| Author | Message | ||
     Arcticktm |
Looking for a recommendation on new clutch plate pack (and possibly a stiffer diaphragm spring) for 2006 Uly. My clutch fried at 8300 miles ( http://www.badweatherbikers.com/cgibin/discus/show.cgi?tpc=142838&post=997221#POST997221 ). Buell will not help under warranty in any way. Looking at either Energy One or Barnett so far. Thinking about going with a 15% stiffer spring at the same time. I am not familiar with Energy One, but they seem to have a good offering and fair pricing. Anyone used either? I want to avoid issues with a dragging clutch or a hard to find neutral. I do not want to buy OEM due to it failing, and Buell not taking any responsibility for it. I am also confused on this "double riveted plate". The aftermarket kits offer an extra plate kit to replace this part, but it does not appear that the '06 XB clutch has this in it. Maybe a change in recent years that they do not bother to tell you about?? Thanks (Message edited by arcticktm on October 26, 2007) | ||
| Djkaplan |
I tracked down the thread you posted (a link to it would have been nice). Did you ever try to adjust the clutch pack? I just skimmed over the multiple posts, perhaps I missed it. I would certainly do this myself before depending on what a dealer had to say about it. Have you done this yet? | ||
| New12r |
Are you asking Buell to buy and install an after market clutch under warranty?? If you find any company that will do that let me know. The barnett would be my choice by the way. | ||
| Arcticktm |
I did not adjust the clutch pack, as the dealer has the bike 80+ miles away. Dealer says the clutch is fried. I will verify and check adjustment again before pulling apart. Buell has already refused to warranty any part of the clutch. Naturally, asking them to pay for a non-OEM replacement would a total waste of time. I just don't want to replace failed parts with more of the same. Plus, either aftermarket clutch looks to be 1/2 or 1/3 of the cost of the H-D parts. New12r - do you have any experience with the Barnett in a H-D or Buell? I know them by name, but have never failed a clutch before in 24 years, so I have no first hand experience. I have heard rumors of poor quality control. | ||
| M1combat |
Interesting... 50K miles on my clutch and no issues at all... I suppose a Uly rider would be using their clutch a bit differently that a firebolt rider though. The bike is out of warranty? | ||
| Diablobrian |
Barnett is what I just put in my bike. I have had great success with their products in the past. I have put many clutches in and have never had an issue with Barnett parts. The stock clutch is around twice as expensive too... | ||
| Newbolt |
I have been running a Barnett Scorpion in my FatBoy for 25-30K with no problems. I went to there billet clutch basket about 7k miles ago because of a failure in the stock basket and it is of good quality and works great. | ||
| Jackbequick |
"..I am also confused on this "double riveted plate..." Stock H-D and Buell clutches have in them a thing call the "spring plate". It is basically two plates riveted together and held slightly apart by small brass flat springs. The spring plate is intended to contribute something to the clutch plates freeing up and not dragging when clutch lever is pulled with the clutch cold and the oil in the primary cold. But the spring plates also come apart sometimes (it can happen around 15,000 or 20,000 miles or so) and the little pieces of the rivets and the flat brass springs float around in there jamming things up and causing damage. So if you take the clutch apart, remove the spring plate, and replace it with regular plates, it eliminates the possibility of a spring plate failure. And there is no apparent difference in the feel and use of the clutch with the spring plate replaced with regular plates. The Barnett web page it describes the extra plate kits as follows: "Kevlar or Carbon Fiber Extra-Plate Clutch Kit Consists of nine friction plates and eight steel drive plates. Adds 12% more surface area to clutch pack. (Note: Double steel drive plate not used with this kit.)" The extra plate kits for Sportster and Buell, 1991 and later are part numbers 307-30-10011(K) (Kevlar) and 307-30-20011(CF) (carbon fibre). I don't know how come your Uly clutch wore out so quick but I'm thinking it had to be slipping or something. There are guys out there with like 150,000 miles on a stock clutches that have had the spring plates removed. Ask your dealer, did the spring plate fail? If it did, and it was still in warranty, I'm thinking that Buell owes you something on that. Might be something that one of the "friends of Buell" that visit here from time to time can help with. Especially if the dealer is not holding up his end on this. Jack | ||
| Arcticktm |
Jack, Thanks for the info. I think this double riveted plate has been eliminated in the latest clutches. All my bike has is the diaphragm spring, which I definitely cannot eliminate. I did still order the extra plate clutch kit to make sure I have enough plates. Also getting a 15% stiffer diaphragm spring in the kit. I went with Energy One based on some other recommendations, and a long talk I had with a Tech support guy at Energy One. He was very helpful, and explained that HD eliminated that double riveted plate, but I still needed to order the extra plate kit to get enough plates for my clutch. He said to give him a call if I have any trouble after getting the bike back and measuring the stock and new plate stack heights. For $85 (all plates and new spring), I'll give them a shot. Add on another $49 for the spring compressor tool, since I didn't want to mess with fab'ing my own. I should get the parts end of this week, and will pick up my bike from the dealer then. I am not going to fight with Buell on this anymore. Just fix it, move on, and remember who did/didn't help! | ||
| Djkaplan |
I'd be willing to bet the clutch still works. The clutch preload adjustment not being set properly probably caused the clutch to start slipping and overheat. This lead to even more slipping until the plates probably wore out enough to put preload on the clutch pack adjuster, which actually needs a specified clearance, not engagement or actual preload. If the clutch engagement does come back, it may or may not function very smoothly because the friction plates are scorched, but you'll never know unless you do the adjustment when you get the bike back. I don't blame the dealer for wanting to change the entire clutch... they probably just wanted to make sure there wouldn't be any issues with the repair in the future. There is no way for them to tell how badly the clutch got compromised with the lack of adjustment and the resulting abuse until it is disassembled. If they have to go in that far, they are going to hedge their bets coming back out. | ||
| Jackbequick |
Jim, Thanks for updating me. I'm talking in terms of the '00 M2 I had and the '97 Dyna FXD I have now. Those both had similar clutches and used the spring plates. If the spring plates have gone away in the later models I was not aware of it. The diaphragm springs are common to all of them although they may have changed some over the years. Over adjusting the clutch adjusting screw has the same effect as operating the clutch lever. Others have missed that soft and subtle point where the adjusting screw pulls the well nut down and into contact in the bottom of that recess. If you miss that and turn the screw CCW any further before turning it back 1/4 turn CW, it has the effect of releasing some of the pressure on the clutch plates. And it also means that the 1/4 turn back has not unloaded the bearing that the adjusting screw rides it (sort of like a throw out bearing) and that invites a failure of that bearing. But it sounds like you're on track to get it all working right again. It will be interesting to hear what you see when you get that apart. If that bearing the adjusting screw runs on had been running with some preload on it, it might show some excessive wear or evidence of heating. Jack | ||
| Arcticktm |
Picked up bike Sat (11/3). Clutch is totally fried, and measures .030"+ below the SM limit on wear. Nothing looks bad besides the plates, so that is good. Installed new Energy One clutch pack, with 15% stiffer diaphragm spring. Their spring compressor tool had bad threads, but I was able to fix it. I used the "extra plate" kit, but had to leave out the extra friction and steel, as HD no longer uses the double riveted plate that these are supposed to replace. You also cannot use the non-extra plate kit, since these count on you having the double riveted steel plate to use as one of the metal plates. I also had to eliminate a spring seat and wave ring that go inside of 1 special friction plate that is narrower than all the others (to allow the spring seat and wave ring to fit inside it). The instructions with the kit mentioned this, though they referred only to a Buell XB9 model. Got the clutch in, but cannot test yet, since I was given the wrong primary gasket by a local shop (not the HD dealer). Note that Blue Ridge HD/Buell has been good about this, even w/o Buell covering under warranty. The mechanic that took apart the clutch even gave me pointers on how to install the new one when I picked up the bike on Saturday. They also had the CORRECT gasket in stock, and I should get that on Thurs to finish the job and see if it all works for a ride this Saturday. | ||
| Arcticktm |
Energy One clutch kit is installed and tested for about 250 miles. I like it a lot better than stock. For some reason, the bike shifts easier and quieter, which makes me wonder if my stock clutch was out of whack since day one (though it did not drag at all). Anyway, the stiffer spring gives a bit more aggressive engagement than stock, and I like that. More like a dirt bike clutch feel to me. Neutral is super easy to find in all conditions. Still using Formula+ oil for now. So far, so good, and 1/3 the price of OEM parts. |
