How to: Replace Clutch???

[SweaterDude]

So I have been riding it pretty frequently and the smell is still their each time with varying intensity. I opened the oil fill hole on the clutch cover after a ride and noticed no unusual odor. It seems like the smell is coming from the exhaust pipe where it heads straight up and then goes up to the tail. I am trying to figure out if maybe some insulation has failed or something I put in the storage slipped down onto something very hot. I no longer think it is the clutch because it has yet to slip on me. The adjustment of the clutch cable is still concerning as it seems like I shouldn't have had to adjust it out as far a I did.

did you put new springs in? if you put aftermarket/race/sportier clutch springs that can change things a bit, heck even new stock springs can make a decent difference depending on how many miles/wear the old clutch went through.

also, like i said in my above post, i dont know if its a basket type clutch, but if it is, then you need to make sure all of the parts went back in ALL THE WAY. if the puller plate isn't coming the full way back it can DESTROY your clutch quick. on most dirt bikes there is a "catch" before the puller plate goes in fully. ive seen a few cases where people have rushed a rebuild and neglected to tweak the plate past the catch. the clutch will work like this for a while but when the clutch is pulled at a high RPM the centripetal force on the friction plates and spacers pulls them out and they can get stuck on the outer rim of the basket. the puller plate then returns at an angle causeing uneven pressure and eventually (not that long really) broken plates, which then float around in the housing causing even more damage.

not trying to worry you but oil is cheaper than a new clutch.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

ive no need to mess with my clutch at 4500 miles so i havent. but when you say BOSS is that the same as a BASKET the only clutches ive messed with were on MX/Enduro bikes. dont know if street bikes use the same Basket & Hub type set-up, but friction plates and spacer steels sound like a good indicator.

In the Yamaha manual, page 5-52 (2007-2009 manual version), Yamaha refers to the "BOSS" which is the inner clutch hub. the pressure plate (outer cover) has a mark that's supposed to line up with a mark on the inner hub or "BOSS".

The outer, larger clutch basket doesn't have to be lined up with anything....


And yes, in the older, dirt bikes I grew up on, none that I worked on, didn't have this mark to line up... The set up is about the same, very little if any changes in the jap bikes. Harleys and some European bikes, a hole different ball game mostly with the spring(s)/pressure plate..

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

So I have been riding it pretty frequently and the smell is still their each time with varying intensity. I opened the oil fill hole on the clutch cover after a ride and noticed no unusual odor. It seems like the smell is coming from the exhaust pipe where it heads straight up and then goes up to the tail. I am trying to figure out if maybe some insulation has failed or something I put in the storage slipped down onto something very hot. I no longer think it is the clutch because it has yet to slip on me. The adjustment of the clutch cable is still concerning as it seems like I shouldn't have had to adjust it out as far a I did.

If you find the mid pipe CAT, which resides right in the middle of the swing arm, there is a rubber vent tube as well as some other wires that run somewhat parallel to the cat. The vent tube SHOULD RUN between the swing arm and frame. If it got bumped/moved possibly when the gas tank was up (at some time), it may have moved over to the center and is making contact with the cat/melting it...

There's not much to the exhaust system, looking for ANYTHING touching, nearby or leaking(leaving a residue) shouldn't be too difficult...



Also, I re-read one of your earlier posts, it sounds as if the clutch cable adjustment is adjusted all the way out, correct? If its the original cable, its not unusual.

There is however, a MID CABLE ADJUSTER located on the left side of the bike, just inside the frame, adjacent to the air filter...

It is somewhat a PIA to get to however, if you adjust the TOP, lever adjuster back in, then ADJUST THE MID CABLE ADJUSTER OUT, it'll lenthen up the outer cable considerably. It'll take up approx the same amount of play as the adjuster at the lever does...

You'll get another 10,000 miles out of it (as long as you lube it occassionally). There is a plastic retainer on the frame that holds the cable (I removed mine) so sliding the cable easily out WILL take some work. IMHO, I'd cut that retainer off. The cable isn't going anywhere. It makes access to the cable, for service MUCH easier....

 

[chemicalsmile]

Honestly from the sounds of it, I'd guess something has been sprayed or spilled on the lower exhaust pipe - I've spilled oil and over-sprayed chain lube on mine a few times and it stinks for a while and usually isn't noticeable until you've ridden it for a bit and it gets hot enough to cook. If your oil doesn't stink and you can't smell anything from the filler hole it seems very doubtful that it's your clutch. Also, like someone said before - check the drain tubes on the right side back by the swingarm - if they got moved or didn't get pulled/pushed back out after the tank was lifted they could be leaking down the side of the engine and dripping onto the header which would renew that nasty smell every time you ride.

 

[red_rock_beetle]

if it is oil leaking on headers it may well be doing it all the time, i would be looking for something covered in oil and look at the forward most point of oil and examine for leaks there

 

[FinalImpact]

Any chance the whole burning thing is something like this? It seems the Fiz was unKind to the plastic tray and some melty occured along the way. From stock exhaust/OEM tune i.e. no engine mods.

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Was changing the rear shock and made this discovery. Looking back I do recall WHEN it happened and me wondering wtf is that smell! :Flip: