Grettings - XJ700 Clutch

Hello, all. My name is Brett. I own a 1986 Maxim (XJ700) and am hoping to get it back on the road shortly after it has been sitting for about 4 years. I am sending off my request for the XJCD, but don't expect it will be here right away and was hoping someone might have some information on clutch baskets and clutch covers that are interchangable with the 86 XJ700 (I'm trying to find used locally so that I can get it going ASAP).

The background......I was replacing my clutch and as I often do, I learned something the hard way. My tension springs were not tight enough, and the bolt heads caught the inside of the cluch cover. Now I am in the market for a clutch basket and cover. The good news is that I did get the bike running after sitting for some time, and the engine was strong enough to do some major damage.

In addition to any information on parts that will fit, I could probalby use any helpful hints on making sure the next time goes a little smoother. My main problem is that I am a self-taught "mechanic" who doesn't have any friends that work on their own bikes. Thanks in advance for any help!

Brett

 

Welcome yamamax, sorry to hear about your incident.
Only thing that I can think of would be called a torque wrench, along with a manual to give specifications.

Here's what I've dug up on the parts you asked aboutSee the pics)

Crankcover #21 used on XJ650LH, XJ700S, XJ700SC, XJ750MK
Pri Drvn Gear #1 used on XJ900RK, and on '85-'86 XJ700 series
Clutch Boss #6 used on '85-'86 XJ700 series
Cover, Cap #27 used only on '86 XJ700S & XJ700SC

 

Thanks, Nick! That is helpful. I already got on ebay and got a torque wrench that will be accurate to the ftlbs that I need. In hindsight, it was obvious that I should have done that the first time! I sometimes do stupid things, but I usually do learn something! Fortunately, it doesn't look like it will be an extremely costly mistake, but does set me back a few more days on having my bike on the road.

While I'm thinking of it, what is the importance of the outer disk with the notched tab? I ordered an OEM disk, and it was not notched? Does it matter? Thanks! Brett

 

Sorry, not certain what part your refering to.

If it's a clutch plate, Yamaha parts show them all (qty of 7) the same part number.

If it's the friction plate, again all (qty of 7) of them are the same, however there is an 8th one which is item #16 in the top pic I posted. As you can see, it fits in the basket 1st.

 

guess, what? not only am i not all that far away from you (bellingham, wa) but i've recently been fixing up an 85' xj700 for the little lady to ride. feel free to hollar if you have any questions or need to bounce ideas off of someone.

~nick

 

Thanks, Nick. I'm in the opposite position, I'm riding my wife's bike while I get mine fixed! We just moved to the Kitsap peninsula and are commuting to Seattle via motorcycle for the cheaper ferry fees, so I'm anxious to get my Maxim going. Not to mention that it has been mostly sitting for a few years, and I'm just excited to get back on it. I doubt I will be much help if you have questions, but feel free to ask if something does come up. I have owned the bike for 10 years, and have done most maintenance on my own.

I located a nice clutch cover, and also found 2 complete clutch baskets on ebay. Hopefully I will be back in business soon.

In response to the earlier question, I was talking about the friction plates, and am still unsure about the difference between the 7 identical plates and the 8th plate (item #16) which goes first. I did order them separately, but they seem identical. Just thought I would ask if you knew what about the 8th plate is different, or hints to make sure I don't have another incident! I hate starting sentences with "In hindsight, I should have......" (though I do it often). Thanks again for your help. Brett

 

lets see if i can rack my brain. from what i remember when i did it all the friction discs are the same. it's the metal plates (the ones that don't have the friction material on them) that have one different. that one goes in the basket first and sits behind a large wire snap ring. sorry but i can't remember looks wise what's different about it. i'll check when i get home though as i'm pretty sure i still have the old parts on the bench. feel free if you have any questions. i'm quite new to the xj scene but i've got an 05 vstar i've worked on tons and i'm an autotech by trade so that really helps a lot.

 

You may have answered my question. It's the actual friction discs that I was wondering about. The manual shows that the inside disc (#16 in the diagram) is different than the other seven discs, and is supposed to have a notch in one of the tabs. The notched tab is supposed to be a fraction of an inch narrower than the other tabs, and is supposed to fit in a certain groove in the Pri Drvn Gear (#1 in the diagram). It gives no explanation why, and the grooves are not marked, so I wasn't sure if it matters since all of the friction discs appear the same to me. I cannot tell any difference in how they fit in the Pri Drvn Gear if i try different orientations. Does that make sense? I just don't want to find out that the #16 disc must be in a certain orientation for it to work properly or provide longevity. On a side note I think I found all of the parts I need, and they should be on the way. Thanks again for your help with the cross reference. Brett

 

i took a good look at what you're talking about and found the answer to your question. they originally show it having that one friction plate different but they superceeded part#'s cross to the same friction plate # that the rest of them are. hence, they're all the same. now when i did the project i had no manual whatsoever but the only thing i noticed was there was an alignment mark on the clutch pressure plate (outer plate that the bolts/springs go on) and one on the clutch basket that looked like they needed to be lined up. hope that helps

 

That does help. It puts my mind at ease as I had tried feeling for the difference with each of the tabs in each of the different grooves and could not tell the difference. I did figure out the mark on the pressure plate and basket, but thanks for the reminder as I don't need another incident! I hope to have my parts by the end of the week, and I will let you know how it goes. Thanks!

 

no prob. give a hollar if you have any more questions

 

Not sure if it helps or not bu tI have a spare bike in parts. I am pretty sure I still have the clutch assembly. Let me know if i can help you out.
I have an 85 xj700n.

 

Just an update for anyone interested. Got the the clucth basket and cover in today, and got her back on the road this evening . Didn't run too bad considering she's been sitting for 4 years! The clutch was strong, and it felt good to be riding something with a little pep (I've been commuting on my wife's Virago 250 for the past couple weeks!). Ran pretty well, but acceleration wasn't real smooth, and idle is real touchy. It's pretty obvious that a carb cleaning is next on my list :? . I guess I will be spending some time looking at all of the posts here on carb cleaning, as it will all be new to me. I do have some experience messing with Edelbrock carbs, am I in for a big surprise with these? I guess I will find out, eh? Just glad to have her up and running again! Cheers! Brett

 

good to hear you got it goin.

 

So that was that cloud of tyre smoke i saw over here...onya..

 

Actually, it was more likely oil smoke from the oil that dripped on the exhaust......but yes that was me indeed .

 

lol