Haven't posted here in a long time, but I could use some advice.
This happened last summer and I packed the bike away for winter after that. Brief version: Out on a country road I felt something hit my boot and assumed it was a stone. About a half mile later it happened again. When I came to a stop sign, the bike stalled and I realized I had no control over the clutch. The pictures tell the rest of the story.
I installed the pressure plate myself about 15 months prior to this happening. I had put a few thousand miles on it in the meantime. Is it unheard of for those towers on the stock clutch hub to fatigue and fail like this? I'm confident enough in my tech ability to replace the hub myself, but unsure of whether to go OEM or aftermarket. I'll probably just reinstall the stock springs, bots, plate, and cover. I read that the aftermarket hubs lack the cush drive of the OEM unit. Anybody tried both? Also, any affordable ways to stabilize the hub when breaking the nut loose and torquing it after installing the new one?
Thanks guys, I appreciate the help. [thumbsup]
(http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w271/Loags/20140418_160713_zpsd5d818a6.jpg) (http://s178.photobucket.com/user/Loags/media/20140418_160713_zpsd5d818a6.jpg.html)
(http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w271/Loags/20140418_160839_zpsb86d024c.jpg) (http://s178.photobucket.com/user/Loags/media/20140418_160839_zpsb86d024c.jpg.html)
(http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w271/Loags/20140418_162238_zpsb155f869.jpg) (http://s178.photobucket.com/user/Loags/media/20140418_162238_zpsb155f869.jpg.html)
Did you use a torque wrench when you installed the pressure plate to keep from over tightening the bolts, which would put undue strain on the aluminum posts? Please disregard what I said LT recommended for the pressure plate bolts. 24 ft.-lbs. is what he recommends for the clutch basket bolts, not the pressure plate bolts. Sorry for my confusion.
Alternatively, did you use any thread sealer before you tightened the 6 bolts? It's possible that they loosened up, and began to rattle around, along with the spring retainers, before they damaged the posts.
Having said that, I think you were correct, considering that the arm of your clutch cover is broken, that you encountered a stone, which broke the arm and caused the rest of the damage.
FYI, I replaced my OEM clutch hub with an aftermarket hub, which did not have a cush (although I can't remember if it did). If there's any difference, I don't notice it.
You can buy a fancy clutch holding tool, but in LT's manual, he shows a ratchet extension that's used to brace the basket when torque is applied to the mounting bolts. It doesn't say, but implies that the same would work to tighten the hub nut
FYIW, in LT's manual, he has a photo that shows a clutch that has one broken post and is missing two springs, two retainers, and two bolts. The caption says the clutch basket was "unprotected," but it doesn't say whether it had been sans cover or had a cover similar to yours.
Odds of the spring retainer bolts coming out are low as they're spring loaded. Its usually over torqueing/corrosion that is the issue. I think there would be more damage to the cover arms if the bolts backed out, buts that's only my guess.
That Barnett plate is a quality item and the damage seems to indicate collision in the direction of rotation, so yeah a stone or something. The stone's gone in bobbled about and gone out without smashing the whole thing it seems. It was just the correct size. Thinking about it, you were unlucky, I mean how many guys run around with open clutch (and belt covers) with no problem? It's usually crash damage on the posts that is reported here iirc. So it wasn't clutch failure, but a small rock.
You can check out the range of tools from our sponsors, or weld a friction and driven plate together with a handle.
The guy that owned Vee Two once said to me that the OEM hub was a good idea executed badly. I'm not sure, but they seem to work ok, but are heavy. Many including myself have found lightweight aftermarket hubs excellent. If you go that way, trust our sponsors and not cheap ebay knock offs from dubious suppliers. A used OEM hub will be cheap as chips though and someone on the forum will have one for sale or trade.
The sponsors also have a range of more crash worthy clutch covers that still let air through if you still love the clutch rattle, and one at least has a fully closed alloy cover if you are tired of the noise. I run a painted stock cover nowdays as I can't stand the noise.
I would need to check, but i think the retainer bolts are more around 24 in/lbs not ft/lbs.
HDESA sells a very reasonable holding tool for the basket. They only sell on eBay but have great customer service and i use quite a few of their tools. The hub is around 100+ N/m so i would not want to try holding an extension in place while torquing. It was hard enough just trying not to flip the bike.
By the way, mine had a butt load of factory loctite on it. The outer hub shown in your photo should be easy to remove by just pulling. The cush rubbers will fall out and then my fun began. The inner hub was locked on big time. I went through three or four modified gear pullers to get it off. A dead blow helped as well as a heat gun on the hub body. It will come off eventually. You may get lucky, just let me know if you need some more help. I kept all OEM and powdercoat stuff and machined the case.
I just go firm finger/wrist tight on the spring retainer bolts and grease or anti seize compound.
5 nm with grease, which would be 44 in/lbs. 24 f/lbs would be for an M8 fastener. As Koko said, wrist tight will do it.
Thanks Howie. [thumbsup]
I snapped one of those posts when I changed out my clutch pack. I believe the bolt had rusted and the force I needed to break it loose was just too much. If I recall, it didn't take much to snap it.
I'm pretty sure what hit my boot was the spring and bolt, since I felt two impacts and lost two springs. The springs and caps were gone by the time I rolled to a stop right after it happened.
Just looked up those HDSEA tools on ebay - seems like the way to go presuming they have one that'll fit a '99 M900.
Quote from: Destructobot on April 20, 2014, 12:49:44 PM
I read that the aftermarket hubs lack the cush drive of the OEM unit. Anybody tried both?
Yes, and noticed no real difference. The most notable difference was that with a lighter hub and basket the RPMs climber faster when I gave it gas
Quote from: Destructobot on April 20, 2014, 12:49:44 PM
Also, any affordable ways to stabilize the hub when breaking the nut loose and torquing it after installing the new one?
You'll need a hub holding tool.
I did a step-by-step on just such a thing. The hub holding tool seen in my tut isn't available any more (company went under) but there's other ones available that serve the same function. IF you can weld, folks make their own as well from old clutch plates. A stack of plates, welded together and then to a handle is the common design.
http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=27004.0 (http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=27004.0)
If you are like me, brazing them together will get you there too!
Or bolting
I'm going to go with one of these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/141234124783?item=141234124783&viewitem=&sspagename=ADME:X:RTQ:MOTORS:1123&vxp=mtr (http://www.ebay.com/itm/141234124783?item=141234124783&viewitem=&sspagename=ADME:X:RTQ:MOTORS:1123&vxp=mtr)
Cheap, super simple design (just bolt it to the engine case!) and works for basket removal too. Big thanks to Dellikose for pointing me in that direction!