please help, 800 clutch bleeding

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joplin
Tricycles are Cool
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Nov 11, 2017 8:05 am
My Bike: 1996 intruder 800

please help, 800 clutch bleeding

Post by joplin »

Hello, i bought a 1996 intruder 800 back in july and while riding it noticed the clutch slipping. It continually got worse as summer progressed, but as long as i was easy on the throttle my wife and i still managed to put 2000 miles on the bike. About 4 weeks ago i ordered a new ebc clutch kit, and vesrah springs for it. I pulled it in my shop and changed the clutch pack and springs, but the next day when i tried to pull it out of the shop i noticed the clutch was dragging even when disengaged. My first thought was that it was either low on fluid or needed to be bled, so i started bleeding the clutch. I have read all the methods here on the forum and tried those, i have since then rebuilt the clutch master cylinder and removed and disassembled the slave cylinder to clean and polish the bore on it. I have bled at the banjo bolts, i have gravity bled, i have used a large syringe to force fluid from the bleeder screw back up to the master cylinder in hopes of forcing the air out the top, but all with no luck. Can anyone give me any suggestions on what to try next, im about at my wits end with this bike... any help would be greatly appreciated. :bang:

navigator
Joined a 1100cc Club
Posts: 5431
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2016 12:33 pm
My Bike: VS800

Re: please help, 800 clutch bleeding

Post by navigator »

Welcome,
Seems you still have air, somewhere. I need a little more info.
When you bled the upper banjo, was the banjo oriented higher than the reservoir when you cracked the bolt?
I have had the greatest luck reverse bleeding after rebuilding any cylinder. you stated you used a syringe to push fluid thru the bleeder on the slave, when you did this, did you get a good flow of fluid into the master cylinder?
It should shoot a stream of fluid thru the small return hole in the master. If not, you may have a plugged hose, or a restriction that impedes the flow
When you operate the clutch lever, do you get a fountain effect from the small hole in the master?

joplin
Tricycles are Cool
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Nov 11, 2017 8:05 am
My Bike: 1996 intruder 800

Re: please help, 800 clutch bleeding

Post by joplin »

Thanks for the response Navigator. When i bled at the banjo, i have bled it with the banjo oriented higher than the master cylinder, and then moved the master cylinder to where the banjo was lower than the master cylinder. Before i rebuilt the master cylinder, i was getting the fountain effect when squeezing the clutch lever, but since the rebuild i am not. I was very careful to clean and check all passageways when i had the master apart, i have checked and double checked all the banjo bolts, and the bleeder screw for possible blockage as well. When i used the syringe to force fluid from the bleeder up, i was getting a decent stream of fluid from master cylinder ( enough to squirt a geyser all over my front fender :bang: ).

navigator
Joined a 1100cc Club
Posts: 5431
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2016 12:33 pm
My Bike: VS800

Re: please help, 800 clutch bleeding

Post by navigator »

Try this:
Repeatedly slowly pulling the lever less than 1" and slowly letting it out will remove a lot of air.
Also have a look at this link.
http://intruders-alert.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=4

joplin
Tricycles are Cool
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Nov 11, 2017 8:05 am
My Bike: 1996 intruder 800

Re: please help, 800 clutch bleeding

Post by joplin »

Navigator, cant thank you enough for your help. After reading your first response i went back to shop and repositioned the master cylinder with the banjo bolt higher than the master. I had previously tried this but decided to try again, i started bleeding at the upper banjo and started getting some tension on the clutch lever. I continued to bleed this way until i had good feel on lever, then bled it a few more times at the bleeder valve. I now have clutch again, and am in the process of re installing the windsheild so i can go for a test ride. Thank you so much for your help, it is greatly appreciated. :clap:

navigator
Joined a 1100cc Club
Posts: 5431
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2016 12:33 pm
My Bike: VS800

Re: please help, 800 clutch bleeding

Post by navigator »

Glad to help. :cheers:

Swcoinguy
Got My M1 License!
Posts: 424
Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2014 9:36 am
My Bike: Vs800+c90
Location: Ft Myers, Florida

Re: please help, 800 clutch bleeding

Post by Swcoinguy »

Banjo higher than the M/C? I slide mine down the bars so the banjo is lower than the M/C. Sometimes I leave it like that over night too. Not because I need to but just to encourage any stray micro bubbles to float up into the M/C. When I have cracked the banjo's they are either even with or just a smidge higher than the M/C's. When I picture the banjo higher I'm imagining a great place for air the accumulate so I try to avoid that.
Am I missing something or am I doing something wrong and have just been very lucky lol?

navigator
Joined a 1100cc Club
Posts: 5431
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2016 12:33 pm
My Bike: VS800

Re: please help, 800 clutch bleeding

Post by navigator »

Swcoinguy wrote:Banjo higher than the M/C? I slide mine down the bars so the banjo is lower than the M/C. Sometimes I leave it like that over night too. Not because I need to but just to encourage any stray micro bubbles to float up into the M/C. When I have cracked the banjo's they are either even with or just a smidge higher than the M/C's. When I picture the banjo higher I'm imagining a great place for air the accumulate so I try to avoid that.
Am I missing something or am I doing something wrong and have just been very lucky lol?
You just said what I meant.
When cracking the banjo bolt to bleed..."they are either even with or just a smidge higher than the M/C's. "
On the other hand, to purge the air by slowly pulling the lever 1" or less...you put the banjo lower, to force the air uphill to the cylinder.
In this case the system stays sealed at the banjo.

Swcoinguy
Got My M1 License!
Posts: 424
Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2014 9:36 am
My Bike: Vs800+c90
Location: Ft Myers, Florida

Re: please help, 800 clutch bleeding

Post by Swcoinguy »

10-4. I thought I was crazy doing the short pulls on the lever. To me it seemed like it caused a lot of the little bubbles to come up. Kind of like tapping the side of a bottle of coke, the bubbles seperate from the side and rise. I've seen guys tap the lines too but I never have. I understand the philosophy but never tried or needed to do that.
Btw-that Cobra exhaust is still doing great. I'm acustomed to the sound now and happy with them. I'm starting to think about a single sided set though. I'd love to find a 2 into 1 pipe but I've only seen 1 ever and it sold before I could buy it.

navigator
Joined a 1100cc Club
Posts: 5431
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2016 12:33 pm
My Bike: VS800

Re: please help, 800 clutch bleeding

Post by navigator »

Glad the exhaust worked out for you, I liked the sound myself.
But..those were on her bike, she decided to go quiet, because we do a lot of all day rides...for days on end.
They are nice for a short run, but she wants to reduce more hearing loss. :cheers:

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