
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Re: Clutch Issue

Post by Tedh98 »

Did you leave gas sitting in the carb?
zepper27
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Re: Clutch Issue

Post by zepper27 »

I don't think so. I shut the fuel off.
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Tedh98
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Re: Clutch Issue

Post by Tedh98 »

zepper27 wrote:I don't think so. I shut the fuel off.
Unless you drained the carb after turning off the petcock, there would still be gas in the carb. At the very least the gas has gone bad after a year and you might get lucky that fresh gas will get you going again. But if it were me I would just pull the carb and clean it, then drain the tank and put fresh gas in.
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Re: Clutch Issue

Post by david »

Two stroke oil usually has a fuel stabilizer in it. I have had good luck with premix sitting up for a long time and not gumming up the carb like it would in a four stroke. The fuel will still get old and lose it potency causing hard starting and not running right, but in my experience it hasn't gummed the carb. This with it sitting 18months


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'81 KDX 175
'90 KDX 200
'07 Vulcan 2000 Classic LT (totaled 4/25/15)
'82 Honda GL500 (sold)
'96 ZXi 1100 JetSki
'98 STX 1100 JetSki
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rbates9
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Re: Clutch Issue

Post by rbates9 »

Tedh98 wrote:I've never had a clutch stuck together. The longest I've gone between rides with the clutch in the engine is probably 3-4 months though. Maybe that isn't long enough.
For some reason the clutch in my bike has a tendency to stick sometimes after only a few weeks. I also use atf. Maybe the age of the plates makes them a little more prone to sticking?
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Tedh98
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Re: Clutch Issue

Post by Tedh98 »

rbates9 wrote:I also use atf. Maybe the age of the plates makes them a little more prone to sticking?
I didnt think of that. I guess you could also throw in brand into the mix of factors. I would expect there to be a few different variations of friction material out there and some may stick more than others.
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rbates9
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Re: Clutch Issue

Post by rbates9 »

Tedh98 wrote:
rbates9 wrote:I also use atf. Maybe the age of the plates makes them a little more prone to sticking?
I didnt think of that. I guess you could also throw in brand into the mix of factors. I would expect there to be a few different variations of friction material out there and some may stick more than others.
Mine is a 2000 with a stock clutch. But different brands could also act different to everything from age to oil. Or it could just be in our heads. Hard to tell.
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