I am desperate for some help-clutch issues?

[gillisfire]

This is a long read but I am trying to supply as much info as I can. So please give it a read and see if maybe you can help a fellow Nomad lover out. I am lost not being able to ride. No rain, sunny, and some great weather. So PLEASE, someone help me...

Ok, I have a 2004 Nomad 1500 FI. I had some issues with my clutch lever being to soft and my bike wanting to creep forward even with the lever pulled in all the way. Some great members suggested flushing and cleaning my resivior and changing the fluid. They were correct because it was extremly dirty and well past over due.

So after doing this, every thing seemed ok and then another problem arose. I could ride for a while fine and then as the bike would heat up, it would start to loose power. I could shift through gears and the throttle (rpm's) would increase but I would looses speed. When I got home I shut my bike off, restarted her, and could put it in 1st gear but it would not move. The bike would act like it was in gear because with it turned off it would not role. But if I pulled in the clutch or put it in nuetral I could role it.

So now I figured the clutch spring was out. I ordered a meanstreak spring and installed it. I went for a test ride last night and she road great. This morning I rode her into work and everything seemed ok until the last 5 miles. It seemed like she was a little week on the power side but I just wrote it off as being paranoid. After I got off work I hoped on her and everything seemed fine. I rode about 7 miles, in traffic with some stop and goes at the lights. I got to where I was going and shut her down. I spent about 15 minutes handleing some buissiness and went to leave. Well guess what. Started her up, put her in 1st gear and just revved up the engine. I was even able to push her quick enough to get it into 2nd gear and still didn't run, the engine just revved up.

So it seems that when my bike warms up, the gears or clutch does not work. I had a friend come get me and we trailered my bike home. We unloaded my bike and I started her up and she wanted to run good again. Of course she was cooled off when we got her home. So it only happens when my bike gets hot. Is this still possibly a clutch issue? This weekend I am going to pull the clutch spring back off and make sure the washers and everthing is installed correctly. I am just at a loss as to why this only happens when my bike is hot. After she is hot, it is like the clutch doesnt engaged or maybe the transmission is the issue. I just don't know.

Let's see. I am running Mobile 1 synthetic oil 20/50 and Mobile 1 filter. I change the break fluid and clutch fluid with DOT 4. I put the correct gear oil in the final drive. And used the correct radiator fluid and an OEM air filter. I also have V&H dual pipes.And just installed a new Avon rear tire. Just trying to supply as much info so hopefully someone can help or have some ideas.

[Sin City Stan]

Originally Posted by gillisfire

This is a long read but I am trying to supply as much info as I can. So please give it a read and see if maybe you can help a fellow Nomad lover out. I am lost not being able to ride. No rain, sunny, and some great weather. So PLEASE, someone help me...

Ok, I have a 2004 Nomad 1500 FI. I had some issues with my clutch lever being to soft and my bike wanting to creep forward even with the lever pulled in all the way. Some great members suggested flushing and cleaning my resivior and changing the fluid. They were correct because it was extremly dirty and well past over due.

So after doing this, every thing seemed ok and then another problem arose. I could ride for a while fine and then as the bike would heat up, it would start to loose power. I could shift through gears and the throttle (rpm's) would increase but I would looses speed. When I got home I shut my bike off, restarted her, and could put it in 1st gear but it would not move. The bike would act like it was in gear because with it turned off it would not role. But if I pulled in the clutch or put it in nuetral I could role it.

So now I figured the clutch spring was out. I ordered a meanstreak spring and installed it. I went for a test ride last night and she road great. This morning I rode her into work and everything seemed ok until the last 5 miles. It seemed like she was a little week on the power side but I just wrote it off as being paranoid. After I got off work I hoped on her and everything seemed fine. I rode about 7 miles, in traffic with some stop and goes at the lights. I got to where I was going and shut her down. I spent about 15 minutes handleing some buissiness and went to leave. Well guess what. Started her up, put her in 1st gear and just revved up the engine. I was even able to push her quick enough to get it into 2nd gear and still didn't run, the engine just revved up.

So it seems that when my bike warms up, the gears or clutch does not work. I had a friend come get me and we trailered my bike home. We unloaded my bike and I started her up and she wanted to run good again. Of course she was cooled off when we got her home. So it only happens when my bike gets hot. Is this still possibly a clutch issue? This weekend I am going to pull the clutch spring back off and make sure the washers and everthing is installed correctly. I am just at a loss as to why this only happens when my bike is hot. After she is hot, it is like the clutch doesnt engaged or maybe the transmission is the issue. I just don't know.

Let's see. I am running Mobile 1 synthetic oil 20/50 and Mobile 1 filter. I change the break fluid and clutch fluid with DOT 4. I put the correct gear oil in the final drive. And used the correct radiator fluid and an OEM air filter. I also have V&H dual pipes.And just installed a new Avon rear tire. Just trying to supply as much info so hopefully someone can help or have some ideas.

It sounds like moisture in the clutch fluid, but I will leave the in depth analysis to those more knowledable.

[rickyboy]

I'm not real sure what the issue is, but I would bleed the clutch reservoir and replace with new fluid.
What did you do to "flush" the reservoir and lines??? I've never flushed it with anything and have just bled the reservoir while pouring new brake fluid in.

[Peg]

Originally Posted by Sin City Stan

It sounds like moisture in the clutch fluid, but I will leave the in depth analysis to those more knowledable.

I'm happy to wait for the "more knowledgeable" too... but just to throw another possibility out there - bevel gear? Especially if you're hearing any whine on deceleration as well. Issues with bevel gear bearings can see the clutch fluid boil and cause the problem you describe.

[ringadingh]

Its hard tell what may be the problem, are you sure you bled the system well, and it has no leaks? Also when you check the clutch spring,make sure everything was installed correctly and measure the plates and discs, and check them for burning. You may need new ones if the steels are blue from heat, and possibly warped.

If it was the bevel gear, I think it would be very noisy at this point, and wouldn't be an intermittent problem.
It sounds to me like the clutch is slipping, and it gets worse as it heats up. Is the large nut on tight enough as well, something seems like it was not put together properly.

[MAS Tequila]

Normally when the bevel gear creates enough heat to flash the clutch fluid, it acts like it has no clutch. In other words the bike will move under it's own power.

I would check the slave cylinder and make sure it is working properly.

MT

[rickyboy]

MT..... these symptoms are familiar to the other thread by "XedoS69"

Just thinking out loud and wondering if the bevel gear might be XedoS69's problem.

[Jllm02199]

It sounds like you have either air or moisture in the clutch fluid. Bleed the system again with new fluid. If you are taking the clutch cover off again check to see how much movement you have in the clutch when you pull it in.

[rickyboy]

Originally Posted by rickyboy

I'm not real sure what the issue is, but I would bleed the clutch reservoir and replace with new fluid.
What did you do to "flush" the reservoir and lines??? I've never flushed it with anything and have just bled the reservoir while pouring new brake fluid in.

Originally Posted by Jllm02199

It sounds like you have either air or moisture in the clutch fluid. Bleed the system again with new fluid. If you are taking the clutch cover off again check to see how much movement you have in the clutch when you pull it in.

Kind'a what I thought [above.]

[Yellow Jacket]

The number one rule for troubleshooting is this:

If you have just repaired/fixed/modified something and now you have a new problem, the most likely cause is the repair/fix/modification that you just did.

Before jumping on the new problem, the best bet is to go back and double or even triple check what you just did until you are 100% positive that that is not causing the new problem.

[gillisfire]

Well Yellow Jacket, you don't know how true your comment is. I took apart my clutch spring to make sure everything was installed correctly. Well it looks like the beveled washer that goes towards the plates slipped down while I was reinstalling the first time around. So now I got a beveled washed with a little extra bevel on one side. So I either have to order some new OEM washers or some Judges. I am just not sold on Judges since I do down shift a lot when riding the twisty roads.

I got to aggregated today to want to bleed my clutch fluid again, I will get back to that tomorrow. No rush now since I am not riding anytime soon. But the first time I flushed the fluid I just ran ALOT of fluid through it to make sure it was clean. Maybe I drained it to low once and got air into it, but I don't think I did. We will see tomarrow.

[id-man]

I learn so much reading these posts - all without lifting a wrench of my own.

[rickyboy]

Originally Posted by gillisfire

Well Yellow Jacket, you don't know how true your comment is. I took apart my clutch spring to make sure everything was installed correctly. Well it looks like the beveled washer that goes towards the plates slipped down while I was reinstalling the first time around. So now I got a beveled washed with a little extra bevel on one side. So I either have to order some new OEM washers or some Judges. I am just not sold on Judges since I do down shift a lot when riding the twisty roads.

I got to aggregated today to want to bleed my clutch fluid again, I will get back to that tomorrow. No rush now since I am not riding anytime soon. But the first time I flushed the fluid I just ran ALOT of fluid through it to make sure it was clean. Maybe I drained it to low once and got air into it, but I don't think I did. We will see tomarrow.

Glad you got it figured out....You should be able to get the washers sent from just about anywhere within a few days at a minimal cost. Then you'll be back on two wheels in no time.

[MAS Tequila]

Originally Posted by gillisfire

Well Yellow Jacket, you don't know how true your comment is. I took apart my clutch spring to make sure everything was installed correctly. Well it looks like the beveled washer that goes towards the plates slipped down while I was reinstalling the first time around. So now I got a beveled washed with a little extra bevel on one side. So I either have to order some new OEM washers or some Judges. I am just not sold on Judges since I do down shift a lot when riding the twisty roads.

I got to aggregated today to want to bleed my clutch fluid again, I will get back to that tomorrow. No rush now since I am not riding anytime soon. But the first time I flushed the fluid I just ran ALOT of fluid through it to make sure it was clean. Maybe I drained it to low once and got air into it, but I don't think I did. We will see tomarrow.

I'm going to say it AGAIN, Judges washers DO NOT replace the torque limiting springs, PERIOD.

What you bent is a torque limiting spring. Judges washers go on each side of the main spring and have a completely different purpose.

MT

[ringadingh]

I thought that may have been the problem, good to see that you found it.