2003 ec250 clutch issue

[dirt2road]

After running fine the clutch on my sons bike would not dissengage. I bled the hydraulic clutch which did seem to have air in it, but the bleeding did not resolve the issue----that being that even if the clutch lever is pulled in the clutch is still engaged.

Can anyone provide me a shortcut on what to do?

Thx, Mike

 

[jostby]

Does the clutch lever feel like it did before, like it should be working? Or is it limp like there is air in the system?

 

[lankydoug]

Did this happen after the bike sat for a while? If so mine did the same thing so I put it in neutral and push started it then once the engine was running the clutch freed up and worked like normal. I'm not sure why this happens sometimes maybe someone can chime in with a reason.

 

[dirt2road]

Bike had not been sitting, lever feels good, especially after bleed.

will try pushing bike, and rocking it---but I think the issue is that the push rod that opens the clutch plates is not activating, and thus the clutch is always engaged.

I'm thinking the hydraulic clutch mechanism is broke.

Every other street and dirt bike I have has a cable

 

[lankydoug]

Bike had not been sitting, lever feels good, especially after bleed.

will try pushing bike, and rocking it---but I think the issue is that the push rod that opens the clutch plates is not activating, and thus the clutch is always engaged.

I'm thinking the hydraulic clutch mechanism is broke.

Every other street and dirt bike I have has a cable

Mine felt normal but did not disengage. Once I bump started it and got it in 3rd or 4th gear it finally let go, others on this site assured me that this had happened to them on their GasGas as well as other brands. My clutch has not done it again for the last few months so I quit worrying about it.

 

[BluegassXCR]

The clutch on my new to me 03 EC250 drags bad also...at the lever feels pretty normal although maybe stiffer than a Husky or KTM....drags just enough to kill it when you put it into gear....mine is overfilled with tranny fluid so I am going to start there and also have a little moisture at the lower clutch hose joint...so a few brass washers there...mybe all that will help....

 

[SideshowBob]

Search for my thread, on my EC250 one of the nuts in the the clutch assembly came loose and had to be tightened.

 

[dirt2road]

Yesterday, tore out basket and plates were stuck together pretty hard. Prior owner's fluid was thin and redish, not bad looking for solids. Plates had some wear, but not bad. No warpage or burning.

Took apart and reassembled plates used Shell Rotella 15/40 full synthetic for lube.

Tested the clutch actuator and it worked fine.

Reassembled and have slight improvement---if in gear and not running, pulling the clutch lever does not let the clutch loose. You have to put it in neutral to start it. Once running, the clutch does dissengage the drive enough to stop in gear, but seems to drag a bit.

Once I put a new clutch pack in an RM250 and I had a similar issue, but I thought that was just because the new cork and steel plates were toward the thick range of spec.

Any ideas?

 

[GMP]

Basically a bad dragging clutch is from inadequate drive/driven plate clearance from one or more sets of plates at any one measured point, or overall pressure plate travel.

Are you sure that it IS bled completely? Lever adjusted correctly, especially when bleeding? Master/slave free of internal leaks, that is when lever is held in does pressure plate creep back to engagement from spring pressure? Basket notched severely? Loose basket like Sideshow noted? Rubber shock dampers in basket intact (basket not moving around on ring gear)?

Sounds like the bike had some type of ATF in it. My son's KX85 had the clutch pack stick tight after sitting like this for a short time. Rotella should be good when the main problem is solved.

 

[HenrikSchmidt]

Master/slave free of internal leaks, that is when lever is held in does pressure plate creep back to engagement from spring pressure?.

I'm having this problem on my '06 MC250, it has been left for a long time, but I can make it disengage but after some short time it will gradually engage again, then I can pump it a few times and it disengage again,but not for long...
bleed it alot of times so no air, maybe the seals in the MC is letting the pressure bypass? I haver no visible external leaks. and i'm not loosing oil from the system?
Is it just a new sealkit for MC & SC that I need?

 

[Eric]

Took apart and reassembled plates used Shell Rotella 15/40 full synthetic for lube.

Any ideas?

That oils too thick run 0/40 or 0/30, my clutch drags badly in my 03 250 with aything thicker than 0/40, my clutch works great with atf but the bike shifts better with 0/40 so thats what I run.

 

[GMP]

Henrik,

Sounds like a master cyl rebuild is in order. Pressure likely leaking back past the cup seal.

My clutch works great with 15/40 Rotella or 5/40 Rotella synthetic. Easy in gear starts. They are all different, have different pack heights and plate quality.

 

[HenrikSchmidt]

I have had alot of problems with the clutch on my MC dragging and not disengaging.
But since I also have a EC and it is much better for enduro riding and thats what I do most, I just let the MC sit in the garage unused.
But this weekend I have a enduro on a fast track with lot's of whoops, and the MC's crazy fast engine and 50mm fork and stiffer rear suspension is alot better for that track than the EC, it'll just bottom out on the first two whoops and send me flying..

So, since the EC's clutch was working really good with no drag at all, it was going to be a easy fix, just swap the complete assembly from the EC to the MC
But when testing, the clutch was still dragging and acting wierd..
I had to adjust the stroke on the lever to get it to disengage, and it would only disengage when pulled all the way to the handle, and it was still dragging bad..

When I removed the slave I noticed that the piston was futher out than when I installed it??
Pulled the clutch rod on both EC and MC, and found that the rod from the MC was 3mm shorter than on the EC

Put the long rod in the MC, and no more problems....
They are both 2006 bikes and have same part number on the clutch rod??
Must be a production fault, I can't belive the tolerance is +-3mm for that part..

Just wanted to post this, since some of you have similar problems with your bikes..