Clutch Microfiche (1996 DR350SE, RonAyers) Clutch release rack

Clutch Microfiche (1996 DR350SE, RonAyers)
Clutch release rack - mf-12
Release bearing – mf-13A
Thrust Washer – mf-13B
Primary driven gear spacer – mf-3
Thrust washer (x2) – mf-2
Engine sprocket washer – mf-11
Gearshifting Microfiche (1996 DR350SE, RonAyers)
Cam driven gear securing bolt “Infamous shift drum bolt” – mf-9
Handlebar Microfiche (1996 DR350SE, RonAyers)
Clutch cable assembly – mf-2
Tools
STANDARD TOOLS = metric socket set, metric wrenches (2x 8mm,10mm, and 12 mm), vice grips,
needle nose pliers, non metal mallet, flathead screwdrivers (pry bars), channel locks, etc.
Torque wrench (5-40 lbs)
Crescent wrench
27mm socket
electric screw driver (nothing powerful, as you WILL over torque bolts, my 7.2v craftsman drill puts
nearly 7 lbs of torque on a nut, and its old and the battery is goofy)
Carb cleaner (2 cans at least)
Feeler gauges (0.005” minimum size)
“rubber” gloves (nitrile, latex, etc) your hands will be raw from the oil/carb cleaner/etc
Blue thread locker compound (loctite)
Cotter pin replacements (spend 4 bucks and get 3 of every size remotely similar to what you can find on
your bike)
Fresh roll of paper towels
Silicon gasket compound
Beer, music, etc…
NOTES:
1. All of the 8mm bolts you come in contact with during this procedure should be torqued to no more
than 8 lbs. This is BARELY snugged when using a big ratchet.
2. The cam driven gear retaining bolt (infamous shift drum bolt) should be torqued to 8 lbs and blue
loctite should be added to the bottom half of the threads. DO NOT GET LOCTITE into the transmission
or clutch parts!
3. The clutch hub bolt should be tightened to 38 lbs, and the washer should be bent upwards to prevent
the nut from loosening
Procedure
0A. THOROUGHLY wash your bike (once again I didn’t do this and wish I had). Be sure to clean up all
the grub underneath the engine, and around the working area (right side of engine). This will help
prevent gunk entering the engine when you have the covers off, and help you isolate oil leaks if things
go wrong and your clutch cover gasket doesn’t seat properly.
0B. Soak the new clutch in 10W-40 for at least an hour or two before installation (while you are washing
your bike) EBC clutch kits come with a nice plastic soaking bucket built in to the packaging.
1. Put the transmission in first gear and lay the bike on its left side (right side up). This will allow you to
get a jump on flushing the oil system after you are finished. If you work on the bike on a stand, you will
have to drain the oil before starting (or have a big mess when you open the right side cover).
Tip 1 – Remove the seat and gas tank to avoid gasoline leakage/spills
Tip 2 – Wedge a board under the footpeg mount/frame to keep the shifter from binding against the
ground on the left side when you lay the bike down. This will aid in working the tranny if it becomes
necessary, and prevent the internals from being jammed or misaligned
2. Remove the right side footpeg and set aside. Unhook both springs from the brake pedal. Remove the
pin that holds the arm between the break pedal and the actuator (Picture 1). This requires some tight
needle nose pliers work, so be patient and have a spare cotter pin ready for reinstallation. You may break
the original one. Use channel locks to grip the pin to prevent it from moving while you bend the tines
down to remove the cotter pin. (Picture 2) Swing/wiggle the break pedal down far enough to clear the
engine cover.
3. Remove the clutch arm. Take a picture or make some obvious mark, so you can reinstall it in a
similar position when you finish. You may have to move it forward or backward a couple splines to
accommodate a new cable or perch if you are adding these at the same time. Regardless, its good to
document the clutch arm’s position before you start. Remove the oil line at the top of the cover. Be sure
to keep track of both washers (one above the line and one below the line). (Picture 1)
4. Fully loosen, BUT DO NOT REMOVE the clutch cover bolts. Use your low powered electric screw
driver for this after you break each bolt loose with a ratchet, as some of these buggers have miles of
threads. YOU MUST DOCUMENT THE POSITION OF THESE BOLTS. There are 13 bolts of
various sizes that specifically match the holes on the cover. Pull them out in a specific order (clockwise
from the clutch arm for example) and place them on a paper towel with numbers, or take a picture, or
both. Trust me, you do not want to waste a half hour figuring out which goes where later. Once you have
the bolts all organized and accounted for, GENTLY weasel the cover off. You will have to pry/wiggle it
off with a screw driver or two, but just take your time. It will come off nicely if you work your way
around evenly, and this will maximize the chances of reusing the old cover gasket.
5. Behold the beauty that is the “guts” of your motorcycle. Hopefully, it’s all clean and oily and shiny in
there. (Picture 3)
If not, I don’t know what to tell you…
6. Remove the six nuts on the clutch pressure plate. There are springs under these, but they should not be
so tight as to “shoot” the bolts off. Another use for the electric screw driver. After you have pulled the
bolts/springs out, you can now remove the pressure plate and clutch release rack, which will expose the
friction and metal plates (Picture 3). After pulling the plates out, you now have access to the clutch
sleeve hub and primary driven gear. (Picture 4)
7. GENTLY bend the lock washer down flat enough to place your 27mm socket securely on the nut.
Using a rubber mallet or a rag and hammer, tap on the top of the socket until the washer is flattened
enough for the nut to spin. To remove the nut, you will need to bind up the transmission somehow. I
recommend putting the bike in 1st gear and sticking a broom stick through the rear rotor (NOT THE
SPOKES OR THEY WILL BEND WITH 40 lbs of torque on the clutch nut) which will bind against the
swing arm. One you have loosened the nut, slide the clutch hub and primary driven gear (clutch basket)
off of the shaft. There will be a thrust washer underneath the hub and one underneath the basket, and a
spacer that will likely be stuck in the center of the basket (between the two thrust washers) (Picture 5)
8. INSPECT EVERYTHING CAREFULLY. Look for signs of wear, grooves, or polished spots. Be
sure everything looks clean and healthy before proceeding any further. Now is the time to replace/fix
whatever needs it. Any unusual wear should be obvious. My bike had 11,000 miles on it and there
wasn’t a single “groove” or “pit” anywhere.
9. Check the cam driven gear retaining bolt (infamous shift drum bolt) and make sure it is not loose or
overtorqued (Picture 5). If it seems fine just clean out the threads and hole with carb cleaner and a q-tip
or bore brush (.338 caliber?). Apply fresh blue loctite and reinsert (8lbs of torque - THERE IS
SUPPOSEDLY AN ERROR IN THE CLYMER MANUAL FOR THIS TORQUE SPEC). Also DO NOT
GET LOCTITE ANYWHERE YOU DON’T INTEND TO.
10. If you’ve ever had difficulty finding neutral when the bike is hot, be sure to clearance the primary
driven gear (clutch basket) before reinstallation. This will cure your problems, and allow you to torque
the clutch hub nut to its proper specifications. (SEE GRIFFBONES’S Maximum-Suzuki.com
POSTS). Using any number of methods, remove a small amount of metal (start with 0.003” - 0.006”
and don’t go more than .010”) from the back of the basket (primary driven gear). I used 320 grit wet/dry
sandpaper and a solid flat surface (Picture 6). The goal here is to get some “endshake” when the clutch
basket and hub are installed. Basically, you want to shorten the distance of the basket between the two
thrust washers, so the basket will rotate freely on the spacer without binding against the thrust washers.
The spacer is pinched between the thrust washers, so you want the clutch basket to be a few thousands
of an inch shorter than that. I didn’t take much material off, and only went through 2 pieces of sand
paper before I quit. It might be faster to use courser grit to get close, then smooth things with a finer grit.
11. Reassemble and replace thrust washers and anything else you think needs it and reverse the steps.
The clutch hub nut should be torqued to 38 lbs and the washer bent upwards against one side of the nut.
12. Drain the oil and replace with fresh, but cheap oil. Start the bike, take it for a short spin of a block or
two to circulate the new oil and be sure everything is working, then drain that and replace with your
normal oil and a new filter.
Tips on reinstalling everything properly the first time.
A – Be sure the shift shaft gear is lined up with the cam driven gear properly. The middle teeth of each
should be aligned. NOTE THAT IT IS MISALIGNED IN Picture 3. Picture 5 shows the correct position.
B – The microfiche shows the clutch rack bearing and washer installed backwards. The correct position
is shown in Picture 7.
C – Use a MINIMAL bead (a couple millimeters at most) of blue silicon gasket or similar to “tack” the
clutch cover gasket to the clutch cover before reinstalling. This will ensure a tight seal, but more
importantly, prevent the gasket from wiggling around while you are repositioning the cover before and
during tightening the bolts.
Picture 1.
Picture 2.
Picture 3.
Picture 4.
Picture 5.
Picture 6.
Picture 7.