I was tinkering on the bike today and happened to have the clutch slave off. Since I had it off I thought I'd check to see how it was fairing and I noticed gold flakes in the grease. Not a lot, but a bit. The last time I got gold flakes it was because the push rod was drilling my slave because the clutch hub nut had come loose. Well, I checked the clutch side quickly and didn't see anything out of place. The bearing spins and the hub nut isn't loose. Any thoughts? I'm wondering if it's just normal wear from the spacer pill breaking in (I've got an Yoyodyne slave and need the spacer pill since I have an older monster) but it's still disconcerting.
I had a problem with a spinning clutch rod that destroyed the seals in my clutch slave requiring me to replace it. The throwout bearing was failing.
To check the throwout bearing, remove the six springs holding the pressure plate in place, take the pressure plate off, then see how easily and smoothly the bearing pressed into it rotates. It should be a little bit stiff, but rotate very smoothly. If it's very stiff or feels at all notchy when you rotate it, replace the bearing.
Throwout bearings are cheap. Less than $10 directly from the Ducati dealer. I even talked the dealer into pressing my old one out and putting in the new one - at no charge - which took about two minutes.
If there is any doubt at all, just replace the throwout bearing.
You can take out the bearing and match it up at Napa. They had it in stock for me and it was only a few bucks.
Chris Kelley (California Cycleworks) sells a quality bearing for $9. If I remember correctly, you live in his neighborhood?
I've made the occasional day trip to CA-cycleworks. ;D The throwout is OK. I took t he clutch side apart for a quick look and the bearing spun just fine.
Yeah, the last time I had a spinning push rod it drilled my slave. Luckily I have the older monster and need the extender pill. Yoyodyne took it apart, checked for damage and then sent it back with another pill free of charge. [thumbsup] The reason for the spinning last time was a loose clutch hub nut though. I checked and that's not loose either.
Have you pulled the push rod to verify it's not slightly bent and rubbing therefore spinning with the main shaft?
i've got a 95 900ss at work at the moment which has a worn pushrod - it's about 6mm shorter than the new one. plus the piston is down to 0.7mm of material in the pushrod seat. the new one has 3mm or so.
bearing in the pressure plate is fine, eveything else looks good. no idea why it has done it. i only found out because with a new barnett pack that was 1.5mm thicker than the surflex sintered pack i took out the piston came so far out of the slave that it hit the alt cover than went POP as the seal let all the fluid out under pressure. surprised the hell out of me.
Quote from: ducpainter on December 10, 2009, 01:03:16 PM
Have you pulled the push rod to verify it's not slightly bent and rubbing therefore spinning with the main shaft?
I didn't take it entirely out but it's a new rod that is less than a year old. I pulled it about half way out to see if there was any wear on it and found none. I replaced the rode when the clutch hub nut came loose last time because it cause significant grooving.
I got nothing else.
Pull the rod out and check it anyway. If it is bent it will put pressure on the bearing, causing it to bind.