Clutch Rebuild: What I almost screwed up...and might have?

This was my first clutch rebuild (just like everything is a first for me on this bike). I didn't see a How To on this...so I figure I'd just post up some mistakes I almost made...and ask a question on one I might have made.

1. After not being able to adjust the clutch to grab any sooner, I figured is was time for a rebuild (28k miles, 1.2k of which was mine). I disassembled and examined the clutch last weekend on Saturday. Found warped drive disks so I ordered everything from chacal that night. While waiting, I decided to file out the detents in the Hub and Boss, the reassembled everything so it would be ready for the new washer and nut that would arrive on Wednesday (which showed up exactly on time).

Wednesday night, I was all ready to put it on when I kept reading something about tabs of the oil drive plate mating with the Hub in the first step of the Haynes manual. I'm thinking...I didn't touch anything oil pump related, and it's in the section with complete engine disassembly...but it just bothered me to the point that I couldn't go on. I finally took off the Hub and AhHA! - little tabs that fit into little slots, blindly on the back of the hub. It's a good thing I checked because it's not likely that they were lined up, and tightening down the nut (to 50 ft-lbs) would have damaged the tabs.

2. This was a simple one...I put the cover on and got all the screws hand tight, when I realized the deflector plate was still on the ground

3. Now it's about 1am, and I put the new cable on, and have to reposition the throw out arm. I get the clutch nice and adjusted, and while putting on my rear shocks, realize that I didn't install the e-clip. I think to myself, "don't forget to do that." In the morning, when I'm getting ready to ride, I seem to remember that there was one thing that I ABSOLUTELY had to remember to do...but just not what it was. After a couple of minutes I think, "E-ring!" and sure enough, it's lying on the ground.

Ok, now for what I might have screwed up. I installed the new springs and bolts that hold the drive plate in using a craftsman, 3/8" drive beam torque wrench (0-75 ft-lbs). The torque was supposed to be 7.2 ft-lbs, and the guage is marked off in 2.5 ft-lbs increments. I get to the 7.5 tick...but for some reason (maybe because it was late?) I was reading it wrong and thinking that 7.2 was just beyond that mark. I ended up turning it a 1/4-1/2 turn past where the wrench read close to 7.2 ft-lbs, but the torque never read above the 7.5 tick for that 1/4ish turn (the universal sign that you are stripping threads or shearing the bolt). Well I took the bolts out and examined them, and found no damage. I realize now that the threads to strip are in the aluminum clutch Boss. I was able to snug the bolts all back down to just before the 7.5 ft-lb mark, buttoned everything up and it all seems to work fine.

Here's the problem. I'm having nightmares...or day-mares since it's raining today and I'm not riding...for a bolt stripping whats left of the threads and the bolt grinding around in my crankcase. Should I disassemble the clutch again to check the threads in the clutch Boss? Will I be able to tell if threads are 1/4-1/2 stripped out? Or should I just not worry? I'm going to HF today to pick up an in-lb torque wrench to torque it right if I do disassemble. If I need a new clutch boss...it's like $100 from chacal...or I can ebay for 1/4 of the price w/ no guarantees and will have to file it for another 2 hours (and it'll take twice as long) :evil:

 

Re: Clutch Rebuild: What I almost screwed up...and might hav

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So does the bolt actually make contact with the fingers in the Clutch Boss? lowlife, that's what I was thinking when I assembled it, but I noticed that the fingers of the clutch boss are long so I got to thinking that maybe the bolt and washer actually touch the clutch boss, and the springs compressed between the compression plate wells, and the washer on the bolt. I mean I didn't "see" the torque increase within 1/4 turn, so how close can the torque on the bolts get? I know that torque is supposed to be related to bolt stretch, but it seems like you can't measure spring compression using a torque wrench. The issue with the "half a ft.lb" is that the wrench might not be accurate that low.

And yes, I soaked them for about 8 hours.

 

Re: Clutch Rebuild: What I almost screwed up...and might hav

I think I got it..I'm at work trying to picture the clutch basket assm. in my head. I think the bolts do bottom out in the clutch boss and the springs set in their recesses in the presure plate. So I was wrong with my earlier post about torque and spring presure. As long as the bolts are all tight the springs will put equal presure on the presure plate.

 

Yeah I'm at work too. I'm about to head out and hit up HF on my way home for the in-lb torque wrench.
So I got one vote for don't worry about it, since I was able to read the spec'ed torque when I retightened the bolt. Any other takers? I should have turned this into a poll. Still...if I take it apart, can I "see" threads that are "partially" stripped (i.e. turned 1/4 turn past where they should have been)?

 

If the threads are beginning to strip you'll feel it. You're probably OK.

The bolts don't bottom out in their bores, the washers/bolt heads stop against the ends of the spring posts.

The difference between 7.2 ft/lb and 7.5 ft/lb won't do it, unless it was already on the way to stripping. That being said, I thought it was 5.8ft/lb, or is that only the 550s? Haven't pulled the 650 apart yet.

Another voter for quit worrying.

 

I think you are going to be OK.
I've see guys Over-torque the Clutch Bolts and snap-off the Bolt before having the Threads strip.

 

Really? Wow...that makes me feel ALOT better. But there were new bolts/washers/springs...

[quote="bigfitz52]That being said, I thought it was 5.8ft/lb, or is that only the 550s?[/quote]
I saw some of your posts a while back...so it really scared me to see 5.8. But...thanks to the xjcd, I verified that the factory manual does specify 5.8 for 550s and 7.2 for 650/750s.

Ok...3 votes for go out and enjoy the new clutch (it really GRABS now!)