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My only vehicle - HELP! 04 Councours clutch problem

Buckster

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Guest
04 with around 27,000 miles.
Clutch lever no longer actuates clutch. I am long time truck driver and doubt it is a clutch plate., for I have never abused the clutch. I could be wrong.
My search function is apparently hindered by my cell phone.
Looking for how to trouble shoot then repair.
Thanks
 
Could be slave cylinder issue , pretty easy to rebuild . There is also possibility of star spring breaking . When that happens sometimes a piece can get stuck between the plates . Pretty common issues on these . The clutches are pretty robust and don't fail often . Use the search here for info on both repairs .
 
Buckster;
** Are you saying the clutch does not disengage?
** Does it feel normal (like the clutch is moving) when you squeeze the lever?
** Has the bike been setting?

If yes, (to any of the above) it might just be corroded/frozen clutch plates.

Ride safe, Ted
 
With clutch lever drawn in, little plunger comes out.

Is it safe to assume I should pull the clutch, and pursue that, as opposed to considering the hydraulic aspect?
My thanks to Steve S for his excellent clutch video. I make high speed downshifts very accurately, yet I do introduce heavy (reverse?) torque to save on brakes. I expend much focus on accurate shifting, with over two million (accidents free) miles, going back to twin stick transmissions, but...
A mechanic and I changed a Mack clutch out and back in in 45 minutes, because the pressure plate label was on the wrong side. All the tools and the jack were out when I got back from a short test ride. I assumed my Kawi clutch was something similar. Uh, nope.

I would believe the oil needs to be drained?
 
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With clutch lever drawn in, little plunger comes out.

Explain your post I'm confused.
What little plunger comes out, and comes out of what?


If the clutch lever feels like it is operating correctly (ie; everything in the clutch lever hydraulic system seems normal) it could be a clutch plate that is corroded/stuck.

If it's just a stuck plate, you can ride in low gear with the lever pulled in and try to break it loose.
ie; You can accell/decell hard (multiple times) and see if the clutch disengages.
But (if you ride it every week) that corrosion on the plate doesn't seem right.


Sounds more like a problem in the hydraulic system of the clutch or a broken star spring.
 
My brain is a little toasty right now for I live in SW FL. I'm impressed I can even press these little tiny cell phone keys.

When the clutch lever is drawn in, there is little tiny plunger that pops out from the handle bar side. My best guess that is normal.

With the clutch lever pulled back the clutch and transmission are engaged and want to spin the rear tire, unless I can find neutral, very much like what happens when a clutch cable snaps.

Hope this helps to clarify, and my thanks to you and all who replied.
I had no idea the clutch was as complicated as it is. I am most familiar with automotive and large truck trannies, which explains why I may have balked at pressure plate issues.
 
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With clutch lever drawn in, little plunger comes out.

Is it safe to assume I should pull the clutch, and pursue that, as opposed to considering the hydraulic aspect?
My thanks to Steve S for his excellent clutch video. I make high speed downshifts very accurately, yet I do introduce heavy (reverse?) torque to save on brakes. I expend much focus on accurate shifting, with over two million (accidents free) miles, going back to twin stick transmissions, but...
A mechanic and I changed a Mack clutch out and back in in 45 minutes, because the pressure plate label was on the wrong side. All the tools and the jack were out when I got back from a short test ride. I assumed my Kawi clutch was something similar. Uh, nope.

I would believe the oil needs to be drained?


If you do it on the sidestand you'll lose minimal oil
 
I've owned 3 of these motorcycles and the only issue I ever had with the clutch was it's hydraulics. For S's & G's get some brake fluid and flush the system by opening the bleeder on the slave cylinder taking care not to spill the brake fluid on painted surfaces. Once the fluid is replaced concentrate on bleeding any air out of the system as you would bleeding brake lines. Sometimes the slave or master cylinder gets a little gummed up. I'd rule out the hydraulics first.
 
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The little plunger might be the clutch safety switch. It will have nothing to do with the operation of the clutch. Take the cover off the reservoir and suck out all of the fluid you can, Add new fluid and bleed the system. The slave cylinder is down by the water pump on the left side of the engine. Look for leaks at both the master cylinder and slave cylinder. Make sure you move the clutch lever slowly with the reservoir cover off so you don't spill fluid.
 
+1 what greenie said, start first with the thing that takes the least amount of work and hassle, hydraulics. Vacuum pumps are great for something like this, just saw one at Harbor Freight yesterday. Good luck, hopefully just something gummed a bit.
 
Did you try riding the bike as I suggested?
Did you flush the fluid?

I looked at my C-10 and the plunger for the master cylinder cannot be seen when you pull in the clutch.
The only thing I saw that looks like a plunger is part of the brake switch. (it's black plastic)

I think the best option at this point is do as the others suggested. Drain/flush the brake fluid.

Ride safe, Ted
 
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Very heavy traffic where I live. Hesitant to torque on torque off.
I favor try the easy first. I tried the parts store for DOT 4, but they shut down early due to Ian. I live in Sarasota, FL, so we are all dazed and confused. 5 co workers lost Everything.
My thanks to all for the help. I'll check back with updates.
 
If stuck friction plates perhaps leave in high gear and rock bike back and forth. If it is used weekly I would personally doubt stuck friction plates though
 
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Update -- I haven't made time to work on the bike, yet have a question: There is almost no resistance in the clutch lever. I am leaning toward a broken star spring.
Your thoughts?
The clutch failure occured right after a high speed downshift. The shift synchronized well, but I certainly put duress on the drive line at 70 miles per hour going into 5th.
Thank for all the help, and for your patience with my lack of bike clutch knowledge.
 
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04 with around 27,000 miles.
Clutch lever no longer actuates clutch. I am long time truck driver and doubt it is a clutch plate., for I have never abused the clutch. I could be wrong.
My search function is apparently hindered by my cell phone.
Looking for how to trouble shoot then repair.
Thanks
Have you checked the fluid in your little reservoir up by the clutch lever? These bikes are notorious for developing real slow leaks down low in hard to find areas. I carry a small can of DOT4 brake fluid, and top mine off when the clutch first starts to feel off. With hydraulic clutches, you don’t have to replace clutch cables regularly, but you have to keep fluid in the system.
 
I have bled automotive brakes successfully. Open drain, bleed, close drain. I have gone through nearly a full bottle of DOT 4, and have not been able to push bubble free fluid into a proper drain bottle. advice?
 
U have an air leak somewhere in the system. Time to go back through it. Check every connection, especially the ones u touched.
 
I bought bleeder pump and all I can do is pull air. No clue where the air leak is and I've already gone through a whole bottle of DOT4. Any suggestions? The only things I've touched are bleeder valve and reservoir cap.
Where do these bikes tend to leak?
 
Do you have the fuel tank off to be able to see if the line is leaking. I think it is a flex to solid design. Kind of a PIA to replace. It runs under the tank along the frame.
 
Use new crush washers to prevent air leaks. If none are available, you can anneal the old ones. You might also check the master as the video shows. If the master is good, bleed the master at the first connection and see if that helps your progress.
 
I bought bleeder pump and all I can do is pull air.
Just to muddy the water a little more for you. You will always see air with a bleeder pump (at least I do), because it's sucking air around the bleeder threads. Doesn't mean that there's air in the system.
 
You might put a small amount of thread sealing Teflon tape on the bleeder to minimize air getting pulled through the threads. You might also try reverse bleeding to push fluid towards the master. A small pump type oil can works for that.
 
At this point, I suspect you have a stuck master or slave cylinder on the clutch.
Apparently one of them is not returning.
Corrosion in the cylinders, or trash/moisture in the fluid will cause the issue.
Changing the fluid or flushing will do no good.
You need to remove and rebuild both, then refill the system and work the air out of it.
EZ to do.

Ride safe, Ted
 
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