Clutch pack/clutch housing balance help

[RT rocket]

So I'm doing a spline lube. First time. Going okay. Taking my time. 36k miles. Mark the clutch housing/flywheel and clutch pack with permanent marker so I can get to the friction plate to measure wear. Spray the pack off with some carb cleaner to clean things up. Oops! Permanent marker is gone.

 

The friction disc has 70% life left so I plan to reuse it.

 

The only factory balance paint mark I can find is on the clutch cover. It's not white or yellow like Clymer's claims it will be...but violet. I don't see any other paint marks per se. There is a numeral 3 on the clutch housing/flywheel. Clymer's reads that the components need to be 180 degrees for balance. Haynes states the three components are balanced 120 degrees apart.

 

Any insight or help as to how I should proceed?

 

By the way, splines are 100% okay. Just dry. I have the Starburogs!

[Mark C]

Violet is what I usually see from factory.

120 degress is the best you can do since mounts are 3 locations.

You can't do 180 unless there were 4 or even number.

[AndyS]

Yep, 120 degrees.

Bear in mind that if you were fitting replacement items, there would be no 'reference marks' and so you would fit them blind. By inference, this implies that there should be 'negligible' negative effect by just putting those parts together randomly!

[dirtrider]

Morning Paul

 

Some of those OEM clutch/flywheel packs are very difficult or even impossible to find the paint marks on.

 

I usually see purple or white (sometimes yellow on replacement parts)

 

Starting with the flywheel (clutch housing) it might be marked on the rear out by the ring gear teeth OR there could be a paint mark on the rear under the reinforcement ring about in line with the large holes (caution: don't remove that reinforcement ring unless you have new bolts to install)

 

On the pressure plate those are usually (but not always) paint marked on the outer OD (basically the side)

 

On the housing cover those can be marked on the OD or the rear or not marked at all.

 

As mentioned above, your only option is to space 120° BUT that ONLY works IF you can find all the paint marks. If you can only find one paint mark then no way to space or line up anything useful.

 

If the assembly individual parts were decently balanced at manufacturing level then you won't encounter a lot or balance disturbance no matter how they re-assemble. If they were poorly balanced at original build/assembly level then you might end up with more balance disturbance than you had before disassembly.

 

Your other option is to remove the flywheel (clutch housing) & all the other rotational parts of the clutch pack then send them out & have them balanced as an assembly (that usually makes them even better balanced (less rotational disturbance) than the factory 120° (hope & pray) assembly.

 

[RT rocket]

Thanks evyone fo your prompt replies and insight.

As I only clock two to three thousand miles a year I'm taking everything into consideration.

 

Had there been an accurate means to measure friction disc wear without dissasembly I would not have taken it apart.

 

The thought of removing the clutch housing/flywheel and sending it all out to be balanced is the right thing to do but costly and involves more time.

 

The riding season here in Colorado is coming soon and the cost V benefit factor troubles me.

 

Thanks again

[PLW]

FYI. If you remove the starter you can measure the distance between the two pressure plate halves without ever pulling the tranny. This is equal to the clutch plate thickness.

[StuGotz]

YMMV, but if it was my motorcycle, regardless of miles driven, I'd be really pissed about an imbalance after reassembly. You may get lucky, or may not. If your reassembly happens to be clocked as original, great. Chances are not. If time or labor doesn't

mean anything to you, then take a chance.

 

Your three options at this point are neither cost effective or time saving.

 

Have assembly balanced at a shop.

Buy a new assembly.

Install original and throw the dice.

 

Most wrenches are picky, so our opinions really may be different than yours.

 

Good luck.

 

MB>