Advice on clutch

[sfcrader]

Need some advice for my 99 RSV. I am a second owner of this ride. I got her in April with under 40k now she has 47K. On our last road trip down south over 2K, I was getting the slipping in the higher gears. I ordered the upgrade from skydoc_17 ( ). Now I m losing clutch fluid (DOT 4 BF), so I'm going to replace my clutch slave. Should I rebuild my master at the same time?

Thanks

[M61A1MECH]

Probably not necessary, but this would be the time to do it seeing as you will want to drain the fluid and flush the system.

[dacheedah]

I would pop and rebuild it. Refreshed top to bottom then and toss in speed bleaders

[Yammer Dan]

I would just change fluid and bleed good.

[ACE50]

I would pop and rebuild it. Refreshed top to bottom then and toss in speed bleaders

 

+1 and +1

 

rebuild it. it's a 99. you'd be surprised how much crap is in it by now as it's the lowest point in the system. and the clutch will feel smoother too.

[Marcarl]

Do a total rebuild,, you will almost be there anyways,,, the extra cost and work will be negligible.

[Condor]

I wouldn't bother rebuilding the slave. They're not that expensive and the difference between new and a rebuild kit is about $30 bucks. However.... check the expansion hole at the bottom of the clutch reserve first to see if it might be clogged and causing the slipping. IT doesn't make sense that a '99 would need anything more than a good bleed.

[ACE50]

I wouldn't bother rebuilding the slave. They're not that expensive and the difference between new and a rebuild kit is about $30 bucks. However.... check the expansion hole at the bottom of the clutch reserve first to see if it might be clogged and causing the slipping. IT doesn't make sense that a '99 would need anything more than a good bleed.

 

rebuild kit - $20, easy peazy to rebuild

it'll work like butter.

hardest part is getting it in and out (that's what she said)

[Condor]

rebuild kit - $20, easy peazy to rebuild

it'll work like butter.

hardest part is getting it in and out (that's what she said)

 

Can I assume that you're talking about an OEM rebuild kit bought from a Y dealer instead of some aftermarket kit picked up off eBay from China. Also that all slaves are rebuildable and you won't need to remove it again because the thing is FUBAR... BTW... once you get to it, R&Ring the slave is easy....

 

[LilBeaver]

[...] IT doesn't make sense that a '99 would need anything more than a good bleed.

 

I do not know what your particular experience is with your RSVs (with respect to the clutch slipping situation), but I know my clutch started slipping around 45K miles [if memory serves me correctly] which is consistent with several other reports on here. Perhaps I masked the symptom by replacing the spring and the half friction disc at the bottom of the basket (furthest inside) with a full one. I did not rebuild anything beyond the simple spring and single friction disc replacement as everything measured within spec.

I was on the road when the slipping became very apparent -- so I had done a proper fluid flush and clean everything I could get my mitts on and found no difference on slipping and hence I replaced the spring and disc.

Regardless, good advice on checking the simple stuff first!!!

[Condor]

I do not know what your particular experience is with your RSVs (with respect to the clutch slipping situation), but I know my clutch started slipping around 45K miles [if memory serves me correctly] which is consistent with several other reports on here. Perhaps I masked the symptom by replacing the spring and the half friction disc at the bottom of the basket (furthest inside) with a full one. I did not rebuild anything beyond the simple spring and single friction disc replacement as everything measured within spec.

I was on the road when the slipping became very apparent -- so I had done a proper fluid flush and clean everything I could get my mitts on and found no difference on slipping and hence I replaced the spring and disc.

Regardless, good advice on checking the simple stuff first!!!

When I bought my first RSV... a '99 w/45 thou on the ODO.. it wasn't slipping, but the DOT 4 looked blacker than the ace of spades. You could have loaded it in a pen and wrote a letter with the stuff. It had never been bled since new. So I hopped on it and got the ugly stuff and any air out. Fluid that old and dark will have a tendency to form crystals and plug the expansion hole, and that's probably one of the biggest reasons why most clutches slip. Lack of maintenance. Bleeding will sometimes clean it out...sometimes not. There's a reason why it's recommended bleeding the clutch... and brakes...every two years, and this holds true for both 1st and 2ndGens. I'm just trying to save members money, and not do what I did on my first Venture, an '83. After doing battle with a slipping clutch for over a month, and rebuilding the entire system several times, I finally found the problem. The service manual didn't mention it, and not a member of this board had a clue as to what was going on. A plugged micro expansion hole at the base of the reserve. That's why I keep preaching to check the hole first. I really wonder just how many clutches were rebuilt and didn't need to be??

My experience with VR's and RSV's..... A lot in some areas.. not so much in others, but if you want to talk clutches and brakes I'm your guy... Just attempting to pass on a few tid-bits of info.

[LilBeaver]

Good info is always appreciated.

 

When I bought my first RSV... a '99 w/45 thou on the ODO.. it wasn't slipping, but the DOT 4 looked blacker than the ace of spades. You could have loaded it in a pen and wrote a letter with the stuff. It had never been bled since new. So I hopped on it and got the ugly stuff and any air out. Fluid that old and dark will have a tendency to form crystals and plug the expansion hole, and that's probably one of the biggest reasons why most clutches slip. Lack of maintenance. Bleeding will sometimes clean it out...sometimes not. There's a reason why it's recommended bleeding the clutch... and brakes...every two years, and this holds true for both 1st and 2ndGens. I'm just trying to save members money, and not do what I did on my first Venture, an '83. After doing battle with a slipping clutch for over a month, and rebuilding the entire system several times, I finally found the problem. The service manual didn't mention it, and not a member of this board had a clue as to what was going on. A plugged micro expansion hole at the base of the reserve. That's why I keep preaching to check the hole first. I really wonder just how many clutches were rebuilt and didn't need to be??

My experience with VR's and RSV's..... A lot in some areas.. not so much in others, but if you want to talk clutches and brakes I'm your guy... Just attempting to pass on a few tid-bits of info.

[sfcrader]

Thanks for all the advice, I'm going to rebuild both master and slave. The first thing I did when I got her was to flush out all the old dot 4. It was black and had all kinds of junk in it like slim. Planning trip next year to Yellowstone so I going to do a lot on maintenance her this winter.

Thanks

[Money Venture]

This is from the older bikes, but the principle still applies to clutches and brakes.

 

http://www.xs11.com/xs11-info/tech-tips/maintenance/brakes/53-brakes-sticking-check-the-spooge-holes.html