clutch drag

[jamesbaker]

Hi FJ FANS Newbie here............happy days to you all.......and now a question.

Got myself an 1986 fj1200 with the following issue. When letting out the clutch it hardly moves before it engages. When on the move going down the gears is difficult and finding neutral is nigh impossible. Is this clutch plates/spring or something more sinister? Thank for looking any help would be much appreciated. James

[rktmanfj]

Hi FJ FANS Newbie here............happy days to you all.......and now a question.

Got myself an 1986 fj1200 with the following issue. When letting out the clutch it hardly moves before it engages. When on the move going down the gears is difficult and finding neutral is nigh impossible. Is this clutch plates/spring or something more sinister? Thank for looking any help would be much appreciated. James

You probably have air in the clutch line... check below the slave cylinder for a leak.

[jscgdunn]

Also,
Use the search function...there are lot's of posts on bleeding the clutch.

Jeff

[FJmonkey]

And welcome James...

[fintip]

leaking clutch slave cylinder is one of this bike's few guaranteed problems.

I have had luck in the short term just refilling the reservoir on the clutch master and then squeezing the bejeezus out of the lever. YMMV. I did eventually, recently, finally, rebuild the clutch slave (relatively easy job), and that has finally put the problem to rest. It WAS a beast to bleed from scratch, but it was doable. And now it's awesome.

Another option is buying a new clutch slave.

Rebuild kits and new slaves are available at rpmracingca.com.

[skymasteres]

You know, I had the same issue with my rebuilt clutch as well. Bleeding it fixed it and eliminated the clutch drag and dog thrash.
Unfortionately it was like a once a week thing to keep it in the optimal range. (My trouble shooting of the issue has been put on hold though)

[fintip]

Right, if you're just filling the reservoir and bleeding and/or squeezing, it becomes an intermittent issue. I had a several month interlude after the first time I did it, but then when I replaced the oil filter, I cleaned up the area from all the brake fluid gunk, and that seemed to get the issue started again somehow (?). After that, it was every few days, maybe a week. Finally got a rebuild kit.

Some on here have said that the rebuild kit only lasted from 1-3 years, and then just replaced it. Mine isn't old enough to have a say, but time will tell.

[rktmanfj]

Right, if you're just filling the reservoir and bleeding and/or squeezing, it becomes an intermittent issue. I had a several month interlude after the first time I did it, but then when I replaced the oil filter, I cleaned up the area from all the brake fluid gunk, and that seemed to get the issue started again somehow (?). After that, it was every few days, maybe a week. Finally got a rebuild kit.

Yep, you might be able to get by like that for a while... just refilling the reservoir and pumping up pressure in the line (all you're really doing is compressing the air in the line, for the most part).  But you're also continuing to expose anything that the brake fluid might destroy in the meantime.

Just fix it.

Some on here have said that the rebuild kit only lasted from 1-3 years, and then just replaced it. Mine isn't old enough to have a say, but time will tell.

That sounds about right.  I've had to replace my slave seals about every 2nd or 3rd season.