How To: Barnett dry clutch upgrade

[korey]

In this tutorial I'm going to cover the entire process of upgrading any Ducati with a dry clutch to Barnett components.


Here is everything we are going to be installing. A whole new clutch pack, basket, springs/spring retainers, and pressure plate. They also offer a clutch cover, but I'm not going to be running any cover.


Here is the pressure plate. I got it in red but it is also available in black or gold. The design is a stronger reinforced design, which also helps protect the clutch in the event of a crash. Note the bearing and pin are also included.


Here is a close up of the basket. You can see it has a stainless steel insert that helps to stop grooving from the tabs on the clutch plates. It is also available in the same colors as the pressure plates.


Another picture of the basket.


The springs are black powercoated gloss black for a great, durable look. The bolts are stainless so they wont rust, and the caps are also available in an assortment of colors.


The clutch includes everything you need.


Now to begin the install. Here is the tired old looking setup that was on the bike.


First, remove the clutch cover from the bike.


Now start removing the springs.


Remove all of them.


Remove the old pressure plate.


Now pull out all of the old clutch discs. The easiest way to do this is with a small flathead screwdriver on each side, pulling outwards evenly using the tabs.


Here you can see the friction discs had no material left, this clutch is done.


Remove the shaft that connects to the slave cylinder. It pulls out.


No shaft.


The hub can be removed without using the tool if you want. Just put the bike into top gear and have someone press down on the rear brake. I used an impact.


Remove the bolt. There is also a washer behind it.


Pull out the hub.


Now remove the bolts holding in the basket. If you use an impact you don't need the tool.


You can see the grooving on the old basket, this is only after 5000 miles.


Now install the Barnett basket. The bolts need to be red-loctited and torqued in a criss cross pattern. Torque values may vary so look up what the factory says for your application. You will need a tool to hold the basket while you torque the bolts. You can buy one or make one, I made one however it was somewhat crude looking so no pictures of it. Here is more info on making them.  
http://www.mad-ducati.com/images/ChrisEdwards/ClutchTools/ClutchTools.html


Put the hub back in place.


Torque the bolt, forgetting about the washer that has to be behind it. Once again use the tool to hold it in place while you torque it, torque values may vary.


Here is how the clutch has to go. Refer to the diagram that came inside the clutch bag itself. Also be sure to wipe off the oil from the metal plates.


The new friction plates have much more material than the old ones we removed. They are also an improved material and design.


Now time to put everything in the bike. Don't even try to do it all in one shot, it will never work. Do them one by one making sure to keep them in order.


Put the rod back in place.


Now time to put the pressure plate on.


As you can see there is a mark on one of the tubes the springs slide into.


It must be aligned with this post on the hub that is also marked.


The bearing and pin are preinstalled.


Slide it on.


Now install the springs and caps in a criss cross order.


All of them installed. Tighten until the bolt is snug. Everything is done, you can now install a cover of your choice. I am running coverless.


Here you can see how tight the plates fit with the basket.



After riding the bike for a little bit the new setup is great! The clutch feels great and holds all the torque like nothing, also thanks to those improved springs. The basket is great and the clutch is MUCH quieter now than it was before, however it still retains the Ducati dry clutch sound. And the new pressure plate just looks amazing! All in all something I would recommend to anyone with a dry clutch Ducati! They also sell an upgraded clutch pack for wet clutch bikes. More info can be found by clicking the logo below.

[Slide Panda]

You did a nicer job on the photos - but I did this one about 18 months ago.
http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=27004.0

- I have to find one fault also. The factory manual calls for Lock 4 (aka black RVT) on the bolts for the clutch basket, not red loc-tite. Really, it probably doesn't matter much since one isn't pulling the basket but once in a blue moon. But red loc-tite might make the job a real PITA down the road when it comes time

[korey]

You did a nicer job on the photos - but I did this one about 18 months ago.
http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=27004.0

- I have to find one fault also. The factory manual calls for Lock 4 (aka black RVT) on the bolts for the clutch basket, not red loc-tite. Really, it probably doesn't matter much since one isn't pulling the basket but once in a blue moon. But red loc-tite might make the job a real PITA down the road when it comes time

Ah, didn't see you made one also. This has a review on the upgraded Barnett items too so it's a little different than yours. My basket had red-loctite on the bolts when I removed them, but I'm not the original owner so may have been removed by someone else before. A little heat and loc-tite melts pretty quick and easy anyway so I'm not too concerned. Plus with this reinforced basket I don't think I'll be having to remove it anytime soon.

[ducatiz]

I would not use Red loctite, I would use Blue.  Those tiny screws will break easily and red's holding will probably be enough to do so.

[Slide Panda]

They are not tiny. These are the M10 bolts holding on the clutch basket

[ducatiz]

They are not tiny. These are the M10 bolts holding on the clutch basket

NEVER MIND!  I was thinking about the screws holding the spring retainers... !

Still, I am reluctant to use red loctite anywhere on a bike.  Blue is chemical resistant and holds almost as well as red.

[junior varsity]

hints/critiques:

a) Use a clutch holding tool to remove the hub nut and the bolts on the basket. Loading the transmission is not the preferred method.

b) Use paint can top pullers to pull the plates out. They are dirt cheap at Lowe's or Home Depot (etc), and have a bent notch that allows you to reach in and pull out very quickly.

c) When re-installing, washers can be placed beneath the spring caps (between the cap and the hub post) to reduce spring preload, which will lighten the clutch pull. Alternatively, omitting two springs (opposite of each other) can reduce clutch pull. For reducing the clutch pull the most, you can do both. The drawback is that with less spring resistance, the clutch may begin to slip earlier in its life due to wear than normal. Easy solution, put the springs back in and/or remove the washers to squeeze a little bit more life out of the pack near the end.

d) Clutch Part Vendors:

- Stainless Springs & Anodized Caps with stainless bolts can also be had from SpeedyMoto
- Clutch baskets can be had from SSR, Nichols, MotoWheels and many other vendors
- Barnett Clutch Packs are inexpensive but also don't come in various options for friction material. You may prefer a sintered set up, etc.
- Always check the pressure plate bearing and insure it can rotate freely
- If you are installing a slipper clutch, there won't be an indexing mark on the pressure plate/hub because there's no teeth on the back of the pressure plate.
- You can get an 'upgraded' pushrod pin from STM or a Titanium one from TPO
- You can upgrade to a lighter and bling-tastic billet hub from SSR or Motowheels (and used to be available from VeeTwo)
- You can upgrade the bolts that hold the basket to the primary gear with titanium, a kit is available from TPO
- Check prices for your entire setup that you plan on doing with that of a slipper clutch system. The EVR slipper is one of the nicest out there and pricewise its not that much more than a pressure plate, friction pack, basket, and hub (if you chose to replace your hub).
- If doing a pressure plate / cover install, check clearance between pressure plate, keeper button tops, and clutch cover. Some are incompatible. Likewise, the "spider" style retainers that link all the posts from the hub together may interfere with some pressure plate designs. Be on the lookout for this before you invest in lots of parts that might not be compatible.
- Clutch packs, baskets, and hubs are wear items. Its just like brake pads and rotors. Eventually they will wear out and need to be replaced. Slipper clutches wear the fastest, then standard dry clutches, and lastly wet clutches (which have the longest life).
- STM makes a 48T basket (as well as the 12-tooth basket) which will make a different (and less) noise, not wear out at the tabs as quickly, and provide more even engagement over the friction pack's surface. Just like how STM and EVR make 48T slipper clutches. (history lesson: companies used to work together)

For dressing up your bike, check out the vendors for cool billet clutch covers, plates, spring retainers, and the rest. The vendors, like Motowheels, MonsterParts, etc carry the following reputable brands typically:

Ducati Performance
SpeedyMoto
Rizoma
Nichols
Barnett
Slingshot Racing
STM
EVR
TPO
Divina
Oberon
Yoyodyne
Woodcraft
Motowheels (MW House Brand)
NGR
Adige
NCR
CNC Racing
Ducabike

On the hydraulic side of life, there are several things a person can look into regarding their clutch performance/maintenance:

- Braided Steel Lines. Old Ducati's came with rubber lines from the factory. All new Ducati's feature braided lines (a big difference when comparing to the equipment featured on Japanese bikes). Companies like Spiegler, Goodridge, Fren Tubo, and many others offer brake/clutch line kits that are bike specific and you can even select the line's hose color and the banjo bolt color.
- Slave Cylinder and Bore Related details: Replacing the OEM slave cylinder with an aftermarket unit was originally to reduce the likelihood of seal leaks, or remedy the problem after it occurred. The various piston diameters reduce the amount of lever effort required to disengage the clutch, but will also change the range of engagement (friction zone). There are many outlandish claims that the slaves can substantially reduce the lever effort. It can reduce the effort some, but there are no miracle cures without tradeoffs. Note that if replacing springs, the spring rates of different length springs and materials effect the amount of input effort at the lever. The most important feature to consider in choosing an aftermarket slave cylinder is how it seals the slave cylinder piston to the cylinder wall. Multiple seals is a very good thing, a single seal is not. Note how dirty that region of your bike can get with a vented sprocket cover. That dirt/grime can work its way under the slave cylinder and cause problems.

- Clutch Pushrod. it goes from the left side of your motor at the slave cylinder all the way to the pushrod pin in the pressure plate on the right side of your motor.  It has small o-rings on it to seal oil. Turns out that older engines used a shorter length pushrod. Evoluzione includes a small dowel to make the rods the same length so that the clutch can operate as intended with their slave. Failure of the clutch to disengage on older models can be attributed to having "too short" of a pushrod with an aftermarket slave and not making necessary accommodations. Your local dealer can give you a newer era pushrod and you'd be good to go too.

- Clutch Master Cylinder: There's not a damn thing wrong with the OEM equipment here, but many with coffins prefer the look of remote reservoir masters, and those who upgrade their brake master cylinder with a radial unit may choose to get a matching clutch master. Good on ya, but carefully choose the appropriate piston/ratio size when choosing a master. IIRC, Brembo makes both a 16x18 and a 16x16 billet GP radial. There's also the adjustable ratio master cylinder series from Brembo (the RCS lineup). A Sport 1000 (dry clutch) with billet slave cylinder (EVR) and RCS master cylinder has the same clutch pull as a 696 (feather light)!  If my memory serves me correctly, the Swedish brake company ISR also produces adjustable ratio master cylinders and can even integrate switches into the perch clamp.  Last note on changing master cylinders is don't forget about mirror mounts (if necessary)!