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Do I have a dangerous clutch problem?

15K views 153 replies 17 participants last post by  crimsonwing 
#1 ·
Hey wingers, back again. So the past two days riding my wing have been pretty scary. I've been having a lot of trouble switching gears. the shifter seems to get really stuck. At first i thought i wasn't pulling the clutch in all the way, but after several attempts it seemed to be a major issue. in addition to that, it feels like the clutch lever has less resistance now. Today I was at a stop light, and the wing kept accelerating and trying to pull me along with her and then she stalled out. This happened twice. luckily I was on my way home and I made it safe. But I don't want to ride again until I know it is safe to do so. Does this sound dangerous to all of you? more importantly, what steps can I take to fix this? and thoughts on what it can be? hopefully some gurus can chime in. Thanks in advance!:laugh:
 
#40 ·
so i just installed the new lever, im not sure what i did wrong, but it only fits in the position where the clutch is fully disengaged and the lever is almost touching the handlebar. there is no slack or play at all!! i went for a test ride and got ten feet only. I ordered the right lever from the parts fiche. there seems to be this long metal rod that wasnt on my old lever that is preventing it from moving. any suggestions?
 
#42 ·
Long metal rod?there is a rod that goes to the master cylinder,is that what you are talking about.that rod fits into the lever.
 
#45 ·
sorry everyone, that was a bad description. the lever has this extra metal part poking out perpendicular to the lever that gets caught on the handlebar stuff, preventing it from moving freely. it is NOT the pushrod! the pushrod seems fine. I will take a picture in the morning and upload. Also, im still lost on the rubber boot. what purpose does it serve? do i even need it? if so, how do i replace it?
 
#48 ·
Here is a side by side comparison of the old lever and the new, as you can see there is this extra metal piece sticking out of it. am I just supposed to cut it off or something? it prevent the lever from moving and keeps it stuck close to the handle bar.
 

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#50 ·
This is how the lever is supposed to fit. I can't see anything in your pic to know what's causing your problem. The tab shouldn't be touching anything.

If these pics don't help or your master isn't the same, or...

...There shouldn't be any reason not to cut the tab off. Just make sure you are still triggering the button on the switch.

As far as the rubber is concerned, the open end should fit snugly into the master, then the small end gets pulled up around the groove in the pin.

Third pic is the tool I made to pull the rubber over the groove.
 

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#51 ·
my master seems to be different, there is absolutely no space for the tab to fit in at all, and there is no button there. there is only a small button in the inner side of the master. also, the old rubber boot will not come out. it is extremely stuck in there, and every time i try to yank it out, the old brittle rubber just tears apart. ill try and take pictures if the sun isnt at too bad of an angle.
 
#52 ·
you can see how there is no space in this pic. was this one of the differences between 84 and 85? in the second picture, to the left of the old deteriorated rubber boot, is a small little button, and its the only one. what purpose does it serve by the way?
 

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#53 ·
so i just finished installing the new lever, bushing, pushrod and rubber boot. The clutch still wont disengage. I must have a leak somewhere. is it possible the oil leaking from the top of my engine is actually clutch fluid? where are the most common leak sites on an 84 1200?
 
#54 ·
I was awaiting.

The bushing although a problem was not the problem.
You have a fluid leak and now have air in the system.
If the leak was at the master you would have noticed so it's likely at the slave.
 
#55 ·
i see, i just looked in the slave area and its covered in grime. im not sure if this from miles of travel on the road or the leaky fluid getting dirty, probably both. so what would my next step be? i would like to clean the gunk with brake part cleaner to see the source. i wont damage anything around there will I, any rubber?
 
#58 ·
i totally got side tracked. It was working great with the old lever, but even with the new bushing it stopped working. Im guessing the new bushing allowed for more force to be put in by the lever, but as it kept leaking, it stopped working. ill have to get the wing into my driveway so i can drill the old stripped screw out of the master cylinder cover, but that will be tough as i cant use the clutch now and its on the street.
 
#59 ·
modified `bump` start it! The bike is at the top of a good slope... right?

large amounts of grunge is often a fluid got out, and road grit attached itself to the fluid, good guess its the slave.

In general, I think our bikes stay fairly clean underneath unless there is a problem

kind of like when you see oil and grit on the boot of a cages cv joint, the boots broken- the grease leaked out... and grit has taken residence
You knew something was wrong just by looking

Does no one in the 1200 world have a master for the OP? c'mon People! dig deep in that pile of treasures
 
#65 ·
You are brilliant as usual Ken! I totally forgot about a clutch safety switch
A great big American D'oh! on that one~

Tip on Kens method would be to watch the time limits of starter use, same as you would in Reverse

80s Gurus- what do you say, 30 seconds and let it rest 5 minutes? Whats your book say?
Make sure battery doesn't get hot too

Crimson- Harbor Freight Tools will hook you up with a good cordless drill for $15. They are everywhere- get 20% coupon
Thats a tool you need more than 3 times, so its cheaper to own than rent!
 
#66 ·
do i just push the start button or hold it? Harbor freight is a good idea by the way! and sorry i havent had a chance to do ANYTHING for the past good while. it has been raining like crazy here, but now it seems to have cleared up so back at it again!
 
#67 ·
so i tried getting it to move, it was a no go. so im just going to do the cordless drill plan. I get paid on friday so im going to wait a day. in the meantime, could you all tell me what i will need so i can save time and be prepared? im sure i need a brake or cylinder bleeder and well as new DOT hydraulic fluid. am i missing anything?
 
#68 ·
To remove the air from the system you need nothing other than brake fluid once you get the cap off the reservoir.

To flush the system you'll need an eight millimetre wrench.
Nice to have would also be a length of hose to direct the old fluid into a container.
 
#70 ·
install about 12 inches clear hose over bleeder nipple, other end goes in to small jar with 1 inch new brake fluid in it- hose sits in fluid.
This prevents backwashing of air.

Open bleeder 1/4 turn, operate clutch lever several times, not going to the end of pull YET.
Close bleeder and refill master, repeat above process until no bubbles appear and fluid is all new color, and full pulls of lever feel good.

Plenty of youtube vids on brake or clutch bleeding
Buy 1 qt of DOT4 brake fluid and flush all the brake lines as well.

NOTE Opened brake fluid, even in capped bottle, goes bad after 6 months on the shelf.
hygroscopic and all~
 
#74 ·
That must be from air getting in. If it's like that in the master, the slave will probably be pretty bad, too. Get the kit I posted from eBay, or you can epoxy a dime in there if you want to. Also, get a slave kit and the motor seal from Honda.

This may be more than you want to take on so you might call around and see what a local shop will charge to rebuild and bleed the system.

If you want to try yourself, I'd start by sucking out all the fluid/goop you can from both ends of the system and then leave the slave open and fill the master with alcohol or some such and let it drain out a few times to clean the hose. Then, start the rebuild.
 
#75 ·
i would prefer to do it as i called around and they want at least $200 for the job ans i just dont have that right now. will alcohol usage be safe in the lines? if so, what kind? also, how would you recommend sucking the goop out?
 
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