Continued Clutch Drama

[wellandfit]

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about my 99 Standard wanting to surge forward a bit when going into 1st.  A certified Honda mechanic advised a new slave.  Ok, new slave installed.  Now the lever wont go but half way to the handle and still surges a little bit.  Shifts normally when riding and always has.   Ok, here's where the drama really begins.  That mechanic (MechanicMD) says it's very unlikely the problem is in the clutch housing.  But, I just spoke with another expert who rebuilds and supercharges Valks who immediately said a new clutch is required. 

Looking for one more "expert" to break the tie. 

[Mr.BubblesVRCCDS0008]

My bet it is the damper plate rivets have sheared off and allowing the clutch to fully disengage.

[Disco]

I don't visit the tech board much anymore, but by my count, this is at least the 4th thread related to your clutch problem. Please go back and read them all. You've been provided with lots of very good information - from simple to involved - from lots of knowledgeable people who've already been down the road you are currently on.

Please bring us current on everything you've done so far.

Lever: new, or replaced bushing?
Master cylinder: anything?
Slave: by new, do you mean rebuilt or replaced?
Fluid: drained, flushed, refilled?
Rivet question: did you read my last post and the thread I linked to?

Who is the certified Honda tech? Who is the expert who rebuilds and supercharges Valkyries? Please cite your sources so we can know how to value their input.

Oops, just checked. 5th thread.

[wellandfit]

Disco, replaced the bushing and installed new slave.  Filled and bled with new fluid and bled several times to ensure all air was out.  MotorcycleMD, Cody Richards is a certified Honda mech and has a web site and videos, including slave rebuild.  He seems to really know his business and was very patient in discussing the steps related to troubleshooting installing the new slave and bleeding.  He assured me the problem was very likely NOT in the clutch housing.  The other fellow is Bob Smith in Tulsa.  He was referred to me by a fellow valk rider.  He came highly recommended because he rebuilds valks, supercharges them and apparently knows them inside and out. 

Bob Smith says I need a new clutch.  But, there's one thing that concerns me.  I called him and immediately told him the current status, that the clutch lever would only go half way to the handle grip.  He immediately said I need a new clutch.  That he didn't ask anything about how the problem first started or the history of what I've done concerns me.  Quick conclusions like that gives me pause. 

[hubcapsc]

Quick conclusions like that gives me pause. 

There's not a lot of "mystery" things that can go wrong with
our Valkyries at this point. The "lever won't go all the way in"
thing is pretty telling. Bob Smith is "Attic Rat", as good a
Valkyrie mechanic as there is. There's almost certainly
some lose rivets, so you "need a new clutch"... a short
way of saying you have to pull it and replace some of the
parts in it...

-Mike

[Disco]

Thanks for the update, wellandfit.  When you first described your problem, I went immediately to the rivets as the problem, but if it were my bike, I wouldn't start that repair before doing all of the other easy things first.  I just wanted to know if you'd done all the easy things before concluding it's damper plate/rivets-related.  Now that we know those efforts didn't correct your problem, like others here have said, you need some clutch parts, starting with the damper plate. Number 6 in the picture.



Do you need new friction plates (numbers 3 & 4)?  Maybe not, but as long as you're in there, replace those, too.

There may be other things you find that you need after getting in there, but I wouldn't buy them blindly. 

Be sure to get a new gasket (number 2 in the picture).  You won't be able to get the old one off in one, reusable piece.

 

Good luck and thanks for not burying the bike!

[wellandfit]

Disco:  Thanks for writing and the diagram!  A pal has offered a good used clutch pack.  That should do the job, huh?  It's the instillation I'm most concerned with. 

[Disco]

Hope I caught this in time.

Do you know the year of the bike the donor clutch pack came from? With options from '97 to '03, odds are it's not a '98, but it would suck to put a defective damper plate back in. Might be worth the extra dollars now to replace it while it's (hopefully) still out of the bike