96 kdx 200 clutch assembly

[rwlockwood]

i have no workshop manual ( trying to get one though ) and am having trouble reaasembling my clutch , i think i have it correct but when i pull the clutch in i can't push the bike forward when in gear. I am to scared to start it in case causes damage. I don't suppose anyone can attempt to describe to me reassembly ?. The clutch action feels normal when I pull it in.

ps: Yes i know i should have waited until i had a manual.

 

[Michelle]

Whereabouts are you? Drop me an email [email protected] as I may be able to help on the manual side of things.
Installation:
Install Thrust Washer
Sleeve
Clutch Housing
Thrust Washer
Apply molybdenum disulfide grease to the outside of the sleeve
Apply transmission oil to the inside of the clutch housing gear and kickstarter driven gear
install friction plates & steel plates, starting with a friction plate and alternating them.
Caution: do not install dry steel plate & friction plates, apply transmission oil to the surfaces of each plate to avoid clutch plate seizure.
Install the coned disc spring & spring seat as shown.
Install spring washer & clutch hub.

Also check buykawasaki.com for pix of the clutch to compare what you've done to what it should be. Are you going to the Rodger White ride this weekend? If so, let me know (I don't have much time to check email b4 going, but will do so).
Michelle

 

[MX175]

Did you try pulling in your clutch and pushing your bike in gear, when it was cold, before you worked on the clutch? I'd almost bet the same thing would occur. Sometimes you need the engine to be spinning to break apart the clutch and friction plates. I'd check the Kawasaki website^ and if you think you did it right, give it a start.

 

[woodsy]

RW - You are experiencing a very common problem. Your clutch plates are stuck together (as previously mentioned). Did you lube the plates before you put them together into the basket? If you did not here is the sulution: fill the tranny with oil (what ever you are using for tranny oil) and and I mean to the top! Rock the bike back and forth in 1st gear wiht the clutch pulled. If this doesnt free them up, let the bike sit for a while with the tranny full and try it again! When done, drain the oil out and replace to spec!
If you remember that you did in fact pre lube those plates and you are certain that all the bolts in the pressure plate are tight then here is what I would do: I woudlPut the bike in neutral, start it, push the bike forward with the clutch drawn and put it in 1st gear while it is moving. While you are riding in 1st gear, pull the clutch in and out and tap the throttle a little as you do. I have released many stuck plates in this way!! If this doenst work, you probalby will have to tear her back down!
Good luck!
Woodsy

 

[BRush]

See the parts diagram at www.buykawasaki.com for an illustration of how the parts fit together.

 

[rwlockwood]

Thanks for all the help , the buykawasaki.com site is great and showed me all I need to know , as far as i can see i have done it correctly except for oiling the steel plates ( i did soak the friction plates though). So will try again.

thanks again.

 

[paull]

how did you go locating a manual 4 your bike rwlockwood i am trying to get one four my 97 kdx let me no how you went.thanks

 

[rwlockwood]

now I have been to the buykawasaki.com site i don't really need one ( the parts diagrams are really good ) , although it would still be nice. I'm going to do some checking around like amazon etc though and see what I find , will let you know.

 

[paull]

thanks rw have had a bit of a look around myself but cant find anything you are right about the buykawasaki site heaps of information.

 

[fatty_k]

http://www.dishers.com/hobbies/Repairs/changing_clutch.htm

That looks to be very helpful.

 

[MX175]

OUTSTANDING JOB KYLE. That is the right way to do instructions. Good explanation and photos. The only thing more you could do is to go to his bike and do it for him!!!!!

 

[canyncarvr]

re: 'Can't push it..'

Does that mean it's locked up tight?...or just hard to push.

With new plates and a new put-together, I'd expect that. Start 'er up!! (you'll be in neutral anyway). Pull in your clutch lever and give the shifter a touch. Not going to hurt anything (well..unless as in disher's words..there's 'crap' that didn't get cleaned out properly during the put-together. And now it's in the WRONG place).

Bet it works just fine.

Right?

Great!!

Whew!

Now it's time for a beer!! ;)

 

[70 marlin]

Nice page! does he have any more?

 

[rwlockwood]

Well my clutch works fine but ...

even after all this information i still have questions

1) I seem to have 4 x washers on the end of the clutch springs , is this normal or did the bikes previous owner do this for another reason ?

2) One of my steel plates has a groove in the outside I assume this is meant to be the last one in ?

3) at the buykawasaki.com website is a partnumber 92144B , its basically a big washer shaped like a plate , i assumed it fits into the grrove of the last clutch plate ( well at least this is how i did it )

4) and finally and this may answer why i couldn't push the bike forward in gear it looks like i put the final friction plate on top of the other 6 not by itself as shown in kyles diagram. I am going to pull it down in the weekend and fix but surprisingly the bike seemed to work fine when i test rode it last weekend. yes i do feel like a bozo ...

 

[canyncarvr]

The washers you're referring to I don't suppose are in the buykawi diagram, 'eh? I understand you to be describing a shim situation...a cheap (and wrong) way to increase spring pressure. Of course you also might end up with a coil-bind (stacking) problem. Now THAT'S gonna work good! :( If you need additional spring pressure, get the right spring (imo).

re: #3..the spring. Some guys leave theirs out. Never quite understood the advantage of that.

re: #4..You're referring to the last two friction plates being offset? That's the OEM assy method. Some (BRush as I recall) thought they ended up with a better clutch action when they did NOT offset them.

Still, there's a metal plate between the two? When you say 'on top of the other six' you don't mean two friction plates against each other, do you?

 

[BRush]

1) I seem to have 4 x washers on the end of the clutch springs , is this normal or did the bikes previous owner do this for another reason ?

The previous owner. Probably as a cheesy way to stiffen up the springs.

2) One of my steel plates has a groove in the outside I assume this is meant to be the last one in ?

No. The steel clutch plates are all the same. I suspect the groove was worn in by the coned disk spring.

3) at the buykawasaki.com website is a partnumber 92144B , its basically a big washer shaped like a plate , i assumed it fits into the groove of the last clutch plate ( well at least this is how i did it )

That’s the “coned disk spring”. Part 16007 is the seat. On the advice of my dealers mechanic, I left these out when I rebuilt my clutch and have never regretted it.

4) and finally and this may answer why i couldn't push the bike forward in gear it looks like i put the final friction plate on top of the other 6 not by itself as shown in kyles diagram. I am going to pull it down in the weekend and fix but surprisingly the bike seemed to work fine when i test rode it last weekend. yes i do feel like a bozo ... [

I did not offset the last plate. I think it fits better stacked up with the rest .


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[rwlockwood]

thanks for the advice , i have ordered new springs to replace the existing ones as i suspect you are right , it was a cheasy way to toughen them up. ( they don't appear on the buykawasaki website ) I will also get new steel plates .

I have changed the last friction plate to be offset now and the clutch works just as well as when they were stacked up together. its interesting that you can run it both ways , anyway thanks again for the help.