Energy One Clutch Pack oil recommendation

[Coolbreezin]

Im in a similar slippage situation. My clutch pack was last done May 2015. Please tell me about how the 9-plate has treated so far (easier pull, find neutral easier, so on), and what made you to decide to stay with a 9-plate?

 

[Matt Wech]

Hey my man. I won’t be back on the road until end of next week or beyond, weather in Washington State is cold and wet plus I’m waiting for my primary case seal to arrive. Once I get back together and adjusted, I’ll happily give you the rundown. When I pulled the friction plates, they seemed to have little to no wear. That being said, the pressure plate is worn pretty bad, seems to be a known issue with BDM. Plate should not be aluminum, but a cast piece of hardened steel. Hoping that will solve my slippage issues. I’m also going to use an ATF type F oil for my primary.
Lastly, I chose to go with the 9 plate based on reviews and forum member recommendations. Thicker plates that should not wear as fast as a 12 plate set up.
I’ll let you know how it goes, brother. Maybe an update for you by the end of the week.

 

[SKOGDOG]

1 go down to Harbor Freight and get $10 calipers.
2 measure the clutch pack (squeeze the entire stack)…must be near 1.97” total (friction and steel plates)
3 inspect the steel plates on a flat surface to look for warps Stack steel discs and hold them up edgewise to a light
4 with calipers, measure to see if the fingers on the disc spring are all the same height when the disc is dome up**
5 install your hardened clutch pressure plate (see Mr. Wright’s comment above—I agree it’s probably your problem)
6 thicker steel plates on 9 plate are less likely to warp—
7 been using ATF in BD primaries for 100,000+ miles to no ill effect. As stated, oil lubricates the chain. Clutch plates don’t care.
8 steel will be picked up by the magnet in your drain plug. Some aluminum is not too unusual and is silvery in the drained oil.
When it comes to clutches, little things mean a lot (caliper-wise)

**I never found specs for the clutch disc spring, but I know old ones can flatten out, reducing spring strength In measuring several used ones I recall that the ‘fingers’ of a good one measure 0.030” from a flat surface (give or take a couple of thousandths) Weak ones measured 0.024”

Alternately, spent the $650 for a Bandit Clutch and you’ll have coil springs and a pretty much bulletproof clutch

 

[Matt Wech]

Ok fellas, a bit of an issue here. I assume when everything is connected back together, I should be able to see that clutch move in and out when I grasp my clutch, as it stands, there is no movement at all. I feel like I’m missing something. I torqued the pivot plate bolts down to 20 ft lbs. went through the clutch adjustment process and I get little to no movement on that clutch. Im no mechanic, but I know that clutch should show movement. Any ideas ?

 

[Matt Wech]

I would assume that I should be able to see the end of the clutch rod move when I pull my clutch as well

 

[Jersey Big Mike]

I like this in my primary. In the BigDog manual they say Not to use ATF but you know how that goes.. lol
For reference purposes. See below.View attachment 121737View attachment 121738

Problem with recommendations like this is that they change all the time based on manufacturers relationship with others>
S&S, HARLEY and others used torecommend NO SYNTHETIC -- couple of years pass and suddenedly SYNTHETIC is preferred -- In Harley case it was conviently after they started selling a synthetic oil! S&S developed what appeared to be a relatonship with Mobil One at one point and was recommending that.

The only one on the page that matters is the DOT 5 as that;s now a BRAND but a chemical standard for the brake fluid

 

[knothead]

For one the clutch hub nut looks loose and secondly you can't adjust you clutch without the pressure plate on or did you take the pressure plate back off to see the rod end for a reason

 

[SKOGDOG]

I would assume that I should be able to see the end of the clutch rod move when I pull my clutch as well

Yes, it’ll move, but as Knothead says, not if you have everything assembled and adjusted, you won’t see the rod, you’ll see the clutch spring flex in and out.
Dumb Q, but: Did you remember that the clutch lever and the inline cable length adjuster need to be tended to? On a couple of occasions I’ve managed to get something jammed in the ball ramp (I think) and get zero movement of my clutch lever. Very tight lever with no movement of the clutch spring. When that When that happens, I remove the belt guard unit, check the rod, then reassemble. Worked for me. If your lever seems ok, then it’s something else.
If you didn’t loosen those two adjusters (lever and inline) first thing, do it now, then adjust the rod, then adjust the inline and the lever. It won’t work right until everything is in place. Then the only visible movement is a slight flexing outward of the disc spring.

 

[Matt Wech]

Forgot to m

For one the clutch hub nut looks loose and secondly you can't adjust you clutch without the pressure plate on or did you take the pressure plate back off to see the rod end for a reason
That was removed so I could check movement on the rod.

 

[Matt Wech]

yes it should move. With everything assembled and adjusted, you should see the clutch spring flex in and out.
Dumb Q, but: Did you remember that the clutch lever and the inline cable length adjuster need to be tended to? On a couple of occasions I’ve managed to get something jammed in the ball ramp (I think) and get zero movement of my clutch lever. Very tight lever with no movement of the clutch spring. When that When that happens, I remove the belt guard unit, check the rod, then reassemble. Worked for me.
Helpful hint: Dont start the engine with the primary off unless you wanna clean up slung oil for a day or so. Ask how I know. Haha

I think what you just mentioned about the ball ramp may be the issue. I’ll have to remove my exhaust to remove the belt guard to check it out. I think I didn’t have the clutch rod backed out enough and when I pulled the clutch, I heard a pop. So guessing that is the issue. That being said, I did back off the slack on the clutch line at the neck, but probably didn’t back off the clutch rod enough

 

[Matt Wech]

For one the clutch hub nut looks loose and secondly you can't adjust you clutch without the pressure plate on or did you take the pressure plate back off to see the rod end for a reason

Also, the clutch hub nut is right, checked that earlier in the process, appreciate you replying here. Everyone’s got my back!

 

[Matt Wech]

Yes, it’ll move, but as Knothead says, not if you have everything assembled and adjusted, you won’t see the rod, you’ll see the clutch spring flex in and out.
Dumb Q, but: Did you remember that the clutch lever and the inline cable length adjuster need to be tended to? On a couple of occasions I’ve managed to get something jammed in the ball ramp (I think) and get zero movement of my clutch lever. Very tight lever with no movement of the clutch spring. When that When that happens, I remove the belt guard unit, check the rod, then reassemble. Worked for me. If your lever seems ok, then it’s something else.
If you didn’t loosen those two adjusters (lever and inline) first thing, do it now, then adjust the rod, then adjust the inline and the lever. It won’t work right until everything is in place. Then the only visible movement is a slight flexing outward of the disc spring.

Skogdog, when you say “inljne adjuster”, are you referring to the adjustment on the neck of the bike? If so, i have that slacked all the way out. Besides the clutch rod adjustment, is there another place to create slack?

 

[SKOGDOG]

Should be inside a rubber boot on your clutch cable running along your frame roughly in front of your oil filter. And of course the one at the clutch lever itself. Those should be loosened before you adjust the clutch at the threaded rod in the belt guard below.
Do you have access to a manual? There is a link to manuals on Mr. Wrights signature block. Very helpful.

 

[Matt Wech]

Should be inside a rubber boot on your clutch cable running along your frame roughly in front of your oil filter. And of course the one at the clutch lever itself. Those should be loosened before you adjust the clutch at the threaded rod in the belt guard below.
Do you have access to a manual? There is a link to manuals on Mr. Wrights signature block. Very helpful.

Thank you, sir! That helps!

 

[Mickmorris]

Problem with recommendations like this is that they change all the time based on manufacturers relationship with others>
S&S, HARLEY and others used torecommend NO SYNTHETIC -- couple of years pass and suddenedly SYNTHETIC is preferred -- In Harley case it was conviently after they started selling a synthetic oil! S&S developed what appeared to be a relatonship with Mobil One at one point and was recommending that.

The only one on the page that matters is the DOT 5 as that;s now a BRAND but a chemical standard for the brake fluid

It wasn’t a recommendation just a reference. I truthfully don’t care what anyone else uses. I have my preferences as does everyone else. And yes I agree with the DOT 5. Good point

 

[HMAN]

Just an issue I had, check ur throwout bearing.. make sure it didnt get trashed.

 

[Matt Wech]

Alright gents. Update on the clutch….Sooo, SKOGDOG was spot on, it was the ball ramp. Interesting note, when I took it apart, it looked fine. Took me a few attempts and multiple curse words, but when you reassemble the ball ramp, the cable plate that actuates actually needed to seat in place on the ball bearings. If it doesn’t, it just pops off the ball bearings and gets stuck in the forward position, not allowing the actuator to lift and lower to expand the clutch rod, causing the clutch lever to be stiff AF……Just learning as I go, gents.
Thank you to everyone for helping me get this sorted out. Hopefully this post helps others down the road with similar issues.

 

[Matt Wech]

Pics below

 

[Sven]

Oh shit, late to the party. The instructions about 'use the same oil you soaked the pads with.' So with a mix of ATF and a mix of I don't give a shit about the weight, stir, not shaken, ass me to pour the rest of the 50/50 mix and close the cover. Still bulk crude oil distilled If say, mix me an ATF/syn, sure. But don't try to light the rear tire, or float the valves till a few hundred mile sheer away the additives is all. Ass me how I know.

Second shit I missed, and maybe you know about steel plate direction [memory] on assembly? Steel plates are stamped out, show a sharp side and a round side to it. All steel cut sides face the pressure plate. Say for design example, Honda CBX has the pressure plate as the first part into the clutch outer. Then cut side of the steels face inward, or remember, 'cuts face the pressure plate.'

 

[Coolbreezin]

FYI - I've been using this in my primary for
about 15 years with no issues at all.