Clutch refit problem.

[Dukedesmo]

Originally Posted by Dukedesmo

If it is the seal, make sure you fit it the right way round (lip facing outwards) otherwise it will leak oil into your clutch.

Don’t ask how I know...

Should be lip facing inwards - Oops...


Probably why mine leaked.

[Flip]

Yep what Stafford says!!

Stack height problems are quite common when using aftermarket friction plates with the original steels- the genuine Ducati clutch kit comes with both to enable them to supply it at the correct stack height straight out the box.

Also it’s worth considering changing the pressure plate bearing while you’re at it, again at about £6 they’re cheap insurance for peace of mind.

If I remember correctly the bearing is a C3 clearance to allow for expansion.

[Macflurry]

Originally Posted by FLATTOP

When you get it all back together again if you have not changed the plates on a dry clutch before you may find you don’t get neutral easily stick with it once they bed in after a few miles they are fine.

This is what I experienced with mine I used Newfren plates from the guy who is in Lincoln on eBay.

Cool, thank you. These are Newfren plates so it’ll be interesting to see if they do the same.

Originally Posted by Stafford

Renew the seal, it goes in the of the shaft clutch end, they're about £1.76 or so.
Then check your clutch stack height, that's all the plates together. Having put in new platesyou may be oversize, hence the plate falling out of the basket. Aim for 38/38.5mm IIRC, to achieve this you may have to swap 1.5mm steels for 1mm steels.

New bearing and seal on order. Thanks for the tip with the plate size. When I looked at the gap between the pressure plate and the basket there was a good 5-10mm!! I’ll take a good look tomorrow when I have more daylight left. It was pretty crappy last night working by halogen lamp on the drive!!

I admire your commitment working by halogen in ****ty weather reminds me of my youth when my Bike was my only form of transport keep at it lol.

Nicely explained by Stafford it’s all about stack height to get a smooth selection.

[Flip]

When I changed the bearing on my pressure plate last year I popped the plate on an old baking tray then into the oven for 20 minutes or so then it only took I light tap to get the old bearing out and while the plate was still hot I fitted the new bearing.

Remember to only tap the outer surface of the new bearing when fitting it.
A suitable sized socket used with a hide mallet is perfect for this if you don’t have a bearing & seal driver tool.

[Dukedesmo]

Originally Posted by Macflurry

Here’s what I’ve got. Flat side, left, and lip side, right. Does this look right to you?

I'm not sure it should have exposed steel showing through? Maybe it's rubbing against something?

Could be the little bearing in there has gone? they're cheap enough (can get from bearing suppliers in case Ducati want silly money) and they're easy to fit but can be tricky to remove.

I've changed a couple, one pulled out with not too much bother the other I had to cut through the cage with a dremel - whilst taking care not to damage the inside of the shaft.

[Macflurry]

Originally Posted by FLATTOP

I admire your commitment working by halogen in ****ty weather reminds me of my youth when my Bike was my only form of transport keep at it lol.

Nicely explained by Stafford it’s all about stack height to get a smooth selection.

Ha, thanks, the commitment is fuelled by the fact that I got the bike last year and I've managed to take it out about 4 times since so I'm determined not to miss the good weather this year as soon as it starts to show!!

I've had a stack of bearings, seals and washers turn up in the post and I have time to look at this again now. Looking at the clutch as it is the stack height is causing the last steel ring to sit outside the basket, which is where the pressure plate should be.

I've heard that to change the stack height you can buy narrower steel rings or refit some of the old friction plates to reduce the stack height. My old friction plates were covered in oil so I ideally don't want to reuse them. But, where you fit the plates in order there are two steel plates and the dished plate at the start. Could one of the steel plates be removed from there instead or would this cause other issues?

[Stafford]

How much over 38.5 is the stack?
Assuming your steels are 1.5mm how 1mm ones do you need to reduce the hight?

[Flip]

Also, out of interest what make are the plates you bought as this isn’t the first time this problem has been encountered and it might help others with the problems you’ve experienced.

I know the Ducati set seem expensive as they come with new steel as well as friction plates as a set, but I changed mine including fitting a new basket and pressure plate bearing in about an hour hassle free.

Plus if you average out the cost over the 30k miles the original set had done I personally didn’t think it too bad cost Vs wear.

[Macflurry]

Right guys, thanks for all the input. Part of my issues are idiot based (yep, me ). Turns out that I hadn't located the pressure plate properly at the end so it was sitting too high. I felt metal on metal and when I turned it the clutch hub was tuning with it so I assumed all was good but today after getting everything back together again I had a play and saw it click into place properly.

On a plus note, this did get me to go back in and replace the extra bearings and seals. The small seal that came out of the input drive shaft had come out a lot easier than the new one went in so I think that may have actually bee the source of all my problems and not the one that I swapped out behind the basket. But it's more work done that I don't have to do in future so it's a positive outcome for peace of mind.

Pressure plate bearing popped out nice and easy after it had been in the oven for 10 min's on 180. Then the new one eased half way in by hand, while it was still hot, before needing a socket as a drift to fit it all the way in.

I had to get the needle bearing out of the input drive shaft with a Dremmel. It was a bit of a twat and I thought I had screwed it up for a second. Had to grind through it to the shaft without damaging it. I was hoping to lever up the remains with a screw driver but they wouldn't lift it up when I tried tapping it under with a hammer but it did lift up with the edge of a Stanley blade. Basically it was because of how close the edges had ground to the shaft, the screw driver slipped over the edges.

Clutch plates are Newfren and the stack sat at 39mm including the two steel plates, dished plate, 7 friction plates. The Newfren friction plate set came with 8 friction plates, so there was one more than I removed from the bike. Neutral doesn't kick in with the engine running and gear changes are forced/clunky instead of slick and easy so I'm hoping that is all just down to it needing bedding in.

Test ride today had it pulling more like I would expect and, funnily enough, not slipping because the plates were covered in oil.

Now it's just the fuelling/ popping to sort and the speedo that died on the test run today.

[Dukedesmo]

Originally Posted by Macflurry

Clutch plates are Newfren and the stack sat at 39mm including the two steel plates, dished plate, 7 friction plates.

Nothing wrong with Newfren plates, I'm using them on both my Ducatis but on both the M900 and 916, I find neutral is a pig to select at standstill if the pack is anything over 38mm.

I don't use the dished plates as I see no advantage in having a plate that doesn't contact flat and they are more likely to slip.

If you need to fine tune the thickness then you can get flat 1.5mm plates (rather than 2mm) but if it's just a tad thick it will get better with wear.

The trick I use is that, with engine off and clutch pulled fully in, the clutch should 'freewheel' a little after you spin it with your hand - if not and it stops dead then it is dragging and neutral will be a bitch to select.

[Macflurry]

Originally Posted by Dukedesmo

Nothing wrong with Newfren plates, I'm using them on both my Ducatis but on both the M900 and 916, I find neutral is a pig to select at standstill if the pack is anything over 38mm.

I don't use the dished plates as I see no advantage in having a plate that doesn't contact flat and they are more likely to slip.

If you need to fine tune the thickness then you can get flat 1.5mm plates (rather than 2mm) but if it's just a tad thick it will get better with wear.

The trick I use is that, with engine off and clutch pulled fully in, the clutch should 'freewheel' a little after you spin it with your hand - if not and it stops dead then it is dragging and neutral will be a bitch to select.

Thanks for that. I spotted one of your older posts last night where you imparted a lot of clutch based wisdom. I may try taking out one of the first two steel plates to reduce the stack height and keep all the friction plates in there. Neutral is non existent at a stand still with the engine running. It selected it easy from first when I tried it just on the paddock stand and the rear wheel was spinning slightly.

[Darren69]

Probably just bedding in. It should ease after some use. If not then reduce stack height a bit.

[Luddite]

These guides from Avanti are always useful:

http://www.avantiraceparts.co.uk/page.php?id=25

http://www.avantiraceparts.co.uk/gal...1&gid=2&page=1

http://www.avantiraceparts.co.uk/page.php?id=14