I think I have a sxlip in my transmission

[1982vette]

I have a 1989 Yamaha Venture Royale with about 40000 miles on it. On a recent trip I noticed when I was in 4th or 5th gear and rolled on the throttle at highway speed the bike felt as though it slipped before takeing off. Any ideas of the cause?

[skydoc_17]

Hey J,

With the mileage you mentioned, sounds like your Clutch Diaphragm Spring has seen it's better days. If you address this issue in a timely manner, you will be able to save the clutch friction discs and steel clutch plates.

Earl

[capn eddie]

Ya i know what it is it's the pressure plate or (spring plate) that comes stock on the mk11 first gens . i replaced it in my 87 with the Barnett pressure plate mod or you could use the kit skydoc sells in the first gen parts and ect. in the classifieds. Most of the time the friction plates and steel plates are ok but you need to check them to be sure. It would be best to replace at least the friction plates if you don't know how many miles the clutch has on it. The steel plates if they don't have burn marks on them can be reused just sand them with 1000 grit to ruff them up a bit. I like the Barnett system i have on my bike and it will pull the front tire when i shift to second gear(just ask B2Dad) he seen it.

Edited October 15, 2010 by cap'n eddie

[Freebird]

Yes, I agree with Earl. Check the classifieds and you'll also see that he sells a kit to remedy the issue.

[capn eddie]

Here is a pic of the barnett spring converision

[skydoc_17]

The Barnett Clutch Spring set-up is actually a copy of the MKI VR (1983 to 1985) set-up except for the nifty purple pressure plate. I have attached a pic below of the stock MKII (1986 to 1993) Clutch Diaphragm Spring. I have also attached a pic of the steel clutch plate so you can see what you are looking for in a good plate. The "dimple pattern" on the steel clutch plate would be gone if this plate were worn out. Now, for the techies, here is my standard disclaimer, BOTH steel clutch plates and friction discs SHOULD be checked with a micrometer to determine if they are in spec or not thickness wise. With that being said, let's be real here, if the steel clutch plate is not blued from overheating and the dimple pattern is still there, it's a pretty safe bet that the steel clutch plate is not worn down enough to be out of spec thickness wise in my opinion. I do offer the Clutch Spring Upgrade Kit and extra clutch friction discs if interested. The important thing to note here is, continued riding of your bike with the clutch slipping is going to take out more and more of the perishable clutch items such as the friction discs and the steel clutch plates. So what would be around $80.00 to repair would turn into over $200.00 if the problem is not addressed in a timely manner. I don't care what kit you buy, just take the time to affect a repair and save the extra money you would spend replacing parts that could have been saved.

Earl

[capn eddie]

The Barnett Clutch Spring set-up is actually a copy of the MKI VR (1983 to 1985) set-up except for the nifty purple pressure plate. I have attached a pic below of the stock MKII (1986 to 1993) Clutch Diaphragm Spring. I have also attached a pic of the steel clutch plate so you can see what you are looking for in a good plate. The "dimple pattern" on the steel clutch plate would be gone if this plate were worn out. Now, for the techies, here is my standard disclaimer, BOTH steel clutch plates and friction discs SHOULD be checked with a micrometer to determine if they are in spec or not thickness wise. With that being said, let's be real here, if the steel clutch plate is not blued from overheating and the dimple pattern is still there, it's a pretty safe bet that the steel clutch plate is not worn down enough to be out of spec thickness wise in my opinion. I do offer the Clutch Spring Upgrade Kit and extra clutch friction discs if interested. The important thing to note here is, continued riding of your bike with the clutch slipping is going to take out more and more of the perishable clutch items such as the friction discs and the steel clutch plates. So what would be around $80.00 to repair would turn into over $200.00 if the problem is not addressed in a timely manner. I don't care what kit you buy, just take the time to affect a repair and save the extra money you would spend replacing parts that could have been saved.

Earl

 

like Earl said you need to take care of this before it takes out more parts, the barnett unit cost way more than earls and both are good ,for the money you can't go wrong with Earls kit i wish he had it when i did mine two years ago.

[Prairiehammer]

Will a Mark I clutch pressure plate work unaltered on a Mark II clutch assembly? I can get the entire clutch basket complete with friction plates and steel plates, pressure plate, springs, etc. for a Mark I. Will it swap into my '90VR? The '90VR with 17K miles is now slipping during a 4th gear roll-on. I did the "double D" mod on my '83...is there a similar modification applicable to the Mark II clutch?

[dingy]

Will a Mark I clutch pressure plate work unaltered on a Mark II clutch assembly? I can get the entire clutch basket complete with friction plates and steel plates, pressure plate, springs, etc. for a Mark I. Will it swap into my '90VR? The '90VR with 17K miles is now slipping during a 4th gear roll-on. I did the "double D" mod on my '83...is there a similar modification applicable to the Mark II clutch?

 

If you did the 'Double D' mod on your MKI, it would have had to been modified at some point with an MKII clutch setup.

 

The 'Double D' mod entails the installation of a second diaphragm spring. The MKI's used 6 helical coil springs, and would not directly take the "Double D' mod.

 

If an MKI is upgraded to an MKII clutch pressure plate setup, the crankcase clutch cover must be changed to an MKII at the same time. The MKII clutch stack up is more than the MKI, and the MKI cover will not fit over the clutch. Don't ask me how I know this.

 

The "double D' mod will eliminate any slipping, but the clutch lever pull is much harder than stock.

 

Gary

[Prairiehammer]

I erred, Gary about the mod to the clutch on the '83. I did this back in 2002 when I replaced the friction disks and just didn't remember what it was called at the time. The mod was to remove the piano wire clip and the odd ball (half friction?) discs at the back of the basket and substitute an extra full friction disk...IF I recall correctly. I'm not certain if it (the mod) had a name.

 

Anyway, since the MkII diaphragm pressure plate is apparently problematic, (at least on my bike) is it feasible to use a MkI pressure plate or MkI complete clutch assembly on a MkII?

 

WHY, did Yamaha change to the diaphragm arrangement from the six coil spring setup? Aren't the diaphragm clutches in the Second Generation bikes going south, as well? And the fix is a Barnett 6 spring setup?

[dingy]

I erred, Gary about the mod to the clutch on the '83. I did this back in 2002 when I replaced the friction disks and just didn't remember what it was called at the time. The mod was to remove the piano wire clip and the odd ball (half friction?) discs at the back of the basket and substitute an extra full friction disk...IF I recall correctly. I'm not certain if it (the mod) had a name.

 

Anyway, since the MkII diaphragm pressure plate is apparently problematic, (at least on my bike) is it feasible to use a MkI pressure plate or MkI complete clutch assembly on a MkII?

 

WHY, did Yamaha change to the diaphragm arrangement from the six coil spring setup? Aren't the diaphragm clutches in the Second Generation bikes going south, as well? And the fix is a Barnett 6 spring setup?

 

I prefer the MKII setup with the 'Double D' mod.

 

I have 96 RWHP and it doesn't slip at all. Believe me, I have given it many opportunities to slip.

 

The MKI setup is more difficult to increase the clutch pressure. I talked to a guy that was selling the Barnett springs and he told me they were the same spec's as stock. I don't see any benefit from the Barnet pressure plate, unless it is machined different at the spring seats in order to compress springs more.

 

If you do increase clutch pressure, it would be a good idea to change the two clutch rubber hoses to stainless steel. The rubber ones will expand even more with the extra force required to engage the clutch.

 

Gary

[davecb]

Yup...Them thar sxlips can cause a lot of troubles..............

[Dragonslayer]

Here again, correct me if I'm wrong and I do defer to the more enlightened. But, I recall the same conditions on my bike at one point in time and corrected the problem totally by changing the clutch fluid an bleeding the fluid line from the master to slave cylinder.

Can't air in the fluid lines memick the same symptoms?