New DP clutch plates won't fit - suggestions?

[stay_upright]

Stuff like this always happens to me - new DP clutch and the steels don't fit.

The lugs on the inside seem fractionally too wide so it *just* won't go onto the basket. I managed to push one steel on but it was tight and I can't see the clutch working with that much friction to move the steels....

So I either file each lug a little = 32 lugs/plate x 7 plates = lots of filing.

Of get GG OEM plates but that's time and potentially a lot of money (upto £10 each? = £70 not £18) and of course I'm racing on Sunday so it would be nice if I could start the bike in gear and for it not to repeatedly stall in the woods (stalled 20-30 times last race)

I checked the clutch codes and the kit is correct for a 96-2006 EC model...

I'm thinking i'll get the file out after a cuppa tea...

Anyone know if I will damage (warp) the new frictions if I use them with the old steels?

 

[stay_upright]

Decided to file the new plates

For my own amusement each lug needed 24 strokes of the file and with 32 lugs on each disk and 7 disks that's 5376 strokes of the file to get them to fit properly.

Now I'm off to try and get my rad panels to fit properly....

 

[MattR]

FYI... my bike has a DP clutch kit from the previous owner. I found the fiber plate thickness thinner than stock and the steel plates thicker than stock. The total stack thickness (all 8 fibers + 7 steels) equals the stock stack thickness. However, you do not want to mix DP and stock parts, because you will change the total stack thickness.

 

[stay_upright]

Does your DP clutch drag? Mine drags a bit and I cannot start the bike in gear with the clutch pulled in due to the clutch dragging. It will start in Neutral OK. Also I have to set my idle speed in neutral quite high so that in gear with the clutch pulled in it won't stall...

I tried 5w30 semi-synth this time..

It's a bit of a shame as I was hoping the new clutch would not drag.

 

[MattR]

It sounds like your plates are hanging up on your basket. My clutch works smoothly without drag. My only complaint is some squeal under load but this only happens occassionally. I heard this happens with the 2005+ clutches. My 2001 clutch never squealled, but it had more drag.

 

[gasIdaho]

FWIW, Honda 2004 CR and CRF plates work as well. They have different thicknesses though so stack height will be different, hence different configuration of plates is probable. I have Honda plates in my Rekluse and I had to play with different thickness steel plates as well as one less friction plate in the mix. No issues since. Running a 5w or 0w synth oil seems to have helped those with clutch drag issues including myself. I use the Rotella 5w-40. The Amsoil 0w-40 is probably the best but the Rotella is easier for me to get and way cheaper.

 

[mike989]

I replaced the fibers on my 03 450 with Moose plates. The Moose plates fit pretty good, and measure real real close to stock, but some didn't just drop in. I decided to file and smooth the fingers on the clutch basket. The stock plates were hard to remove even with two homemade little hooks. Result after 45 minutes of filing, no clutch drag after warm up with Rotella 5w50 syn.

I had a strange thing happen after the install. The clutch worked fine untill the engine was running, then no clutch. The lever would have no resistance. Kill the engine, the clutch came back. Turned out there is a very light weight spring behind the piston in the slave unit. It dosen't show the spring in the exploded view of the slave unit. Sandman on this site, after talking with many dealers, was the one who suggested that was the problem. The spring was so weak on the 04 and older bikes, the pressure of the engine oil would effect the movement??? I got a heavier spring from gofasters and problem sloved.
It is a much heavier spring.