Hydraulic type clutch 04'

[Tank]

Oh Goody.... thats slang for #&%*. It all started with a stopped tip over to the right.... rode a 100 miles and clutch became spoogee and weak... hightailed to dealer in Medford, he grined and blamed it on an air bubble in the line....tap,tap tap on the line and a burb, good clutch, good to go yaaah... going to first responder seminar in Roseville after all. Take deep breath, exhale slowly. Well saturday at the Techdaze that Jamie and Phil and Jackie put on at Diamond Springs, Jamie Edmonds talked me into bleeding the clutch.( he didn't talk hard as i am always ready with a wrench) Opened the reservore and the fluid was the color of gray mud with a matalic sheen to it. Awwww , this is not good. Anyhoo , bled it saturday, sunday to get home than monday nite after getting home, same mud and sheen, (I could get home by quickly pumping the clutch lever 3 or 4 times before shift change),

 

Question Has this happened out there to anyone, I really don't remember this being talked of here at all. ( I do try to pay attention )

Slave cylinder?

Master cylinder?

No part of the Hydraulic clutch is mentioned in the extended warranty.

Any voices out there with some insight would be helpful.

 

At 75700 miles, this is the first bump of any kind with this machine, owner maintained since the 600 mile service with the help of people like you

As always Thanks

[Firefight911]

Darn, and I know we were all hoping we had this one licked!

 

Whatever it turns out to be, if you need a hand, let me know and I will ride up to help out! Hopefully, Jamie (2bmwfan) will be able to come along!!

 

Miss you brother! Keep us posted on the solution!

[Tank]

Thanks Phil, for the offer, though as it turned out, you may want to wait awhile as today we had our first full day of rain, winter is coming.

[Ken H.]

Most of the issues with the slave cylinder have been leakage related. You usually have to pull it to see for sure. IE.- it doesn't just drip to the ground, it accumulates behind it.

 

But to me what you're describing seems more like master cylinder issues.

[philbytx]

IMHO - Master cylinder ...but, don't despair, call your warranty company as this is not typically a clutch "wear item", which are not usually covered .

[T__]

Tank, it sure sounds master cylinder related.. You might want to check a couple of things..

 

First make darn sure the clutch lever isn’t bent or sticking as that can cause the cylinder to not return all the way to it’s out stop so it can’t uncover the take-up port , then can’t re-fill from the reservoir..

 

Next remove all the fluid in the reservoir & make sure the little take-up port hole(s) in the reservoir bottom is/are open.. If that hole (or holes) are plugged with gunk from the tip over it won’t allow any new fluid to enter the actual cylinder area & that can cause a spongy feeling clutch..

 

Twisty

[SAAB93driver]

Sounds like slave cylinder/throw out bearing assembly is probably on its way out. I've read enough reports about this failure point that I have a spare one.

[Paul Mihalka]

If the fluid stays at the original level it probably is the master cylinder. If the fluid level is dropping, it is leaking somewhere, and that is the slave cylinder. If that is the case, DO NOT RIDE THE BIKE! The slave cylinder leaks onto the clutch pushrod and that carries the fluid into the clutch = needs a new clutch. Replacing the slave cylinder is not a major over-expensive job - if it did not mess up the clutch...

[Tank]

Thanks Paul for your advice, I fluid stays in the system, so i gather there is no leak..... what i did do today that is differant is I read above about a clogged hole in the master cyclinder, well i drained the system again, cleaned the reservoir, actuated the lever and interduced air to the drain bag, sucking the two holes, add clean fluid, flushed it thru, sucked air again, than bled it thru three full times ,no air bubbles buttened it up and the clutch works fine ( of course, it did At techdaze also, till i rode it.) Anyways, its a dark and storming nite and i'll wait till tomarrow to test my Idea of clearing to two holes in bowl.

[Tank]

 

Oh goody, Also slang for yippee. I had to work all day saturday, so i didn't get a chance to try recent clutch bleed till 430 pm, raining, wind gusting 20 to 30 mph, tipical NW weather this time of year, Anyways, i suited up and backed the RT out of the hanger. First thing i noticed is a strong lever throw. Eased up the coast and after 20 miles of shift changes, still a real good throw in the lever. I'm beginning to trust it. ( It always showed weakness within 8 to 10 miles ) Anyway, I rode another 50 miles to a annual dinner in Bandon with friends, and i do believe that Twistys remark about gunk in the holes might have been a suspect in this caper OR My bike just couldn't adjust to that Calif, sunshine, and needed to get back the Rain and Wind. By the way Jamie, I rebaked my speed bleeder and it might be both of our bleeders were sucking air. Anyhoo, I will be glad to cancel that Dealer service appt. right after i go check my sight glass.

Thanks all again

 

 

[Stan Walker]

Opened the reservore and the fluid was the color of gray mud with a matalic sheen to it.

 

How do you explain the above?

 

Stan

[Tank]

I can't explain it,,,,, But this morning, after about 150 miles last night, it is as strong as new. Plus i popped the cap and the fluid looked good.... gunk restricting flow and air bubbles in line on master cycl side of slave cycl.????

I gotta tell you though, the gunk doesn't really fly with me as it is a closed system and i've did both service bleeds since new and no gunk has been interduced and its a 04'.... I can't explain the ugly fluid or more important to me anyways, the sheen. I am going to keep a close eye on it and it anything developes I will make a report here.

BTY. Its tough not being able to explain the mysteys, cus its in the back of my mind that it was a problem..... luckily i have witnesses to the problem, and as i have stated before in my first post, its not something i've heard or read about.

[Stan Walker]

I can't explain it,,,,,

 

Then I wouldn't assume that it is totally fixed. But maybe that's just me!

 

Stan

[SAAB93driver]

Do a keyword search on "slave" in this forum going back 3 years and you will find lots of posts about dark hydraulic fluid, spongy feel and impending TO bearing/Slave cylinder failures, sometimes followed by a DOT4 contaminated clutch disc. You definitely want to keep an eye on it.

[Tank]

I can't explain it,,,,,

 

Then I wouldn't assume that it is totally fixed. But maybe that's just me!

 

Stan

 

 

 

 

 

Absolutly Stan, good advice. before I take to DVD in January I will put it through at least 1200 planned miles with a eye on the problem.

[Tank]

Saab93driver, point well taken and you haven't been agnored, Just that I havn't guite come to that conclusion yet, yet, as i have an open mind, I'm still happy with small victorys, however fleeting they may be. Tomarrow I have a 200 mile ride down the coast and apon return I will check the level. At no time has it ever indacated that i've lost fluid