Clutch Problems

[blobbus]

Ok, looking for the collective wisdom here.

 

Last week, my '02 1150RT's clutch, with 44,000 miles, all of a sudden started acting up when I got home after stop/go traffic on the commute home. While the clutch felt "normal" that morning, and when I left in the evening, I started experiencing the following:

 

1. Releasing the clutch lever ever so slightly caused a near full engagement (not the typical long release I have been used to).

2. If you pump the lever at a stoplight, whilst in neutral, it seems to behave normally when pulling away.

3. But, the short engagement returns pretty quickly.

4. Reservoir in the master cylinder was not full, but not low. The little rubber gasket/baffle in the master that are usually "expanded" when fluid is low, was not expanded. This tells me there is no negative pressure that I would expect to build up over time as the clutch "wears", at least that is what I learned from my Hondas.

5. Fluid in the master cylinder is a chalky, milky, dark gray. Earlier this year, it was very clean. While I have put some miles on it these past few months, I cant imagine it getting dirty THAT fast.

 

I have not noticed any leaks "down below", but I have not had the tupperware off to take a look at things.

 

Judging by the search in the archives, it sounds like I may have a bad slave cynlinder?

 

Is there any "tell tale" sign?

 

A friend of mine thinks it just needs a flush/fill, but I suspect something not so simple.

 

Opinions?

 

-robert

[Paul Mihalka]

It sure sounds like a bad slave cylinder/clutch throwout bearing. If you had clutch wear the fluid would come UP, not go down. If you have a bad slave cylinder, you would not see the leak because it stays inside the clutch housing and very soon gets onto the clutch ruining it and multiplying the cost of the repair. Ride you bike as little as possible, may be just to the dealer if he is close, unless you do the work yourself.

[Ken H.]

What Paul said. These are the classic symptoms of a failing slave cylinder. If you are a reasonable DIYer, or know one, it's not too tough of a DIY job.

[skinny_tom (aka boney)]

If there is leakage, it will show up quickly. Here's where to look for it:

 

Pull the right side tupperware. Pull the inspection hole plug for finding top dead center. It's a little plug behind and to the rear of the throttle body that lays flat along the trasmission housing.

 

If you see weeping fluid, or even a little wetness, between your engine and transmission or fluid on the plug once you pull it, then something is leaking. It should be dry in there.

[Ken H.]

Pull the right side tupperware. Pull the inspection hole plug for finding top dead center. It's a little plug behind and to the rear of the throttle body that lays flat along the trasmission housing.

 

If you see weeping fluid, or even a little wetness, between your engine and transmission or fluid on the plug once you pull it, then something is leaking. It should be dry in there.

Well that might show you something, but it won't necessarily show you if the clutch hydraulic slave cylinder is leaking.

 

The slave cylinder on a BMW bike is located at the rear of the tranny, nowhere near the timing inspection hole. The only surefire way to know if the slave cylinder is leaking is to pull it.