I'm having a problem with the hydraulic clutch on my '96 ZX11. The symptom includes an inconsistent feel on the lever as I shift through the gears. Most times I get a full, solid pull on the lever, but other times the lever requires an additional 1/4" or 1/2" pull before the clutch disengages. This inconsistency is amazingly annoying.
Here's what I've done so far.
* Replaced the clutch fluid and have probably bled the system 20 times. I'm confident I don't have any bubbles in the line.
* Rebuilt the master cylinder
* Replaced/Rebuilt the slave cylinder (bought a used one and put in new parts).
* Removed the clutch cover to see if anything obvious was broken at the end of the push rod. Nothing worth noting.
My gut on this is that the master is somehow letting fluid back into the reservoir at times before sending fluid down the line.
I'm very frustrated and hope you guys have some advice.
Believe it or not, but it sounds like you still have some air trapped somewhere in the system. I have heard of this happening before even after many bleedings. To check the operation of the master, remove the cover and slowly pull in the lever. There should be some initial return, but after that, there should be no rise in the fluid level. If that's as it should be, there's an air bubble in some nook or cranny.
Gads. :-( I've bled this system plenty of times before and never had a problem so forgive the pushback, but I'm a bit skeptical. The reason I don't think it's a bubble is because sometimes the clutch lever is hard right at the top of the pull, then sometimes it's soft.
Having said that I can go through a 3rd can of fluid to see if I can find any bubbles. I'll do some extra tapping through the line and the master and slaves to see if I can discover any hidden gremlins.
I'm thinking about replacing the master though. I'm wondering if anyone knows exactly how the master works on the ZX11. Is there some sort of check ball that keeps the fluid from coming back into the fluid reservoir when pulling down on the lever?
I do notice that with the cover off, some fluid will spirt back into the reservoir s the lever is pulled. (Sometimes I forget it does this and a pretty good spray will land on my body work. Quickly wiped off of course.)
Sure wish someone had a spare master I could try to see if that was actually the problem.
Surely not the answer you're looking for, but I'd say stop using the clutch between gears. Casual riding is one thing, but during aggressive riding, you don't really need it.
T
__________________
Quote from a Kaw mechanic (my dad)
"Great idea, buy your kid a ninja for his last birthday."
I agree when riding aggressively and I've resorted to that when I can, but speed shifting around town is not very friendly. Naturall the right thing to do is fix the problem.
A buddy of mine sent me the following:
hi it sounds like the same problem I had.in the service manual it says air in line. clutch plates warped or damaged. this will cause a drag on the clutch causing machine to creep. overhaul clutch assembly. clutch spring tension uneven usually caused by sagging or broken spring. engine oil is deteriorated causing drag. engine oil viscosity to high. clutch center drum and outer drum worn. indentations by the clutch plate tangs of the channels in center and drum will prevent easy plate disengagement. clutch slave cylinder defective. loose clutch nut. causes drum and hub misalignment putting a drag on engine. engagement adjustment continualy varies. overhaul clutch assembly. this last entry sounds like the problem. you may have to disasemble the clutch and check everything.
