Need Help, Bike rolls in every gear. What Happen?

[KruncH]

I need help quickly. Had a crash today and now the bike rolls as if it’s in neutral in every gear. Anybody have any ideas what type of gear and / or spring my have broken? Do you have to split the cases for this type of repair? I’m planning a big 4-day ride in late October and I’m now worried about getting this thing fixed in time. I’ve seen similar problems in the past on the forum; I just can’t find the threads. THANKS A LOT FOR YOUR HELP.

KruncH

 

[David Trustrum]

Hmm, limited info here.

So the gear change lever is selecting all gears including neutral & they are spinning freely as you change up with & without the engine running? There is no drag spinning the wheel by hand in gear vs in neutral?

The clutch feels like it is operating normally in your hand?

If the answer is still yes pull the RHS engine cover off & have a look at the clutch & primary gears & any other damage you might see. Easy job but note powervalve connection lever & waterpump will need to be drained.

 

[KruncH]

I'm confused now. With the bike lifted up and NOT running, shifting through all the gears and spinning the rear tire, they all engage except neutral which is good.

But if you start the bike in neutral and shift into any gear, you can here it click. But when you let out the clutch, there is a slight pull forward by the bike which can easliy be stopped by hardly pulling back.

This makes me think it's the clutch. But manually inspecting the clutch by pulling the lever and looking at the lever arm (by the crank case), everything feels and looks good. Could a gear which engages the clutch basket to the main gear have broken giving this type of symptom?

 

[dhoward]

Since you said that you crashed and THEN the clutch quit working, have you checked to see if the cable and lever are working properly? In other words, is the lever returning properly, is the cable seated in the perch correctly, etc..
Sounds like it's just not engaging all the way and something could've been bent or unseated in the crash....

 

[David Trustrum]

Ok so it’s not the gearbox then. It’s also not the primary gear which connects the crank to the clutch or there would be no pull forward or a heck of a racket.

I mean do check the cable by disconnecting it & trying, but after that you are ripping that cover off to check for clutch or actuating arm damage holding the clutch on. The fault is consistent with a totally shagged set of plates but if happened after a crash I guess you are expecting damage.

 

[KruncH]

OK, I've got the clutch cover off. I'm using the magneto flywheel holder I made under the tech tips section and when I try to loosen the clutch hub nut, the clutch hub spins not allowing me to break the nut loose.

The manual says to JUST hold the flywheel and loosen the hub nut. Sounds simple so am I correct in assuming that the clutch hub itself should NOT be turning? Is my problem close at hand? I'm think the only way to get this nut lose is to us an air impact wrench.

Help!!!!

 

[David Trustrum]

I have so many clutch hubs in my brain & I’m a bit preoccupied, but I won’t go into that. So trying to remember the KDX, you have taken off the clutch springs & front plate & removed the plates right?

With the plates removed, the inner hub is not connected to the outer basket. That is what the plates are for. If you want to take the nut off you have to hold those two together which can be accomplished with an old steel with a handle welded to it to hold the inner hub. Or if you drill & bolt a steel & friction together this will connect the 2 & you can wedge a soft bit of ally between the primary & basket gears.

Before you do this put all the plates together & measure the stack. Then measure the hub & front plate (which the springs live in) pushed together without the plates. The stack of plates should be thicker than the min the hub & front, or the plates are worn.

 

[David Trustrum]

Hold on now I remember the front plate can be removed on the kdx exposing the nut with the springs intact.

Your plates are worn so they are no longer holding the basket & hub together. Use method above & measure stack. New plates should fix this right up.

Note the KDX basket with no plates in it bottoms out before the plates wear to their minimum thickness so an extra steel may cure this if it is the problem.

Oil contained no metal right? No sign of damage?

 

[Canadian Dave]

One other thing you might want to check. Over time grooves can wear in the fingers of the clutch basket allowing the clutch plates to hang up/get caught and not completely disengage. When you have everything pulled apart in front of you be sure to inspect the basket for grooves. It possible to redress the fingers with a file and remove the grooves depending on how deep they are.

David

 

[kdx-tex]

let's hope it is just the clutch, time to cut some ruts on some louisana hills:cool: