Tools required for replacing clutch friction plate

[andymon]

Hi all ;D, are there any special tools required for checking/replacing the friction plates? Clutch is slipping and I require some tips before stripping my baby down and realising I need some bits & bobs!!

[McF]

A reasonably well equipped home garage should contain everything you need, but a few questions first

How many miles has your aNTy done? Less than 100k and your clutch plates should be fine. I had well over that on my last running one and the clutch was sound. I replaced the oil pump drive chain (to try and fix a rattle, so I had the clutch apart and checked it all out.

Have the symptoms arrived suddenly, or have they been developing over a period of time? The clutch is a multiplate wet clutch and therefore can be affected by the engine oil you're using. If you have recently changed the oil and then noticed clutch slip, this may be the cause.

Is the cable correctly adjusted, run correctly around the headstock etc and moving freely in the outer sheath?

Assuming you're now staring at your PC screen and calling me an idiot because you've already checked all of these, the task is as follows:

Charge your camera battery and empty the contents of your memory card
Buy a Haynes manual if you don't already have one
Optional - Buy 14 M6x35mm Cap Head Allen Bolts (Stainless Steel is niiiice ) (buy another 9 plus 2 at M6 x 45mm and replace the left side too)
Buy a right hand crankcase cover gasket (Main Stealer Part or can buy on eBay eg item number 330327377243)
Buy a pair of exhaust gaskets (copper rings available at Wemoto) - different sizes for each)
Buy a tube of exhaust "firegum"
Buy some new engine oil (and filter!)
Buy a slab of beer
Drain the engine oil
Remove your silencer and both exhaust header pipes
Disconnect the clutch cable
Remove the right hand side engine cover - you may need an impact driver with socket to get the bolts out, the heads might survive, but you can replace with the allen bolts for an easier job in future and they look smart
Clean off the remains of the gasket from both mating surfaces
Optional - Clean off the exterior of the crankcase cover and give a few coats of matt black engine paint
Flatten the clutch lock nut tab washer
Get a really big friend (ideally someone over 20 stone of pure muscle) put the bike in gear, get friend to sit on bike and apply both brakes
Get a really long breaker bar to fit socket on clutch lock nut and apply a lot of force to break the torque/loctite that has it fixed on the shaft. You may find some additional "encouragement" available if you have a short section of scaffold pipe to extend the breaker bar
Remove the clutch basket assembly, then carefully and methodically dismantle, take careful note of the sequence of plates and their orientation, in particular the "spring plates".
Check the condition of springs and plates, then measure them against Honda Spec
Replace those outside of spec (Wemoto sell the bits you might need:
Friction plates at £45.59 per set
Plain plates at £25.30 per set
Heavy Duty Springs at £8.45 per set
found on shop.wemoto.com/index.dyn?oid=5834217

When you're satisfied, reassemble as a reverse of the above, starting with 20 stone friend of pure muscle.
You will need a Torque wrench to get the clutch nut tight, then bend the tab washer to lock it in place.
Right Hand Crankcase cover to replace (don't forget those smart allen cap bolts)
Refit the clutch cable, test and adjust
refit the exhaust system

Check all connections etc, then test drive
assuming all is well, take a celebratory beer while you upload the dozens of photos from your camera (oh, forgot to mention "take lots of photos") and create a "how to" in the style of Franklin's excellent posts

[andymon]

Gosh, is that it, you make it sound so easy............I think you have frightened me, I might just buy a car!!
Funny you should mention changing the oil, I have recently done that and used Halfords own brand.......mmmmmm

[Buzzin (^_^)]

eh...you did use motorcycle oil right? (just checking, I can't remember halfords here selling bike stuff)
Reason for the difference is a lot of things, but mostly the difference in clutch I think (wet versus dry)
But yes, the oil makes a difference...mine always likes me a lot better right after I change it's oil.
Come to think of it....it's time for a big service soon....

[McF]

It may sound scary, but it's more fiddling around and a bit of brute force than technically challenging. If you're happy and confident with your spanner juggling you will be fine.
Because of the generic design of multiplate clutches, you don't need centring tools etc that a car needs (I think BMW are the only bike maker that still use a large, dry, car style clutch).
To simply strip and reassemble the clutch, I'd write off a day, and expect it to take at least half of that first time through. Please do not underestimate how much effort is required to undo the clutch nut, you will need a large friend, or a special tool to lock the gearbox.

Before you start sharpening your spanners, I think it's worth exploring what happened when you changed your oil, in particular, the performance of the clutch before and after the oil change. Have you still got the container it came in? If so, please post details of the oil.

It will also help if you could post aNTy's mileage, and your knowledge of her history, with respect to oil changes and clutch maintenance.

[blitzman5]

Just a simple question what is the best oil for the job on the NTV i use semi synthetic for my Kawasaki zx10

[Buzzin (^_^)]

Semi-synthetic 10w40 should do just fine.
I use Castrol GPS with mine, but that's because the previous owner used it, and well, it's what the local stealer sells at a normal price. (like this one: www.mandp.co.uk/productInfo.aspx?catRef=505237 )
No need to get the Power1 stuff....it's not a sportsbike....
Any normal brand will do though, but I usually go with a good brand, castrol, shell, Elf, those kind of things...

[andymon]

Hi all, the oil used was Halfords own brand
4 stroke part synthetic motorcycle engine oil SAE 10W/40.
It says on the label:
Synthetic based high performance motorcycle oil. Low viscosity, synthetic formulation for improved start performance, with less damaging start up wear.
Meets the Japanese and European standards for 4 stroke air and water cooled motorcycle engines.
Meets the performance requirements of: API SL, ACEA A3.
I think this is the correct oil. I was unaware the NTV had a wet clutch at the time of changing the oil. I have since learnt a lot about the clutch & oil (including Diesel oil!!)
growell.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=engine&action=display&thread=845

The clutch has always been on the limit with no adjustment left, but if I think back, the clutch slipping has only happened since changing the oil. Is it possible to have some sort of airlock and the oil is not lubricating the clutch correctly, or has the clutch finally gone? If it makes my weekly trip to England and back, I shall attempt to strip and inspect next weekend! Dont want to be without the bike, so I was hoping to get the bits in ready, does not seem that easy though Now I am unsure if it is an oil or clutch issue. lol
I must admit, my mechanic skills have dramatically improved with your help ;D.

[Buzzin (^_^)]

There shouldn't be any chance of airlock that I know of.
Just keep it up to level (when warm) and it should be fine.
If you used semi-synth 10W40 I don't see it causing the clutch to slip.
Good luck on inspecting/changing the clutchplates....I sure would like some pictures....as I might have do it myself sometime

[McF]

Don't worry about airlocks - there won't be any.
The clutch sits in the oil (about half submerged) held in the right hand crancase cover, which doubles up as a Sump.
The oil pump is behind the clutch, driven by a small chain.
After you switch off the engine, the majority of the oil drains back down into the crankcase cover. Only a few small "puddles" of oil collect in the top of the engine where it cannot drain.
When you start up, the clutch spins around in the oil and splashes the oil around. The oil pump pressures up, sending oil into the cylinder heads and into the crankcase itself. All of this oil drains back down into the crankcase, through the filter and back into the oil pump to begin again.

Sounds like you have used the correct oil.

Is the clutch cable OK and set up correctly? This recent thread may prompt you to look more closely at the cable
www.ntvhonda.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=general&thread=451&page=1

[sheekbiker]

Hi just done the old Revere's clutch today so this may help.
You only need to remove the rear exhaust pipe, if you have the Motad silencer you may be able to just remove the pipe leaving the silencer in place.
To undo the clutch retaining nut select 5th gear and place a stout bar through the spooks of the rear wheel resting it across the top of the swinging arm and making sure it passes under the brake hose the other end rests across the silencer.
Using a good fitting ring spanner or socket and bar take up the strain and keeping the pressure so that the spanner is in the 9 o clock position, give the spanner a shrp hit with a hammer to shock the nut free (hope this makes sense) , I had a 24" bar and socket for this.
I had to do this two or three times before the nut surrendered, don't forget to unstake the nut first.
Job can be done in about 3 hours as long as the exhaust pipe comes loose with ease.
Mick.

[McF]

Excellent update from Sheekbiker and a lot more current than the last time I did mine.
Excellent innovation on locking the back wheel sufficiently to enable you to unlock the clutch nut. I presume you had the bike on its centre stand?
A couple of questions to help others:
How long did it take overall?
How many miles had the clutch done?
What needed doing to the clutch (new friction plates?), how much, where from?

[sheekbiker]

Hi MCF,
Took me about three hours but I was lucky as everything came undone OK but it is fairly straight forward to do.
The bike has done 82k and the clutch was slipping for certain on inspection the steel plates showed high spots and were discolored so all needed replacing.
The friction plates were not worn out but were hard and glazed and smelt of burning so also needed replacing and a set of springs were fitted as it seemed a good idea.
I got the parts from wemoto and the cost was £82 with gasket and postage.
Yes the bike was on it's center stand, one more tip to make sure the clutch is located properly on the shaft slide it on then keeping slight pressure on it reach in and pull the oil pump chain round until you feel the clutch locate.
In Haynes they say to loctite the nut but as it's a staked nut I'm not sure why belt and braces syndrome .
Mick.

[McF]

Sheek - thansk for the update, it will be stored in our databanks and hopefully of some use to another forum member in the future.

[sheekbiker]

Hi MCF,
Further to update had a look at genuine Honda shop manual and Honda do not say to use loctite on the clutch nut, tighten nut to 130 NMs ---94 foot pounds.
Mick..