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hey guys... i have a kz900 i am rebuilding and i put the sprocket and clutch actuator on and heard that you should loosen the clutch screw all the way and put the cover on then screw the adjuster down till it gets tight then back off a half turn... well when it finnaly starts to get tight i can barely get the lock nut on a few threads... im not sure but i didnt think the adjuster screw went that far in.... it has good pull and tension at the lever..... this engine has been setting for a while... i got it to start and everything... but now im workin on the clutch.. i pull the clutch in all the way.. and it seems like its still in gear... ive heard that mayb the clutch plates are stuck together... and too take them out and clean them and oil them... any other suggestions... sorry for the long post

Hey DS,
I doubt that you have to disassemble the clutch.

Do you have a service manual? If not send me a PM with a fax number and I'll fax the official procedure to you.

Good luck

KZCSI

yeah i got a manual... i forgot about adjusting the middle adjuster thing... could that be the problem to making the adjuster screw go so far before i get a solid feeling lever?

Did you happen to have the clutch push rod out as well? Behind the push rod, there's a ball bearing. If the bearing fell out (not easy to do), then your adjustment will act up as you describe.

First, if you haven't had the clutch itself apart and out of the bike, don't feel comfortable with what is going on. I had a KZ900 project bike somebody had swiped a couple of friction plates out of and the symptoms were the same as yours... bwhahaha You NEVER can take what a previous owner did for granted.

The clutch rod goes across the engine and pushes a ball bearing as has been noted. The ball bearing WILL NOT come out the actuator/cable side. You MUST remove the clutch pusher on the right side and the ball will roll right out... I would check to ensure all that stuff was right. You take off the clutch cover (right side) after draining oil. Have a new gasket as you MAY be able to use the old gasket but you don't want to ever count on a cover gasket re-use. Next, remove the six 6mm bolts, springs and washers and pull off the pressure plate. The friction and steel plates alternate beneath the pressure plate inside the clutch basket. You just pull them out. You can measure them with a micrometer and check for flatness on a pane of glass. If any are warped, toss them. I have stacks of used steel and fiber clutch plates for this purpose. Used fiber clutch plates, if in spec, work just as well as new in most cases unless they have scoring. Also, don't be too quick to swap clutch springs as new, heavy duty springs, just make clutch pull that much harder. I LIKE old and worn in clutch springs. Last, when you have the plates out (I think there are 8 friction and 7 steel but I could be wrong - check manual for this info for SURE), the clutch pusher is right under that stuff in the middle of the basket. If you pull it out and tilt your bike or stick a magnet in the hole, the ball bearing will roll out. It will look for a place to hide so don't lose it. I THINK it is just a 3/8" ball bearing (hardware store item?). Check your manual for the size. It isn't the same size as the ball bearings in any of your old wheel bearings. Put the mess back together the same as you took it apart and replace anything missing. At this point, you can adjust your clutch with confidence that poor adjustability isn't due to missing or worn parts.

thanks guys... i havnt had the clutch side off yet... so i dont know if the ball bearing is missing...would it be a good idea to replace the clutch since it has been setting for over 8 years in a garage??

Not really a good idea to replace unless there is a problem... just an area that should be gone through on an older bike to make sure nothing is missing or the plates worn/warped. The more I think about this, you should do more than adjust the locknut/screw... follow the directions in your manual... set cable at switchgear using the adjuster, do the thing at the locknut/screw then take out slack at the mid-point adjuster is the general method... then look at the clutch plates.

A few things,,,,,,
When you take it apart ,and after 8 years you are going to .
Soak the fiber plates it clean motor oil for awhile,just a few mins .
And put them back in the same way they came out .
And check the ends of the push rod ,
they have a nasty habit of melting the end .

cool guys.. tore her apart... the ball bearing is still in there... but the whole clutch plates and metal spacer things were all stuck together so i pulled them apart and cleaned them all up and am gonna soak the fiber plates in oil and install everything back... i believe this is where my problem was...