Dry Clutch Woes

[Dellikose]

1999 M900 ~ 24,000 miles

I was doing some winter maintenance over the weekend, which included removing the clutch pack to check the thickness of the friction material.

Everything was going great in the removal, until the last screw (of course) on the pressure plate. The head was already stripped, which I am guessing was from the PO, so I tried driving in oversized bits to no avail. Finally, I cut a slit in it with a dremel and use a flathead screwdriver...it bit and was torqued down like a mother. I gave it a good last effort and *PING*, the cap, bolt, spring, and post went flying. The post sheared off of the hub...

Oh, plus the thickness is <2.8 mm on the clutch pack so it needs replaced too...

Now the question is, do I go with an aftermarket clutch pack which also means I need another basket since I'm pretty sure mine is steel and the aftermarket plates are aluminum so that means the fingers would wear prematurely. Also need to get a new hub.

OR

Replace with an OEM pack which is supposed to last a lot longer (mine lasted ~24,000 miles). I need to check the stock basket to see if a new one is required, and I still need a new hub.

OR

Keep my eyes peeled for a used, good condition, stock basket + pack + hub. I think this is a bit of a stretch, but if anyone has one for sale I'd be interested since money is a bit tight with the holidays!

Anyone have a similar experience? The aftermarket plates that I am considering are Barnetts, but the increased wear does make me shy away a bit from them.

[Slide Panda]

A cheep DIY fix would be to grind down the broken post and cut down the opposed post to match. 6 springs is more than a 900 really needs to prevent slipping. You could swap for stainless springs though, as they are usually stiffer than the stock mild steel springs.

It's very common to run a steel basket (stock) with aluminum plates. Plates will wear one way or another that's a fact of life.

[Dellikose]

I have a brand new set of SS springs sitting on the workbench. So I would be able to run 4 springs instead of 6?

Would any tuning be needed? I already plan on doing a full flush once I get everything back together.

[Howie]

Worst case scenario running 4 springs is slip might occur a little earlier in the life of the clutch.  No tuning needed.

[Speeddog]

You can run steel or aluminum plates with a steel basket.
You should only run aluminum plates with an aluminum basket.
Exception is the aluminum Barnett basket, as it's got little steel inserts.

At 24k miles, your steel basket is probably used up.

There are a number of aftermarket baskets that are economical.

[Dellikose]

Is there a minimum width called out for the basket tangs?

[Speeddog]

There is a spec for the maximum gap between the tab and the basket, 0.6mm.

[ducpainter]

There is a spec for the maximum gap between the tab and the basket, 0.6mm.

mine has been more than that for 10 years.

[Speeddog]

mine has been more than that for 10 years.

I suspect mine was 0.59mm when it was brand new. 

[Dellikose]

Another question... When I removed the pressure plate and pushrod, the end towards the slave cylinder had dirty clutch fluid on it, maybe a few drops worth.

The fluid in the reservoir is also dirty and the boot is town near the front sprocket. I take it this means the the slave is leaking and needs replaced. The reservoir has held a constant level all season.

Also, both O-rings are present on the pushrod.

[Monsterlover]

Worst case scenario running 4 springs is slip might occur a little earlier in the life of the clutch.  No tuning needed.

I pulled 2 springs off my m900 to try and calm down the stiff clutch lever.  While it worked great for that, the bike was unridable because the clutch slipped so bad in every gear at any throttle opening more than 20% or so

[Dellikose]

I'll probably just bite the bullet and get a new hub.

I'd look at the clutch every time and

Either used off of eBay or Desmo Times has new for $140ish.

[Monsterlover]

Post on the wanted section. I had an extra but gave it away recently.

[Ddan]

I took two springs off my 900 SS track bike with no problem at all

[Drunken Monkey]

Good news: I have a spare steel one.

Bad news: It's in storage and won't be available until the home remodel finishes up in a month or so.

PM me if you don't mind the wait. I'll charge you shipping costs.