new have oil and clutch questions

I have a 92 seca II with 18k miles. when I first got the bike the clutch would slip, but only in third. I changed the oil right when I bought it with some castrol synthetic blend 10w40 motorcycle oil. eventually the clutch slipping stopped. I decided that since the bike is not worth much that the next time I changed the oil, it would be alot cheaper to use a different oil. So I put some valvoline synthetic based/blend 10w40 max life after about 500 miles (I'm guessing) the clutch now slips in all gears. So I just figure I need a new clutch right? could the different oil have caused this? If you believe so, what is a relatively cheap decent oil to buy? If you guys are guessing I just need a new clutch, what all do I need? I plan on doing it myself with a friend. where is the best place to get a clutch kit?

sorry for the long post, thanks in advance for your help

 

I would say yes you need to get your clutch replaced. You will probley just need the friction plates and maybe new springs for your clutch however you may also need the drive plates depending on the condition of them. I am looking at doing that same thing with mine. I would suggest chacal for your parts he is kinda the resident parts guy here. You will see his name pop up here all the time. Depending on your bike I may also be able to get teh parts you will need. As far as the oil that is a touchy sublect because everyone has there own preference between dino oil and synthetic. You can do a search and see all the topics on this. Also you should put your year and make of your bike in your signature in your account settings. That way people don't have to ask.

Here is the link for the oil thread.
http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic ... t=oil.html

 

There are certain additives in oil that will make the clutch slip. Its different than a car because the clutch is wet and shares oil with the engine. If you use oil that is made for motorcycles, it usually won't be an issue. Regardless of the quality of your clutch, with the wrong oil it will continue to slip. The difference in the price of good oil versus cheap is slight compared to the price of a new clutch....... I use the castrol stuff that they carry at wal-mart and pep-boys. It works without slipping and its relatively inexpensive.

 

You need to put oil in that is intended for bikes. Regular oil for cars,trucks ect. will make your clutch slip.

 

That is up for debate. Some people swear by regualr motor oil. Others swear by synthetic... I have no opinion other than I switched from regular oil and now I got oil leaks and now my clutch slips. So take it for what it is!

 

Haven't we beat this horse to death about what kind of oil to put in the bike.

Unless it SAYS "Motorcycle Safe" on the Label ... NO Synthetics are recommended by Yamaha.
The Wet Clutch is compromised by Synthetics and Friction reducers.

Sevorg:

Drain the oil.
Put in some Castrol GTX 20W/50 Racing Oil.
See if that helps with your Clutch slipping.

Adjust the Clutch.

http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=2 ... +lash.html

 

thanks for all of the replies guys. I didnt mean to open an oil can of worms sorry. guess I will try the different oil.

 

It just that we've been over and over the Oil question a million times.

The answer is always the same ... everybody thinks some Oil is better than another and some people recommend Synthetics.

Officially ... we DON'T recommend synthetics.
We recommend what the Manufacturer suggests is best for the Bike and outside temperature.

Some people (like me) only use what covers all the bases and provides the ultimate protection to the air cooled, high-revving XJ-Series and is the safest oil to run for the Clutches.

20W/50.

If you put a synthetic in there ... you risk Clutch slippage.
If you run a light-weight oil ... you risk spinning a bearing.
The engine is air cooled and needs an oil that can handle HEAT.

 

Being synthetic might not be the problem... apparently as long as whatever oil you're using has a JASO MA rating, it'll definitely be good to go. MB... not so much.

I had someone suggest that I get a synthetic JASO MA oil, as the clutch plates would like it, and the viscosity would hold up better. Problem is, I'm not too keen on paying more for a quart of oil than I do for a gallon of gas.

 

I don't buy into the hype about Synthetic Oil not needing to be changed as often as Non-synth Oils.

My personal opinion is that you should change the Oil every few thousand miles.
The surfaces that need protection in the XJ-Engine are machined to incredible close tolerances ... especially the Camshaft "Bearings" which are bare aluminum and need the greatest level of protection possible.

That the Oil that reaches all the critical surfaces is filtered before entering the Main Oil Gallery is a good thing ... but the idea that the Cam Bearings are right on top of the hottest part of the Engine makes them need extraordinary protection against anything that might escape being filtered out.

The Bike is engineered to make changing oil a relatively clean and easy little adventure in owner maintenance.
But, as easy as it it there are those who neglect doing it.

To keep these Bikes running for years to come ... clean, fresh oil ought to be at the top of the maintenance list!
Filter every other time unless you do it every time.

With Fram offering an Oil Filter superior to OEM (including O-rings) its a bargain to change the Filter every Oil change, anyway!

 

update! so I changed the oil out to the 20w50 castrol gtx it seems to have improved the slippage, but of course not completely expelled it. (i wasnt expecting it to stop all together) this is just within 15 miles or so.

now I'm confused did you want me to put in GTX oil or castrol one of these
Castrol Power RS R4 4T

Castrol Power RS GPS 4T

Castrol Power RS V-Twin 4T

Castrol Act>evo X-TRA 4T

Castrol 4-Stroke Motorcycle Oil

some people are saying only put it in your bike if it says motorcycle on the bottle others are saying gtx will work, which is not motorcycle oil

 

Castro; GTX 20W/50 is Premium Racing Oil.

Bottles of Oil with pictures of Motorcycles on them just have pictures of motorcycles on them to promote sales.

You can put a picture of a motorcycle on Italian Dressing and some whacked-out person will buy it and stick it in their Bike.

If hype ruled the world ... we'd all be smoking Medical Marijuana and lighting-up the joints with Iridium lighters.

I guess hype ain't all that bad after all ... huh?

 

I guess I'll stick with the gtx20w50 I rode the bike around again and after it was warm I ran the sht out of it. It seems to be doing drastically better now. Only slips alittle bit. not bad for about 20 miles or so....... proof is in pudding

 

Try fine-tuning the Knurl Adjuster on the Lever Perch. You might only have a tight cable pulling a bit to strongly on the Throw-out Arm.

However, when a clutch slips under load ... especially in second or third ... that usually means the Friction Pads are worn-out and need to be replaced.

It's better to do the Friction Pads at the first sign of slippage than have them actually be slipping under a load, damaging the steel Driven Plates by either burning them or, worse, scoring them and needing to replace them, too.

 

I hear ya.