That is what I used, yes. I didn't think it performed any different than the older formula. If you think it's the oil, then drain it and replace it. Come back with the results.Do you use t4 or t6? Not sure why it would matter just curious
That is what I used, yes. I didn't think it performed any different than the older formula. If you think it's the oil, then drain it and replace it. Come back with the results.Do you use t4 or t6? Not sure why it would matter just curious
Except he said in post #1 that the clutch worked normally until he changed the oil.An 82 bike, stuck together clutch plates are the likely cause.
It also worked right after the oil change. My guess would be some stuff got loose, or something, the bike sat for 10 days and now there is a problem.Except he said in post #1 that the clutch worked normally until he changed the oil.
You know what? That's exactly what I'm going to do. I just went to Walmart and got four quarts of this and will be replacing the Rotella with it tonight and letting it run a bit. I'll report back with what happensGo to Walmart and get some Valvoline 10W-40 motorcycle oil (conventional). It works well in every bike I've used it in.
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Could be the fiber clutch plates swelled up. It sounds like there isn't enough space between the clutch plates (for some reason) when the clutch is fully disengaged.It also worked right after the oil change. My guess would be some stuff got loose, or something, the bike sat for 10 days and now there is a problem.
It’s an old bike, so these things do happen. Also, even if we assume the clutch is in good working order, I don’t know how an oil would keep it engaged. Even gear oil wouldn’t be able to do that.
I know the question wasn't directed at me, but I'll answer it anyway... lolDo you use t4 or t6? Not sure why it would matter just curious
That makes a lot of sense. And I wouldn't put it past the previous owner to have literally put some lightweight oil in there to make sure it would shift long enough to sell it since he lied about other things.I think you're going to have to pull the clutch plates out and clean them.
I suspect the old oil was sheared down to nothing and it was so thin it was allowing you to shift.
When you went from something like a 0w15 (the old oil) to 15w40, that's when the problem became pronounced.
The Valvoline 10w40 isn't as thick, but it's still thicker than the old, sheared down oil.
Lots of folks seem to like Rotella T6 5w40, but at this point, I think it's clear that your problem isn't the brand of oil or the weight...
You just need to fix the clutch.
Yep I rode it around town tonight for about an hour and about 20 miles. Now we'll see if anything has changed after it's cooled down tomorrow.If you can now ride it (after it has warmed up some), I'd just put some miles on it and see if the clutch gets any better with the Valvoline in it.
Most bikes I've owned will barely spin the rear wheel when off the ground and the clutch fully disengaged and engine hot ... that's just the viscous coupling between the plates going on.Yep I rode it around town tonight for about an hour and about 20 miles. Now we'll see if anything has changed after it's cooled down tomorrow.
When I got home I put it on the center stand and the wheel would lightly spin and come to a stop in 1st with the clutch pulled. It was still clunking pretty loudly into 1st from neutral though
Not sure what to make of it...
When you suspect that the oil was not the culprit a savoy owner would invest in some good old sweat equity...
Under scrutiny you may find that your clutch problems are due to normal glazing and contaminates...
Deglazing clutch plates...
Inspect the friction plates for glazing... make sure you have plenty
of material to work with... your shop manual states clutch thickness
in thousands of an inch or mm...
First removed the contaminants with Acetone... pick a hard surface to lay
over a 600 grit black dry emery paper... rotate the clutch plate in a
circle... you're just busting the glaze... don't get carried away
remove too much material... You should end up with a friction plate
looks dull like a new one as opposed to a shinny glazed one... recheck
thickness...
Next check the pressure plates for bluing caused by localized heat...
make sure they are not warped... consult the manual for a thickness
range... now removed the contaminants with Acetone and wire wheeled
them to erased the blue and also to generally scuff up the surface...
you should end up with a dull surface free of Blue marks...
Clutch plate glazing isn't going to cause a clutch to not fully disengage and drag. What causes a clutch to not fully disengage is the lack of proper air space between all the clutch plates (steel and fiber). As CCI mentioned, if the steel plates got real hot an warped, that could cause full disengagement problems. But the OP changed the oil to Valvoline M/C oil and seems to have helped out enough to be able to ride the bike, whereas before that it wasn't really ridable.When you suspect that the oil was not the culprit a savoy owner would invest in some good old sweat equity...
Under scrutiny you may find that your clutch problems are due to normal glazing and contaminates...
That makes a lot of sense. And I wouldn't put it past the previous owner to have literally put some lightweight oil in there to make sure it would shift long enough to sell it since he lied about other things.
Regardless, if I understand you right are you saying that the clutch plates probably have gunk build up from sitting for years in old oil? So essentially making the plates thicker than they should be and not allowing them clearance to slip past each other, right ? And what would be the process of cleaning them once I take them out? Is there any chance that the plates are ruined and it will need new ones or is it fairly certain that these can be restored? Sorry for the 20 Questions LOL thanks in advance!
But the OP changed the oil to Valvoline M/C oil and seems to have helped out enough to be able to ride the bike, whereas before that it wasn't really ridable.
Guess you missed where he said the bike is actually ridable now, when it was not with the Rotella. You think it was just a "coincidence" that the clutch operation changed when he went to the Valvoline? Use some logic, lol.Mercy Zee... you ought to offer to pay for that oil that did not return the OPs clutch back to 100% serviceable...