96, royal star XVZ1300AH clutch questions

[abidishtiaq]

Good evening my name is abid I recently installed the Barnett clutch conversion kit i installed part #511-90-10002 and part #302-90-20037 Which is the clutch pressure plate and the friction plates ( it didn’t come with the steel clutch drive plates) 

I did everything as I was supposed to soaking the friction plates over night installed as I took them out fresh oil , filter I rode the bike for 10 min until the engine warmed up and the tranny started to slip again like it was doing prior to installing these parts I mentioned above i thought maybe it’s the steel clutch drive plates that I need to order so I ordered them as well now the first questions are which side of the steel plate faces inside and which faces outside there’s a smooth side and the rougher side? and should I scruff the metal plates on both sides or just one side 

what else do I need to watch out for other then fresh oil and filter tightening the pressure plate to 70inch pound of torque and making sure the pressure plate is snugged against the friction plate 

[RDawson]

Make sure you’re using the correct type of oil. 

[saddlebum]

9 hours ago, abidishtiaq said:

what else do I need to watch out for other then fresh oil and filter tightening the pressure plate to 70inch pound of torque and making sure the pressure plate is snugged against the friction plate

Are you sure your hydraulic system is fully releasing the fluid pressure and is not allowing some pressure to remain in the lines when you release the clutch handle preventing the clutch from fully engaging. You can try cracking the bleeder screw after a couple clutch applications with the handle released to see if all the pressure has been released (you may have to re-bleed the lines after this test. Also make sure there are no major notches in the wing edges of the clutch basket or the center spline that are severe enough to cause the plates to hang up.

Also make sure the engine oil your are using does not have friction modifiers in it which is commonly found in many car oils, these are not clutch friendly.

I am not sure that it makes a difference which side is in or out at least I have never come across any instruction regarding this. What  I tend to do is  look at the edges of the fingers. One edge is sharp and the other edge is rounded over (same as when you look at the edges of a flat washer). I then insert the plates with the rounded edge towards the engine. Whether it actually matters or not I can't really say I just feel there is less chance of the edges biting into the wings of the clutch basket or center spline as the clutch engages. I would never scuff the plates unless reusing old plates and they require cleaning of debris. In that case I would wet the back side of quality wet sandpaper and lay it down on a piece of glass or granite and work the plates in a crisis cross or figure eight pattern on the sand paper. I also clean new plates with brake clean in case they have been treated with any kind of storage rust inhibitor.

 

[abidishtiaq]

Is Lucas 20 -50 okay ? For engine oil

ive bleed the system once when I installed the clutch plates and pressure plate I’ll flush the system again 

[skydoc_17]

Hey Abid,

Welcome to the forum! The Lucas 20W50 oil does not have any friction modifiers in it, and Lucas products are of excellent quality. When you first started this project Abid, did you notice that the fluid level in the Clutch Master Cylinder was LOW? This would indicate that the Clutch Slave is leaking, which could be causing the slippage issue your are describing. When you install the new steel clutch plates, this should take care of the issue. If it does not, then there are several areas you will need to inspect to find the "root cause" of the slippage. You didn't mention it, and I am assuming that when you installed the conversion kit, you also installed a set of 6 NEW compression springs. The other areas to check/monitor would be the loss of fluid in the clutch master cylinder, as described above, means the clutch slave is leaking. There is a VERY small fluid return hole in the clutch master cylinder that if blocked, would not allow FULL clutch spring pressure to be exerted on the clutch friction discs. This hole can be cleared with a single bristle from a paint brush. Even though your bike only has 23K on it Abid, ALL of the rubber parts in your brake and clutch system are 25 YEARS OLD! This means the seals in the clutch master and slave cylinders as well as the brake and clutch lines. If this was a used motorcycle that I personally had just purchased, I would rebuild the clutch master, REPLACE the clutch slave, and upgrade the brake and clutch lines to S.S. braided lines. But that's just me. Please don't be offended when I mention this next part Abid, because I fully realize that things like money and time effect what repairs we do to our bikes, but the logic of putting a performance/upgraded clutch conversion kit in a bike when ALL of the other parts in that system are 25 years old escapes me. If the perishable parts in the clutch system have failed, it would stand to reason that all of the other parts in that system would need to be refreshed as well. If you need help finding a rebuild kit for the master, a replacement for the slave, or would like a S.S. line set to replace the brake and clutch lines, please feel free to PM me. Because of my "little shop by the creek" I buy direct from Yamaha, and can search every dealership in the Northern Hemisphere to find those "hard to get parts" for our older bikes. I custom make the S.S. line sets here at my shop as well.

I truly hope that the replacement of the steel clutch plates solves your issue Abid, but I would still keep in mind the maintenance issues discussed for the future as time and money allow.

Good luck with this  project Abid,

Earl  (skydoc_17)