Okay, after all the help I got from my V65 build(and much appreciated) I now have another project to throw at you all. My wife and I bought a nice 83 V45 for her to ride, and we're pumped! The only problem with the bike is that the clutch was a no go since it had leaned on the clutch lever for nearly a year and was leaking. Also, it sounds as though the rear cam chain tensioner is clacking around. I test drove it bike getting a good push and clicking into second gear. The bike has tons of power and a smooth ride even with power shifting! I figured it would be a good project to help her learn the bike in and out. So we bought it for 700 bucks! We just rebuilt the guts to the Clutch master cylinder and thoroughly cleaned the slave cylinder, but still we are not getting any pressure down the line? Maybe the line is clogged because it was pretty gummed up with sand in the master cylinder. I was curious, when we have the lower end of the clutch hose pulled off and I squeeze the lever, it should really squirt out a good amount of fluid correct? Ours merely drips out... clogged line you think?
Deffinately a clog in the line or something wrong with the master cylinder. But if the bike was leaning on the handle for a long time. The hydraulic pressure could have seperated the inside rubber lineing of the hose. Take the line off the master cylinder and give it a squeeze and see how it works.
thanks, for the response Jigger. We went ahead and took the master cylinder back off. With it full of fluid and all newly replaced inner workings(spring, rubber seals, ect.) when we worked the handle, nothing comes out. That master cylinder on the inside wasn't pitted up or anything, just full of sand. Once we really cleaned it out it looked brand new on the inside. We got the rebuild kit from Honda so I know it's not a cheap set of parts. Any idea why with the thing looked clean and new and all new guts, still only a drip comes out when the handle is worked?
Are the holes in the bottom of the Master Cylinder clean?
My wife took the lines and hoses off and blew them out with my air compressor and ran a bunch of new dot 3 through them. We looked at the master cylinder again and it really looks like new in and out. The little port holes are super clean and there are no leaks in any line, master cylinder, or slave cylinder. So this time, just to see, we filled the master cylinder up with all the lines and hoses hooked up and had it dripping steady out the end into a jar. Then She filled the slave cylinder up with fluid and attached the hose to it. Then we put it on the bike. As the bolts were getting run down, it was pushing fluid up through the master cylinder and a good bit of popping bubbles too. Once it was all put together and tightened down, we ran out and got a $30 vacuum bleeder from Auto Zone. We've been through three cycles of the vacuum bleeder and we definitely have some positive pressure at the lever. We can start it in neutral and pull the clutch and click into 2nd gear. The bike lunges but the clutch is barely letting up so she can hold the bike still. If she clicks into first, the clutch just isn't releasing enough yet. It lunges heavily and kills the motor with the front brake squeezed and the clutch in. Maybe this system is just very difficult to get all the air out, and I know that clutch hasn't been worked in a very long time, at least a year, so maybe we just need to keep bleeding and working it! I know we are pumped that we're at least getting SOME response out of the system now! We'll keep at it and see if it continues to improve!
http://www.magnaownersoftexas.com/tips.htm#A1.19 here is a link to a helpful tip on bleeding the clutch it is really hard to get the clutch bled you are not the only one who has had a hard time with this.
A technique I have used successfully on the front brake line, which I believe will work on the clutch line as well, I learned bleeding the brakes on a Cessna 120 aircraft, where the slave cylinders are substantially lower than the master, is to connect a plastic tube from the bleed fitting the slave cylinder, and connect the other end of the tube to a pump type oil can. You need a snug fit at both ends. Take the lid off the reservoir at the top, and pump fluid in from the bottom with pump and tube rig. When you are getting all fluid and no bubbles at the top, tighten down the bleed xzerk and you are done.
The reason this works is that bubbles rise. Pumping fluid in from the bottom lets you push the bubbles in the direction they naturally want to go anyway.
Iragan, I think that by chance that is just about what we did when we pre-filled the slave cylinder and compressed it, sending the bubbles to the top. Her clutch is working great now! It took a few clutch releases to work it in and now there is now problems at all. Also, we changed over to 20w-50 on the motor oil and suddenly her timing chain tensioner has quieted up! Now she's just ready to ride! My wife is pumped and I'm thrilled:) I'll try to get a few pictures up soon to show what her bike now looks like. I'm still in an upper body cast due to my spinal fusion a little over a week ago, but I can't wait to heal up and hit the road with her bike and mine. I think it's pretty awesome that we both have magnas now.
Jerry, thanks for the link. It's good to know that I'm not the only one who had a hard time bleeding this system!