When reconditioning an immobilized vehicle or performing maintenance on an immobilized vehicle, a surprisingly common problem is clutch sticking. When shifting into low gear despite holding the clutch lever, the motorcycle stalls with a jolt. No matter how many times you repeat the process, the motorcycle keeps stalling. The cause of such a symptom is thought to be clutch sticking.
Let's try to solve such a problem here!
Minor conditions can be remedied without dismemberment.
If the clutch unit is laid out on the primary side = crankshaft side, as on a Super Cub or Monkey, it cannot be done, but if it is a secondary clutch and the clutch outer is visible through the oil filler hole, hold the clutch lever in place and use a long flat blade screwdriver to clutch If the clutch disc and plate are stuck together, you can use a long flat-blade screwdriver to force the disc and plate together. This can also be done with a long flat-blade screwdriver.
This is not possible on all models, but we have been able to avoid sticking several times in the past with this method.
Don't drain the oil and put the motorcycle at rest.
By laying the vehicle body down as far as possible, work can proceed without draining the engine oil or gear oil.
Also, by laying the vehicle body down, workability is definitely improved. Use a workbench, desk, or stepladder scaffold to hook the grip end of the handlebars. If the step is in the way, remove the step as well. If you open the clutch cover, you will break the cover gasket in about a dozen places. The old OEM gasket was hip and hard, and it was often possible to open the cover without cutting it. If it does not break, the gasket can be used repeatedly by using a liquid gasket in combination.
Let's take the clutch apart and polish the plates.
If the clutch disc that was stuck on was minor, it could be reused. This clutch disc was a minor problem and could be removed crisply without requiring a flathead screwdriver to pry it off. I decided to use this clutch first to assess the situation and replace it when it slips. When reusing a used clutch plate, it is a good idea to polish the back and front surfaces of the clutch plate with a coarse-grained non-woven cloth before assembly. I learned this technique from a European private team mechanic who had competed in the World Endurance Championships.
Prepare gasket in advance when disassembling
Many gaskets for old motorcycles are no longer available, so it is quicker to find gaskets made by aftermarket manufacturers.
This gasket was an external part that was on hand at the time. When reusing a gasket, or even a new gasket, it is more reliable to use a silicone-based liquid gasket in combination with its application. The silicone component may allow the gasket paper to be peeled off without cutting it when disassembling later.
When conditions are worse...
When the friction material is completely rusted and adhered to, it often falls off when it is removed. If this happens, the clutch disc will no longer function as a friction disc, so it should be replaced. For clutch plates made of steel plates, it is sometimes possible to remove the stuck friction material cleanly by sandblasting instead of forcibly removing the material with a scraper.
The 100-cc G4TR was an export version with an air of prestige, as it had 18-inch front and rear specifications, and some exterior parts shared with its big brother, the Kawasaki TR Trail series. The Japan model was a spartan 90-cc model without an auxiliary transmission.
POINT
Point 1 - If you look through the oil filler, you can see the clutch plate! Then you're lucky!
Point 2 - The clutch cover can be removed without draining the gear oil by laying the body wide open.
Point 3 - Prepare the gasket when removing the clutch cover.
After a long period of neglect without riding for a while, the wet-type multi-plate clutch may stick, resulting in so-called clutch harshness, which prevents the clutch from being interrupted. Some veteran riders have been known to keep the clutch lever in a gripped position and secure it with a string or tie wrap, a known measure to prevent the clutch plate from sticking. On the other hand, some say that leaving the clutch lever gripped will cause the clutch spring to go bad, but it is up to the owner to decide which is better. In any case, if the lever is kept gripped, the wet-type multi-disc clutch will definitely not stick.
If the clutch is sticking, but it is a minor problem, it may peel off with the impact of clutch meat, but if it is completely stuck, things do not go as smoothly as one would like. In such cases, the clutch cover must be removed and the clutch unit disassembled, but in such cases, we recommend that the maintenance be done with the vehicle body lying on the ground. The reason for this recommendation is that by laying the motorcycle body down as far as possible, engine oil and gear oil will not flow out when the clutch cover is removed. In addition, having the engine lying down has the advantage of making it easier to assemble the parts around the clutch. Especially in the case of the Super Cub and Monkey with primary clutches, the clutch lift arm and steel ball unit linked to the gear change are laid out on the outside of the clutch, making it difficult to assemble the parts when the vehicle body is upright, as they easily fall off!
In such cases, it is a good idea to wipe off the parts with a rag, apply plenty of greases, and use the grease as an adhesive.
Let's restore the clutch disc & plate after releasing the Haritsuki and checking the condition of the clutch disc & plate.
If it is possible to remove the clutch cover gasket without cutting it, the use of a liquid gasket together with the clutch cover gasket is sufficient as a first aid measure. Next time you remove the clutch cover, replace it with a new gasket.
