S2R 800 clutch damage

[gerry]

Thnks Dave ....

Vultures are already circling overhead .... possible S2R breaking for spares ... ha ha ..

[jerryz]

This problem is not uncommon on S2R models only this week  a S2R 800 on UK MOC has same damage and wrecked engine.

[gerry]

That's Me !!!!!!    Fame at last !!!!

[Lord_Bragle]

This sucks, I'm taking my clutch off to have a look at those springs, will an air ratchet get that big nut off or do I have to clamp up the clutch somehow?

[ducpainter]

This sucks, I'm taking my clutch off to have a look at those springs, will an air ratchet get that big nut off or do I have to clamp up the clutch somehow?

You'll need a 1/2" drive impact wrench.

[corey]

I can't believe this shit is happening to these bikes with barely 5000 miles on them.
This is occurring in a part of the motor that on a wet-clutch bike is pretty much UNTOUCHED by the consumer at 5000, or even 10,000 miles. This is an obvious manufacturers defect, and should be taken care of out of good will. I would talk to your dealers. I know i will be expressing my concern over this issue when i take my bike in for the 6k...

seems like there are some quality control issues in bologna that really need solved.

Unbelievable.

[Lord_Bragle]

I'm buying an impact wrench tomorrow ducpaint.  I always wanted one and this is as good an excuse as I'm going to get to buy one, but am I right thinking that I wont need to restrain the clutch housing if using an air impact tool to undo the big clutch nut?

I agree with your sentiment's entirely corey, and in addition I think its potentially life threatening riding a bike that might lock its back wheel at any moment.

My bikes done possibly 14000 to maybe even 17000 miles (I had 3 sets of clocks fitted, and I lost count of the exact mileage) and NO probs at all from the cush drive built in to the bikes clutch, but reading these posts about disastrous engine blow up's gives me the heebie jeebies.  I am 100% behind Ducati and I love my bike, but what if I'm carrying a passenger? I rode many miles with wife as pillion, also sons and grandson and granddaughter too, as well as many others, this is serious! Ducati really must address this issue quickly.

[Speeddog]

The APTC clutches are a bit of a beyotch to reassemble.
Take pictures...

Ducati has a 'special tool set' which seems like it could be 3 screws, I think M3 x __long...
I've done 'em without, and it's tough to load all the plates and the hub and the little springs. 

[CairnsDuc]

But in all honesty, how many of these clutch failures are we really talking about?
are we talking about 3 or 4 known about, or Dozens, or even in the hundreds?

I'm just wondering is it such a common problem, or are these just a few one off unit's that has made everyone with a S2R wet clutch unit (Like mine) a little nervous.


Is it known why this failure is happening, Bike running to hot, poorly machined part, lack of correct lubrication, inherent design problem?

[ducpainter]

I'm buying an impact wrench tomorrow ducpaint.  I always wanted one and this is as good an excuse as I'm going to get to buy one, but am I right thinking that I wont need to restrain the clutch housing if using an air impact tool to undo the big clutch nut?

I agree with your sentiment's entirely corey, and in addition I think its potentially life threatening riding a bike that might lock its back wheel at any moment.

My bikes done possibly 14000 to maybe even 17000 miles (I had 3 sets of clocks fitted, and I lost count of the exact mileage) and NO probs at all from the cush drive built in to the bikes clutch, but reading these posts about disastrous engine blow up's gives me the heebie jeebies.  I am 100% behind Ducati and I love my bike, but what if I'm carrying a passenger? I rode many miles with wife as pillion, also sons and grandson and granddaughter too, as well as many others, this is serious! Ducati really must address this issue quickly.

On a conventional wet or dry clutch the impact wrench generally is enough.

I have no FHE on the APTC clutch pack itself, but the nut is similar I believe.

[rule62]

I just swapped my APTC for an 800 ss (non-APTC) unit.  I did not get a clutch holding tool.  I just put the bike in 6th gear and stood on the rear brake, while a friend impact-wrenched the bolt off.  Did the same thing with the rear brake to get it torqued back on at 150 lb/ft.  The APTC is not too difficult to get reassembled, just be sure not to lose the three little springs that go between the pressure plate and the inner hub thing.  I'm not talking about the 6 main springs, I'm talking about 3 other little springs that actually make the "slipper" work.  Capirex has some photos of them in a recent post about how the APTC works.  The whole procedure took about an hour, and that was for me as a first-timer.

[Dave328]

I can't believe this shit is happening to these bikes with barely 5000 miles on them.
This is occurring in a part of the motor that on a wet-clutch bike is pretty much UNTOUCHED by the consumer at 5000, or even 10,000 miles. This is an obvious manufacturers defect, and should be taken care of out of good will. I would talk to your dealers. I know i will be expressing my concern over this issue when i take my bike in for the 6k...

seems like there are some quality control issues in bologna that really need solved.

Unbelievable.

I am friends with my local dealer. They went as far as they could before the area factory rep said NO to good will. Period. He said I should have gotten an extended warranty. I personally called the Mgr over Customer Service for all of DNA and was basically told to go F myself. I was out of warranty, it didn't matter that DNA knew about the clutch nut loosening. After her, I called the Technical Div mgr. He apparently had been filled in on my situation and also told me to get F'd in no uncertain terms. Because of this attitude over clearly a safety issue, I refuse to spend one more penny on anything from DNA! Of course this would have happened anyway by default if , because of Ducati's shitty QC, my engine had locked up at 75mph on the hwy! (Cuz I'd be freakin dead!!) I do believe it is as widespread as we think, just not all are catastrophic failures like mine and gerry's. When I described my symptoms after the failure, (before I brought it to the dealer), to 2 different ducati techs, both said check the clutch nut because it just works loose! So I'm not buying that it rarely if ever happens like DNA told me!  

[corey]

wow.
this makes me really nervous.

so can someone explain exactly what the problem is, and exactly what to check for on the bike?
I really want to get in there and check this out. I would like to have my dealer check this out, but am afraid they will just SAY they checked it out...

[Dave328]

wow.
this makes me really nervous.

so can someone explain exactly what the problem is, and exactly what to check for on the bike?
I really want to get in there and check this out. I would like to have my dealer check this out, but am afraid they will just SAY they checked it out...

Simply put, the large nut holding the clutch basket is undertorqued and as it becomes looser symptoms form as innocous as a rattle/vibration all the way to catastrophic failure like we had. At least that's how it was explained to me.
And if you don't trust your dealer to check the torque, I'd make them pull the clutch cover and call me to come see it before they put it back together.

[caperix]

The APTC clutch lacks the lock tab for the clutch nut that the other wet clutches have.  A good saftey measure maybe to install one of these into the clutch if you are woried of possible failure.