Problem after problem..

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Scrandy
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Re: Problem after problem..

Post by Scrandy »

5th to 6th is by far the most noticeable point where you can feel it slipping.
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thirdgenlxi
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Problem after problem..

Post by thirdgenlxi »

pumpguy wrote:Don't mean to sound like a preacher or anything, but as with many things in life, it comes down to what do you have more of, time or money?

If you pay someone else to fix your bike, all you'll learn is what your mechanic tells you and how much money it cost. On the other hand, if you tear into it yourself, you'll learn what the problem is, and how to fix it. You will be develop skills and knowledge that will last a lifetime.

Back in the day, both my brother and I had to fix our own bikes because we just didn't have the money to pay someone else, and besides, we liked doing that sort of work. That experience led us both to work as professional mechanics; not on motorcycles, but on other rotating equipment.

Good luck to you.
LOL kinda funny and almost identical story. Back in 2001 when I was about 18-19 years old, I had a 1989 Honda Accord. Took it in for an emissions test, and unknown to me (since I rarely ever sat in much traffic), the cooling fan wasn't working (this was one of those ones where they actually put the sniffer on it and run it on the dyno type machine). Needless to say, it overheated, and the dumbass doing the test didn't have the sense to.... you know.... maybe stop and shut it off when he saw the temp gauge was pegged and steam rolling out from the hood, but of course not, lol. It failed the test so I took it into a shop, they said it had a blown head gasket (imagine that). Got an estimate to have it fixed and everybody was around $700-800. Being 18-19 at the time and working a **** job, there was no way I could afford that at the time. And couldn't afford a new car either, but needed to have one to get around and back and forth to work. So I was left with no other option than to try and do it myself. I wasn't a total n00b, I'd done my own oil changes, spark plugs, brakes, etc before.... simple stuff though. I'd never tore into a motor before though.... I was still nervous venturing into the unknown, and completely by myself without anyone to help me out or ask questions. So I got a manual and read the head gasket procedure over, and over, and over again.... until I had a pretty good idea in my head of just what needed to be done and how I was gonna go about it, and everything I would need. I got all the parts, fluids, etc, got my little Craftsman tool set and a torque wrench, and went to town in the parking lot of the apartment complex where my mom and I lived. The owner lady got kinda pissed at me cuz I made a mess when some of the anitfreeze kinda missed the drain pan, lol.... so I had to move everything into the garage and finish it there. Spent the next couple days going step by step tearing it down and getting it back together. Took the head into a machine shop to get checked/shaved, then started going back together. After pulling an all nighter I finally had it back together. Had one little screw up with the timing belt.... I actually had it right the first time but second guessed myself cuz I had been up all night and I was a zombie at that point, lol. But found what I did wrong and got it straightened out. After that it fired right up and ran perfect. The car had 271k miles at the time I did this.

In 2003 I was at a point where I had to figure out what I wanted to actually do with my life, lol. After some deliberating, I ended up going through the Ford ASSET program, which is their factory training program for auto mechanics. Graduated in 2005 and ended up being a Ford dealer tech and later diesel specialist for 12 years. I got out of it in 2015 cuz I got tired of working for free, but the mechanical experience from all that along with the degree I got from that program helped me land my current gravy hourly paid job.... in air conditioning, lol (anybody that's ever worked flat rate in a hot shop knows what I mean). I keep my hands a little cleaner now just working on a bunch of temperamental automated production machinery, lol. But that head gasket was kinda what got the ball rolling on everything there

I still have the ol' Honda to this day (though I have bought another newer car since) and it's now at 438k miles, still on the same head gasket and still runs like new. Here she was back in Feb 2011 at 409k, getting ready to head out on a 1400 mile round trip jaunt from western NC to south Florida and back for my very first track day

Image

So yea.... long and super winded story I know.... sorry! But like you said.... you never know where that little bit of knowledge you gain might take you in life! :grin: :wink:
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Re: Problem after problem..

Post by david »

438K! Holy crap. Good job keeping it going. You should be looking at your 8th timing belt soon.
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Re: Problem after problem..

Post by Scrandy »

I do as much as I can on my own. Where I don't have that much money I don't want to do something wrong that is going to cause more problems. That's why I try not to get into the more advanced stuff on my bike.
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Re: Problem after problem..

Post by SS109 »

Scrandy wrote:...but I know ever since I got it back it's been doing this and it worked fine before.
That right there tells you what you need to know. It was fine, goes in shop, comes out not fine. He messed something up. It doesn't matter who he is as everyone makes mistakes. He should find out the problem for you for free. However, learning to do it yourself is your best option.
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Re: Problem after problem..

Post by Scrandy »

So where should I look at? What could he have adjusted? I already checked the clutch lever for play.
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Re: Problem after problem..

Post by Tyl3r »

Look at the other end of the clutch cable
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Re: Problem after problem..

Post by Scrandy »

I checked that also. It moves the little lever thing that goes into the clutch all the way back and forth
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Re: Problem after problem..

Post by bufftester »

Did he open it up? Did he work on the clutch pack at all? We already know that it is misadjusted because you said you measured the play at the end of the lever, not correct. Could be just that it's too tight causing the clutch to never fully engage. If "your guy" got in there do you know if he checked the springs? Did he put all the friction and steel plates back in? Were they worn to the limits? So many questions just answered with "he's a great mechanic" when clearly he isn't. Start easy: at the clutch end of the cable loosen the adjusting nut until the actuating arm doesn't move back any more. Then tighten adjusters on the cable until you have proper play which is 2-3mm measured at the pivot end of the clutch lever (the gap between the lever and the perch), then go ride it and see. A bit of a rattle from the top end is normal with the KIPS.
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Problem after problem..

Post by Scrandy »

Yeah so I was a little p*ssed off when I posted this but now that i've had a few days to cool down this is what i did. I ordered a full clutch kit with springs and everything and I also bought a used lawn tractor to start mowing lawns this summer so I can keep the bike... I came to the conclusion that the KDX really is the bike I wanted after I had to ride my friends CRF250R back to his place through my trails to get the bike back to him.. Starting that piece of sh*t after it sat for 2 days was a damn nightmare. After I got it running I had it in the trails after 5 minutes was wishing I had the KDX. Suspension was rock hard on it and it just dosn't pull like my bike does. I hated the handling on it and the seat was like sitting on a 2x4. It took me probably 2 times as long to get through the trail as it would if I was on the KDX. I have to say riding that bike really made me hate 4 strokes lol.
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Re: Problem after problem..

Post by KDXGarage »

Hang in there, young man.
Thank you for participating on kdxrider.net. :bravo:
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Problem after problem..

Post by Jim B »

thirdgenlxi wrote:I still have the ol' Honda to this day (though I have bought another newer car since) and it's now at 438k miles, still on the same head gasket and still runs like new.
:supz: :prayer: :bravo: Awesome!
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Problem after problem..

Post by Scrandy »

Hey guys I put my new EBC clutch kit in today and it's doing literally the exact same thing. I tried adjusting the cable on the lever and the part that goes into the motor and it didn't effect it. Also the cable moves freely without issues. I'm stumped and so is everyone I talk to. I have no clue what this could be now. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
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Re: Problem after problem..

Post by Jim B »

Did the kit include new springs?

Make sure there's A LOT of slack in the cable. If it's still doing it, it must be assembled wrong or you're mistaking another problem for a slipping clutch. Take a look at the parts diagram (they're available online) to see if you assembled the parts in the correct order. Are you sure you got the pressure plate to go all the way down? (Sometimes they won't seat all the way and you have to move them around a little bit before they fit properly. There shouldn't be any gap between the pressure plate and the last clutch plate in the pack.)

Is there someone you know that's knowledgeable about bikes/mechanical things? Bring it to Colorado, I'll have a look at it! :mrgreen:
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Re: Problem after problem..

Post by Scrandy »

Yes I watched a tutorial on YouTube and my clutch went together flawlessly. Today I filed down the grooves in the basket a bit to see if that would help. It did a little bit but it still feels like it's slipping a little at high speeds. I can burn rubber on pavement in lower gears without using the front brake so it's grabbing pretty good.
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Re: Problem after problem..

Post by Jim B »

How are your sprockets? Any chance the chain is slipping on the sprockets?
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Problem after problem..

Post by Scrandy »

Sprockets and chain are basically new and in are adjusted. This is a smooth slipping feeling. But heres something interesting- when the bike gets hot after riding for about 20 minutes or so the slipping stops completley..
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Re: Problem after problem..

Post by Scrandy »

These are the tutorials on youtube that I watched. Taking it out-
Putting it back in-
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Re: Problem after problem..

Post by Scrandy »

Links didnt work but search on youtube KDX Shifter KIPS Pin Repair 1 of 5 and KDX Shifter KIPS Pin Repair 5 of 5 if you'd like to see the videos I followed
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Re: Problem after problem..

Post by Jim B »

What are you using for gear oil? Apparently, 'Energy Conserving' motor oil can cause wet clutches to slip. (I'm assuming you have that standard, or an equivalent, in Canada.)

I can't think of much (anything, really) that it would be besides the clutch and/or the chain and sprockets.
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