Continuing saga - DT1: advice please

[Succubus]

OK, it starts, it runs. For you who may have seen my earlier questions, I've got spark, I've got comp-ression and I've got the timing close enough to run. My newest challenge is when I come off the line the tranny seems to slip. It doesn't pop out of gear, it just doesn't grab consistently. It seems to slip and then, when it does grab, it practically rips my arms off the torque is so great. It is fine in the other gears and does downshift into first correctly. But slips badly in first. It also sometimes takes some force to downshift. Now I'me betting it's the clutch, but I wanted to see if anyone had faced this before. What do you think? Bad friction plates? Weak springs? Worn shift dogs? The bike sats for many years before I bought it and got it running again. I have no idea how good a mechanic the PO was, but I know he took the motor apart to clean it up. I redid the top end before I ran it. I also know the PO rides a mid-70s Gold Wing, so I figure he must know how to turn a wrench since no one can afford to pay someone else to keep an old beast like that running. Do you think the DT1 just needs to run a while to get the friction plates saturated or do I need to be looking for some replacement parts? If I pull the clutch how can I tell if the friction plates are shot?

 

[Succubus]

Update: I found the specs for my clutch and while the friction plates are well within tolerance, the clutch springs were compressed beyond spec. I suspect that was the problem. Also, while I put in fresh oil prior to starting the bike, after running less than a mile of running the new oil looked very mush like chocolate milk when I drained it and there was a light brown sludge inside the clutch cover when I removed it. The contaminated oil also was a contributing factor, I suspect. Now I have to find replacement clutch springs and how the oil change flushed the rest of the crud out of my crankcase......

But iit lives.

 

[kerrymccaughey]

Dt1

Now that you have located the problem, just be sure to run an oil specifically designed for wet clutches . I'd also do another oil change after about 2 hrs. of running until you sure there is no longer any contamination....Kerry

 

[Succubus]

I was planning to use straight 30 weight non-detegent oil, like in my street bikes. I think that's sufficient. Maybe I'll use detergent motor oil until I know the engine is flushed?

 

[mtk]

You use 30 weight non-detergent oil in your streetbikes?

Is this according to the bike's owner's manual?

Non-detergent oil is for lawn mowers. I've never seen a bike manual that called for such stuff.

 

[Succubus]

I prefer non-detergent oil because it has the fewest additives. All my bikes are vintage. When they were made oil was made differently. The additives today make oil more slippery, which is good for gears but not great for 30-year-old wet clutches. Non-detergent oil seems to make the clutch slip less. I am discussion on this supposition.

 

[originaldirt]

Wrong Kemosabe ! Just plain wrong. Nuff said.
OD

 

[Succubus]

Very constructive, Original Dirt. Just "you're wrong" and move on. Very helpful.