help please

[FJmonkey]

Tie or tape the clutch lever all the way back to the hand grip and leave it over night. Many have reported good results after doing this.

[FJ_Hooligan]

Tie or tape the clutch lever all the way back to the hand grip and leave it over night. Many have reported good results after doing this.

I thought we de-bunked this also?  Pulling the lever blocks the self-bleeding that Noel suggests. 
I think the key to "tie the lever back overnight" is the OVERNIGHT part.  The same result will be had in simply walking away for the same period of time and letting gravity do the work.

[stua1959]

I thought the valve closed with the lever fully in so I have always tied it in half way. It must be open at some point otherwise you wouldnt see bubbles when you pump the lever. It has worked for me and the levers feel definately firmer . Maybe it gets the air out quicker than just leaving it or through the normal action of operating the lever and is therefore more noticeable when u first use it

[The General]

I thought the valve closed with the lever fully in so I have always tied it in half way. It must be open at some point otherwise you wouldnt see bubbles when you pump the lever. It has worked for me and the levers feel definately firmer . Maybe it gets the air out quicker than just leaving it or through the normal action of operating the lever and is therefore more noticeable when u first use it

I`d hate ta turn this inta an oil thread (not!). Generally the air bubbles shrink under pressure so lowering the available surface tension area of individual bubbles, so minimising their grip on the sides (inside lines).. Allows more of them ta bump their way up the line overnight, ready for you ta pump them out on the very first lever movement. 

[FJ_Hooligan]

But this is ALWAYS recommended when someone can NOT get any lever pressure.  

I've always found patience and gravity work, it may take a little time if the system is totally empty.  Also, don't stroke the lever, simply tapping it will tease the air up and out.

Also, air doesn't have surface tension, a fluid has surface tension. 
The initial <05mm movement of the master cylinder piston blocks the reservior so it doesn't matter if it's a half pull or full pull.  It's the time factor!

[scott ele]

ok tried zip tieing the lever down last night, still had bubbles this morning. i stood there pulling the lever and finally have some pressure but still have a few bubbles when i let up. I do still have to spin the rear wheel for it to go into any gear. im gonna order the slave, but in the meantime is there any other possibilities that it could be? Thanks again everyone for your help

[FJ_Hooligan]

How hard is this to understand?  If you don't have ALL the air out of your clutch (or ANY hydraulic system) it's not going to work correctly.  If you've still got air coming up into the reservoir, then there's still air in the line and your clutch WON'T work.  If the clutch isn't working correctly then you won't be able to shift (unless you're good at shifting without a working clutch).

There's no shortcut.  Bleed/pump it until there are no more bubbles!  Check the slave cylinder to see if it is leaking.  If it's leaking then repair or replace it.  If it's not leaking then keep bleeding air out of the system.  As a mechanic, you should know this.l

[Pat Conlon]

yep. i bought it with the clutch dissembled already. it was to good of a deal to pass up, especially since i work in a auto shop. but alas i have found out that motorcycles while running off the same ideals as cars are different from autos.

Scott, in your shop, do you have a vacuum pump you use on brake lines? If not, you should.

1 word: MityVac.

Buy one. Every shop needs one. They are inexpensive and they work. No more bubbles.

[markmartin]

A very similar thread here for your reference.  http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=9092.0

[scott ele]

ok, update time. i have replaced the slave, removed the master cylinder from the line, back bleed the line out. bench bled the master, connected the two with new crush washers and bled it out. i have no bubbles that i can see. when i start it up and pull the handle i can shift into first let off the clutch and dont move. the bike dosent stall but it is not transfering the power from some reason. the only places i have found as any help were on here on how to stack the gears. i did notice that the wire holder that is supposed to be for first gear i think, was just sitting in the holes and lines where it was put. should that be holding something back that im missing? or did i miss tightening some weird part? once again thanks for the help and im sorry if its often asked questions, this is the first bike i have worked on. aslo we had a bleeder but i got the mighty vac insted cause ours was about ten years old. so thanks for that one

[scott ele]

Hey again all. I found out what my problem was. It was me forgetting to put the first friction plate, then the steel plate, then the little wire holder on. I was putting that on first. I feel ashamed lol. But again thanks for all the advice. Have a good season and be safe.

[Pat Conlon]

Scott, throw the wire away, don't reinstall it. We covered this quite clearly in the Clutch Files.