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Clutch not disengaging

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Motomigos

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
2014 GSXR 750

If you take the cover off the front sprocket there is what I believe to be called the "clutch rod" (#30 on microfiche). After pulling the clutch lever at the handle bar the clutch rod will not come back out. I opened up the inspection cover on the "right" hand side of the bike and the rod moves freely so it appears my clutch is bound up. I gave it some very light taps and it didn't budge. I have never disassembled a clutch before and don't particularly want to. Does anyone have an idea of wahhats happened? Is the clutch dry from sitting all winter?

Pics attached for hopefully a better understanding.
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Image
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#2 ·
I'm not exactly sure what you are saying is the problem. Can you explain what experience made you start taking things apart in the first place?

Were you unable to shift from neutral to 1st without the engine stalling prior to taking it all apart? If so, that is almost always just a cable adjustment, or adjusting the nut adjuster you've got in the picture with the viewing port removed. Especially if it worked last time you rode the bike. But incase it has nothing to do with your clutch, make sure the shift shaft and the shift pedal are free-moving and unobstructed. That could cause inability to shift as well.

So before you pull the clutch cover and take things apart, I would reset the nut adjuster in the viewing port there as per the factory service manual, and then adjust your clutch cable, first at the front sprocket cover where it bolts on, and then lastly at the lever adjuster. This should be an easy adjustment and requires no specialized tools, and so long as your actual clutch pack is in order, it should work just fine.

Hope this helps.

-Mike
 
#4 ·
So you’re saying with the cable off that the clutch is like it’s pulled in?
‘How many miles on bike/clutch and how did this problem start?
It could be that the clutch basket is severely notched and plates are stuck in grooves?
But it would take a lot of clutch abuse/ miles for that to happen?
 
#5 ·
it sounds like your clutch needs to come apart and be inspected if it suddenly started doing this, or what happened you went to change the clutch cable and now its doing this or? go over your cable installation procedure again paying very close attention to details..

however I do not understand the part about if you pull the lever the clutch will not come back out? how do you know its even actuating at all with the cover on?

there is no way to determine clutch rod action with the cover off so how do you come to this conclusion the rod is not moving?

looking at teh drawing here you can tell that there is no way for the clutch to still be disengaged without the rod disengaging it, #29 and #30 . . .

if #29 and #30 or moving freely I don't see how the clutch can remain disengaged aside from some maladjustment at the clutch itself, if that's even possible, is it slipper?

you may want to clarify "I opened up the inspection cover on the "right" hand side of the bike and the rod moves freely" you then said "After pulling the clutch lever at the handle bar the clutch rod will not come back out" which is it, clarify whats what here, does #30 move freely or not, it should pull out with your fingers if they're not too slippery..

with the sprocket cover off can you pull #30 out? try that, if it moves freely and comes out easily then move on to determining if #29 moves freely by loosening #31 and moving #29 it slightly by using the #30 rod pushing on it from both sides, don't move it more than 1/4" either way you just want to inspect that its not frozen . .

as soon as you remove the sprocket cover your clutch should be 100% engaged, as in the clutch should be in the power transfer mode, like when the lever is out fully.. engaged... in gear spinning the rear wheel forward rotation the pistons should move, you can remove plugs to be sure it will move easier with no compression however I would leave plugs in and get another person and really wrench on that rear tire forward to see if the clutch slips at all, if pistons move with plugs in clutch appears to be engaged fully as it should be...

if your sprocket side clutch rod is frozen clean up area well so its 100% clean, if it still does not move grab a leather belt or a thick hard rubber something and wrap it around the clutch rod and grab with vice grips.. grab away form the seal at least a good inch.. that way if you marr the bar it wont matter in that area, when you get good solid grip on it try to spin it before pulling out, this will unfreeze it, if it spins real easy but still wont come out odds are its bent and that's why it wont come back out, happens.. no biggie, with the vice grips spin and pull till she comes out, try not to mess up seal that one is a bugger so no tools in there and keep vice grips away from the seal . .

if rod is bent you will need a new one..

lets us know how removing #30 goes, roll it on a perfectly flat surface, if its straight but didn't come out easy it may be gummed up inside? rare but possible if maintenance was neglected? spray with a solvent dissolving the gummy area inside the block if that's the case.. be sure everything is working 100% then change oil, if its a fresh oil change then remove that oil before spraying solvent in the crankcase, add old oil then spray that area inside the block till its clean, you may need a scope to inspect properly?
 
#6 · (Edited)
You might be conflating how the rod is supposed to be, with it being stuck/malfunctioning. The clutch could only be fully disengaged without the front sprocket cover attached if something insanely serious failed in a fantastic way. Even then, it should be impossible for the pushrod to be "stuck", simply pull it out. Nothing holds it in there. That rod pushes on the internal rotating rod, which then pushes on the clutch throwout bearing hub and then onto the pressure plate. The cam (pusher) device on the front sprocket cover also only moves a small range of motion, and might just be wedged or reassembled wrong; I know because I have done both of those things to mine and resolved it just by some careful investigation and reassembly.

It just isn't possible for the clutch to be stuck disengaged.

If you've already pulled it totally off and apart and you haven't found something obviously wrong with it, you might have dug all the way in there for no reason.

Like I said, 90% of clutch related issues are usually just needed adjustments to the cable/pushrod or replacing the cable. I don't think you will find anything wrong that deep if you've just ripped it apart without at least deductively reasoning why you might be having an issue that you haven't even clearly explained to us yet!

There are multiple names of folks on this thread who, I'm sure, have rebuilt and troubleshooted numerous clutches on these bikes (and other bikes) and I assure you we can help if you clearly explained the original problem and slowed down a bit before pulling more things off or buying parts quite yet.

Help us help you!
-Mike
 
Discussion starter · #7 ·
#30 can be completely removed it moves fine and is not bent. #29 u assume eventually attaches to the nut I can see from the inspection cover and that moves freely side to side when I push on #29 and #30. The clutch however is still pulled in. The cover that the clutch cable is connected to is completely removed now and not acting on the physical clutch whatsoever. If I put the bike in gear the back tire spins relatively free by hand because the clutch basket itself is still fully pulled in and won't spring back. It is stuck in the compressed position after having pulled my clutch in. I never adjusted anything with the clutch just removed it from the cover when doing chain and sprockets.

Things that work -
clutch cable moves freely not bound.
Pusher assembly moves freely not bound.
Clutch rod not bent can easily be removed from side of motor.
The rod that goes all they way through the clutch basket moves freely.

Things that don't work -
Clutch basket itself is not releasing from its pulled in position. Rear tire spins in all gears because the clutch basket is in thr pulled in position.
 
#10 · (Edited)
Theres been a couple of cases where the clutch pressure plate has come out of
it's grooves that it sits in. Usually when to much force is applied to the clutch or
it is not adjusted/ assembled correctly.

You may be able to see the problem if you look through the oil fill hole. Possibly may
even be able to pop it back in place without removing the clutch.
(If this is your problem?)

Here's an older post.
 
#11 ·
lets CLARIFY engaged disengaged ... clutch out or in? clutch in is lever pulled, engaged, clutch out is lever out, disengaged, I illustrated it the opposite so if that's confusing I interpret the clutch engaged as in lever out.. clutch engaged pulling, drive mode...
 
#12 ·
Think Pete might be right on this one. That is a possible way it could get stuck "lever pulled in". But this would only arise from an improper adjustment of the pushrod, such that it pushes the clutch stack open way too wide. If that is your case, then yes you would be right, it could be stuck there. Although this seems like a pretty rare condition on its own, it is possible.

For what it's worth, I have found my clutch pressure plates on some bikes to have those aforementioned guiding groves severely worn, from what looks like doing wheelies. I made a post on here where I showed the damage to one of mine when I got the bike, and it would affect how the pressure plate sat on the clutch plate stack slightly, but it never jammed and I don't think that could have happened in my case in nearly any way. Here is photos of the damaged grooves on my pressure plate and inner hub, maybe see if you have similar wear:
Image

Image


Anyway, I digress and take back what I said above, it does appear that this is a possible way yours could get stuck open, my apologies. I would look closely at the pressure plate guide grooves and where those grooves slide onto the inner hub piece.

Or maybe the last friction plate slipped out of the basket fingers and sat on top of the fingers instead of between them? Or had too many plates and too high a stack height..? Count and measure your plates maybe too.

Either way, you probably would have seen that when you took it apart. Any of those conditions would have been visually obvious if you spun the back wheel in gear and watched the clutch stack spin freely.

-Mike
 
#13 · (Edited)
This looks like your problem, peter079. If you put the sprocket cover back on incorrectly, you could force the pushrod in to far, and the pressure plate jumped out of it's groove.
Carefully reassemble the sprocket cover, making sure the pushrod is in place ( maybe insert the pushrod in the sprocket cover first).
Then pull the clutch in to relive the force on the pressure plate and move it into it's groove. Levering through the oil filler hole. Or tapping the slipper clutch nut/bolt (#22,#23) around in the correct direction, Be careful not to loosen nut #23. Good luck. (y)
 
#14 ·
you can prolly dress that damage back and its going to be OK, nah, new clutch, inner and outter baskets look fubared, not worth it, next you have a hanging clutch and gearbox grind, hale I dunno I guess you could try, dress em all back the same tho and very smooth, polish? your springs are gouging too.. I'd go good replacement
 
#15 ·
peter079 said:
Theres been a couple of cases where the clutch pressure plate has come out of it's grooves that it sits in.
Click to expand...
Absolutely possible.
I've converted a couple of Tornado clutches to hydraulic actuation, and have calculated master/slave cylinder ratios that can allow the top plate to lift out of it's basket groove. If the plate spins just a little it will rest on the top of the basket and can not re-engage.
An extra installed plate can do it as well. In the Tornado the slipper is adjusted by setting the stack height. Too much and the clutch can get locked open.
Even in a cable actuator, if the adjuster mechanism is set too deep the top plate can lift out of the basket. All of the 'ducks' would have to be lined up though, so it's rare.
 
#17 ·
Motomigos said:
@Jimmyboy that is exactly what I'm saying. Bike has 17,000 mikes roughly. Stock clutch. Problem started when I pulled the cover off to do chain and sprockets. When I pulled the clutch the first time it locked up after reinstalling everything.
Click to expand...
When you changed the chain and sprockets did you reinstall the little clutch release arm properly complete with the return spring. I’m guessing that will be the problem, no spring to release the clutch when you let go of the lever. See pic below
 
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