clutch failure HELP!

[bignomadmike]

Ok its me again with the whining noise.Had bike service done by a reputable bike shop new clutch pack , new clutch spring,no bevel gear or bearing wear mechanic said he couldn't locate anything wrong with the bike .Clicking in neutral is gone .Ok rode bike home from shop clutch failed on the interstate when i stopped for 10 minutes and pulled the lever its working im very fustrated because 500.00 later the bikes not right did (manage to limp it to the dealer (kaw)and have them look at it lomax said before could be the bevel gear bearing heating the fluid therefore making the clutch fail but checked that out and the part is good anybody have input PLEASE!!!!!!its 80 degrees in Florida NO BIKE

[lomax]

hey Mike
When you say the clutch failed on the interstate, are you meaning that the bike would not pull itself anymore like the clutch was slipping? Or is it clutch lever thing where once stopped, or shifting gears, the clutch was not operating? What oil are you running in the engine? How far did you get before the slippage started?

[bignomadmike]

Hey lomax this is what happened went to shift from 5th to 4th pulled in clutch lever nothings there then after swearing a little bit pulled over waited 10 to 15 mins clutch was working my take is after it cooled down ,this started about 25 miles into the ride home.Mechanic said hes running reg mc oil 10w40 keep In mind i was running Mobil 1 20w50 synth when this first happened and the whine is still there got her at the kaw dealer now ! 500.00 later still no bike like you said i think somethings causing the fluid to heat up and fail just have to locate what that :'(IS !!!

[Idaho]

So, does the clutch stay engaged after you pull it in like it won't release to engage the plates? Or, does it not disengage the plates and cause the bike to stay in gear?

This sux man and I feel for ya. Maybe someone here can do a search of a Nomad manual for some pointers if you get a little more specific with the symptoms.

[lomax]

....Just wondering if you have ever changed out the fluid in the clutch. Brake fluid is very hydroscopic and really sucks moisture out of the air. Even if the system has never been opened, there is air space and with temp changes, there is moisture (condensation). Small amounts of moisture will make the boiling point fall drastically. Clutch and brake fluids should be changed every couple years. Just something else to check. :)

[macmac]

The clutch is operated by a hydralic system. This system consists of a master on the handle bars and has a lever. A line connects the master to the slave clyinder. Brake fluid is the medium that supplies the hand pressure you develop to the the slave.

If for what ever reasons the salve becomes over heated and the BF boils you loose the hydralics. There is gasses in the BF in the form of bubbles. In order for this type of system to work there can be no bubbles.

Something is heating up the brake fluid to the point it will boil.

A over heated system if this type once cooled off often returns to normal. Most of the gasses flow up hill in the line and become a gas in the master top, and the rest condense to be what ever they are. BF gasses and or water.

What this means is you can no longer controll the system, and the lever will be mushy.

What it also means is the BF is expanding, and in an extreem case could still pressure the system to relese a clutch pack to the point it slips, but I have never seen it happen.

This can occur with brakes and the main cause is contaminated BF, which seizes a calliper. The calliper not being able to back off and release creates more and more friction which causes heat till the brakes burn up if you don't stop and allow cooling first and repairs second.

So something is over heating the slave cylinder, and the only thing that comes to mind is a bad bevel gear bearing.

My test would be to pull the left side cover, and run the engine in neutral and see how hot the slave gets.. Then after some time ride the bike a short distance with no cover on, and check the slave and the area where the bearing is and expect this to be so hot getting a bad burn would be likey.

In other words don't just smack yer hand on the case and expect not to be burned baddly.

Running the rear wheel on a lift is another method to test as well, if that is possible.

[ringadingh]

I would suspect the slave cylinder as well, as a start point to look for the problem.

[Idaho]

Mike, did you get this sorted out?

[dogdoc]

good explain mac, thx.