Clutch squeal

[FZ6buff]

Hey all,
So tonight I was abusing my clutch at the local drag strip and noticed a squeal below 4K rpm. It happened at first when I was slipping the clutch to do a burn out, but now it happens whenever I take off from a stop. This was my fourth time at the drag strip and I did some hot laps before it got busy, but the squeal didn't start until the end of the night. I think I might need to replace my clutch because it seems that it is not grabbing like it used to, but I honestly don't know.:don'tknow: I am going to take her into my local shop tomorrow and see what they say, but has anyone had this problem before? Any guesses as to what it might be? Any help is much appreciated.:bow:

 

[Shamus McFeeley]

You either warped one or more of your steel plates, or wore out your friction plates. Even a wet clutch will eventually generate enough heat to wear out the plates, springs or basket. If you are slipping the clutch to the point where it is fading then you are "doing it wrong". Unless you have a lot of disposable income and time on your hands, you might want to change your clutching habits.

Check to see if the clutch acts the same way once the bike has had a chance to cool off overnight. If it acts normal the next day, you probably overheated it to the point where the clutch stack warped. If it still does not feel right then congratulations, you just make a 150 plus dollar mistake, more if you don't do the work yourself.

You might go as far as removing the clutch yourself and see what the stack looks like. Discoloration (purple/blue) on the steel plates is a sure sign of heat fatigue. The clutch springs themselves can be heat cycled to the point of failure as well. The clutch stack, and the springs will have to be measured for serviceability. Your service manual will tell you the required height of the stack and length of the springs.

This is what a clutch stack looks like:

And this is what a clutch looks like after is has been abused. Notice the one blacked steel plate next to the other shiny ones.
That black plate is worn out due to "drag racing". Your plates should all look something like the shiny ones.

Why are you abusing your clutch anyway?

 

[FZ6buff]

I don't normally launch hard during day-to-day riding, but at the drag strip I try to launch at 10K rpm and slip the clutch. When I say that I am "abusing" my clutch, the 10K launches are what I am talking about. I would like to take her to the drag strip and track for many years to come, so if I need to replace my clutch and buy a stronger one then so be it.

 

[Shamus McFeeley]

You probably should buy a different bike if that is the case. The FZ does many things well, but I don't think drag racer is one of them.

 

[FZ6buff]

So I went ahead and got a EBC SRK clutch kit and tried to install the clutch tonight. Yea, it's completely toasted. The part that bugs me is that I installed the new plates and springs, but with the springs tightened all the way down there is about 1cm play in the plates. Does anyone know if the basket needs to be oriented in a certain way? I am going to take a second look tomorrow when there is more sunlight, but I am stumped what it could be. Also I noticed that the separator plates looked like heat treated titanium, but the EBC kit comes with steel separator plates. Does the stock FZ6 come with titanium separator plates, or is there some weird chemistry that produces a color gradient in the steel? Any help would be greatly appreciated. :bow:

PS. I take my FZ6 to the track because I'm in collage and don't have the money for a dedicated track bike yet. Once I do have my track bike, my Fazer is becoming a tourer.

 

[tomari]

PS. I take my FZ6 to the track because I'm in collage and don't have the money for a dedicated track bike yet. Once I do have my track bike, my Fazer is becoming a tourer.

you dont have to explain your self or feel bad 'cause you track the FZ6, its your bike! wtf? i hope you enjoy it!!!
sorry nothing for your clutch...the "big brains" of the forum will help you though

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

So I went ahead and got a EBC SRK clutch kit and tried to install the clutch tonight. Yea, it's completely toasted. The part that bugs me is that I installed the new plates and springs, but with the springs tightened all the way down there is about 1cm play in the plates. Does anyone know if the basket needs to be oriented in a certain way? I am going to take a second look tomorrow when there is more sunlight, but I am stumped what it could be. Also I noticed that the separator plates looked like heat treated titanium, but the EBC kit comes with steel separator plates. Does the stock FZ6 come with titanium separator plates, or is there some weird chemistry that produces a color gradient in the steel? Any help would be greatly appreciated. :bow:

PS. I take my FZ6 to the track because I'm in collage and don't have the money for a dedicated track bike yet. Once I do have my track bike, my Fazer is becoming a tourer.

The pressure plate (that the springs go thru) has a mark that's supposed to line up with the Inner clutch "boss" (middle of clutch hub).

If your plates are still loose after orienting the marks, I'd give the manufaturer a call and see whats missing/not right...

 

[Motogiro]

I read about the new R1's that had inherent clutch problems because of tall gearing. It was a common problem on these bikes. I read on a thread that you should soak the clutch parts in oil overnight before installing.
I'm wondering if that's the case with your assembly. Soak it overnight and see if that play disappears. The mechanic said that the factory clutches were not soaked properly and it caused pre-mature failure.....

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Some of the Gen II FJR's had a problem with rough shifting. The fix was to remove the clutch plates and soak them in oil. The clutch's didn't slip, they stuck together making each shift basically a clutchless shift. This procedure fixed probably 95% of the bikes...

I don't see soaking them would take up all the play but they should be soaked in oil (preferably over night) in either case....