...an engine noise

I have an '85 Maxim X that I drove all summer...come fall I was on my way home from work when I started to hear a knocking coming from somewhere in the engine. Initially I thought that it was the clutch out of adjustment: I have found that if the clutch disengages too much it will hit the shaft that runs into the clutch compartment <-- The shaft that the clutch cable is connected to.

I can't seem to find any problems with the engine yet and it is frustrating. I do need to read through my XJ cd's to see what information they have on the valves. Maybe one of them is out of adjustment.

But here is a question for yous: How much play, side to side, should the crankshaft have inside of the engine? With the pistons off turning the outer clutch wheel produces a very smooth rotation...I just can't tell what happens at a few thousand RPM's.

Oh yea...does anyone know where to get a gasket set for an 85' Maxim X besides ebay?

Thank you...

I am sure I will be back to discuss this topic in the near future...since the bike is in hundreds of pieces...LOL

 

I'll go look it up ... but, I'd say the Crank has darn-near NO side-to-side. I'm guessing None to very-close-to-none.

The clutch pressure plate is not torqued or has broken springs. That condition should not occur under any circumstance.

 

thrust bearings should take up any endplay on the crank shaft.

Some of that rattling could very well be the cluth problem.

 

Thanks guys...Speaking of the clutch...

I noticed something odd on some of the clutch plates. Some of the "tabs" on the outer edges of the clutch plates look as if they had been filed a little bit. Not all of them just some. I can't imagine what might have caused that unless someone scratched them on the ground when they installed them or something along those lines.

Has anyone ever heard of something like this? Pretty soon here I am going to start reassembling the bike but I will first take a close look at the valves. At this point I am going to replace the head gasket and clutch plates...I will have to check the spring tension and torgue the pressure plate...

Thank you

 

If you're really hard on a clutch ... the "Tabs" will become "Hammered" out of shape or get sharpened edges that won't readily "Slide" ... side-to-side ... as they need to. The condition is called "Galling".

A fix for galling is filing away the deformation. A measure to insure smoothness is to file away the sharp right-angle's on the edges of all the frictions and drivers. (Chamfer - Chamfering)

If the edges of those plates and drivers look like they have really been filed a whole lot ... you need to check the Channels that they fit in ... on the basket.

The channels on the basket need to be smooth so the plates don't hang-up on a burr or indentation. If the channels are chewed-up ... you can "Dress" them with a stone.

Really bad galling on the basket might mean replacing the basket. You need to be able to glide your finger across the channel and not feel anything that might bind the plates

 

I need to clarify a thing or two. I am not sure that we are on the same page. The part that looks like it has been "filed" is on the flat part of the clutch plate. I am including a quick sketch of what I am talking about. (You are looking at a clutch plate laying flat on the ground) I have trouble understanding how this part of the plates could get damaged like this. I have a ton of pictures of what I am talking about but I don't have any access to them at the moment.

Regardless I do need to check the basket as you said for Galling....

 

OK...here is the sketch I created

 

Hold the Clutch basket steady (so it won't turn .. then try turning the Cranshaft by hand. There Should be NO play in the system if new or healthy. Amount of 'Play' is a good indicator.
If there is Mebe the primary is shot.

 

You might be looking at a situation where the PO "Dressed-up" some USED Clutch Plates to replace a few that needed swapping-out when he needed a Clutch.

Lots of people will only replace the Friction Plates when the Clutch starts to slip. Real cheap PO's will stick whatever they can find in a bike they are looking to unload.

That ... or he "Rounded-out" the edges to help get some Clutch back ... after the Basket became Galled and he didn't want to do anything about it.