Clutch replacement

[livestm]

Looks like I have a bad clutch on my 99 tourer:crap: I have checked with a couple places and am told $700 in parts and at least 3 hours labor.
When I try to speed up the engine RPM goes up, then the bike catches and I am OK.
How hard of a job is it to do myself?
I have the manual, tools and can follow instructions.
Do I want to try doing the job?

[lvNightBeast]

Boy I think I would if I had everything you have.  But then I am new to the bike and very cheap!

Although I cannot speak from direct Valk clutch experience, most of your cost is parts so unless you can significantly reduce the parts cost, I would spend the 3 hours labor at 50 - 100 per hour whatever it is to get a guaranteed job. That seems like cheap insurance to me. A clutch can be a real tricky and nasty job if you don't know what your doing and it would be a shame to mess up some small thing that caused damage. Strictly my opinion here.

[lvNightBeast]

I agree.  Miss-read the costs presented.  Given the makeup of the parts to labor, i would opt for the shop as well.  $300 bucks is not much if you have never done it before. Or don't have a good friend who has.

[livestm]

Thanks to lvnightbeast & Vman I sort of figured I may get myself in trouble trying it myself. Right now I am in Glendale, AZ thats where I got the parts quote. Will be heading home to Ruidoso, NM tomorrow (with the bike on a trailor) will most likely get it fixed in Alamagordo at the Honda dealer. I will put a post in on the cost of the repairs.:flamer:

Did I miss something here or have you posted the milage. The clutch seems to be bullet profe or how ever you spell it. I know the clutch on my I/S and my GW are different in that they engage at different levels. One has to let my clutch on the I/S all the way out before it goes, the wing starts to move with a small amount of movement.
They have always been this way and I have replaced the fluid in the Valk.

[Valker]

...is the fluid in the clutch master cylinder and lines. Have you bled them? Have you replaced the fluid? I have heard of several folks not maintaining the lines correctly and having problems, but I have never heard of a real clutch slippage problem due to the internals. Did you use an engine oil with a high moly content? Did you add something to the oil like Slick 50?
Let us know.

[livestm]

Originally posted by Ron
Did I miss something here or have you posted the milage. The clutch seems to be bullet profe or how ever you spell it. I know the clutch on my I/S and my GW are different in that they engage at different levels. One has to let my clutch on the I/S all the way out before it goes, the wing starts to move with a small amount of movement.
They have always been this way and I have replaced the fluid in the Valk.

Hey Ron come back
I need knowledge, my bike has almost 14000 miles but it also a trike and this may have worn it out. The fluid is full and the problem is when I speed up fast it slips the RPM goes up untill I release the throttle and let it catch up. If you don't think its worn out let me know.

Sorry I missed the Trike part. Your description puts it in the worn colum and I have no knowledge as to how a Trike would effect a clutch.It seems one would slip the clutch less on a Trike than a reg motorcycle. So clutch should last longer but there again I am a guesing. What does the Trike mfg. say?
But I would change out fluid and make sure no air in system prior to spending big bucks. I feel the fluid needs chg ever yr as mine starts to chg colors around a yr.

Here's my $.02.

Three hours ($210.00 @ $70/hour) is not a bad price to pay for a clutch job. I'd shop a bit for prices on parts and then have someone who knows what he's doing provide the labor.

FT:p

[livestm]

Originally posted by Valker
...is the fluid in the clutch master cylinder and lines. Have you bled them? Have you replaced the fluid? I have heard of several folks not maintaining the lines correctly and having problems, but I have never heard of a real clutch slippage problem due to the internals. Did you use an engine oil with a high moly content? Did you add something to the oil like Slick 50?
Let us know.

Have not bleed them, not sure what a commercially available brake bleeder is ( page 9-4 on the bible. Of course she is still on the trailor and it's only 33 degrees out right now.
I filled it when I bought it with Dot 4 fluid, engine oil is syn brand from the dealer, no slick 50.
Will keep all updated thanks Valker

[livestm]

Originally posted by Ron
Sorry I missed the Trike part. Your description puts it in the worn colum and I have no knowledge as to how a Trike would effect a clutch.It seems one would slip the clutch less on a Trike than a reg motorcycle. So clutch should last longer but there again I am a guesing. What does the Trike mfg. say?
But I would change out fluid and make sure no air in system prior to spending big bucks. I feel the fluid needs chg ever yr as mine starts to chg colors around a yr.

Have not checked in with Leman trikes yet but am planning on it
Thanks again

[livestm]

Originally posted by Florida Tom
Here's my $.02.

Three hours ($210.00 @ $70/hour) is not a bad price to pay for a clutch job. I'd shop a bit for prices on parts and then have someone who knows what he's doing provide the labor.

FT:p

As I said this quote was from a dealer in Glendale, AZ they possibly saw a goldmine or a trip to Hawaii on their door step. I will be talking with Alamogordo Cycle Center where I had a tune up and new tire installed possibly today I sure hope it's $210. that would pay for my Inzane trip:D

[Valker]

A commercially available brake bleeder is something like a Mity-Vac kit you can buy at Auto Zone or the like. It lets one person bleed the brakes without a helper. My GUESS is that there is either water or air in the lines which will not let the clutch engage fully. That is by far the easiest and cheapest thing to fix-and the easy/cheap things are what I always check first!:blush:
Good luck-thanks for keeping us updated.

Livestm, no bleeding kit is required to bleed hydraulic systems. Just use the old method of holding the clutch in and opening the bleed valve on the clutch cylinder to bleed air. It's quite simple. I've bled my hydraulic systems for over 50 years that way and it is still a good method.

If you need the complete description of this simple bleeding procedure, let me know.

FT