clutch plate dilemma

I have a kz1000 p-19 (ex cop bike). I just replaced the old clutch plates with brand new ones. I stacked the two sets and measured the difference between the two, and the newer set were only slightly thicker.

I staggered the gears (composite, steel ring, composite, etc. ...)put the operating clutch plate back on (it sat evenly with out any "high side".
I had to back off the clutch release mechanism and made minor adjustments to the cable. I put fresh oil in, started it up dropped it into first. The bike acted as if it wanted to go, but when I released the clutch lever it just sat there?

What am I missing? Could it be because of the thickness of the newer plates? Any ideas or tips would be a big help.

do you have a manual because on that bike there is a certain procedure that you have to follow. why did you replace the plates in the first place.

Got the manual and followed it exactly as written.
When I bought the bike it was in rough shape. I had to basically strip it down and CLEAN everything. When it came to the clutch, I noticed that the composite gears looked scorched. Got the bike running but when riding it there was this clattering/grinding noise coming from the clutch.

I then took it to the local bike shop and the told me I needed to replace the gears because they were too worn down.

Oldhippie, take the cover off and try it one more time.
I just had my plates out (for the first time on this bike) and I did the same exact thing. Somehow I didn't get the thing seated right, and I did just like you did and had to adjust the thing, and it didn't work.
So I took it back apart, looked at everything, put it back in. Still don't know what I did different, but I ended up having to adjust the cable back to where it was in the first place. Put it back together and it all works fine now.

by gears i'm thinking you mean the fiber plates and they were worn to much on the engaugement tabs. so you backed the cable adjusters right off both of them then removed the pushrod adjuster cover and backed off the nut on the adjuster then turned the adjuster in until you made contact with the pushrod then backed it off a 1/4 of a turn then held the adjuster solid with a screw driver and tightened down tthe locknut then re adjusted your cable starting at the main adjuster then going to the adjuster a the bar when for the fine adjustment leaving about an 1/8" at the lever you don't want it tight at the bar you always need a bit of slack there for clutch expansion. is this what you did or did you do something else lot's of people think they have to be adjusted tight but that is not the case.

Try this adjustment procedure:
Initial Clutch Cable Setup


As to 1973 Z1 through 1979 KZ1000, performing the clutch pushrod adjustment is shown in the factory service manual (and owner manual) as required routine maintenance. Seems this is sometimes overlooked, ignored or simply disregarded in a headlong rush toward addressing the plates and springs for correction of a clutch slippage problem.

If the clutch pushrod gap has reduced or vanished (from perfectly normal ordinary gradual wearing of the clutch plate material), the simple quick cheap easy fix is often a clutch pushrod adjustment. The "other" fix is replacing the clutch plates, which returns the clutch plate material to "thick as new" thereby restoring the required gap in the clutch push rod (and without having to deal with the dreaded 30 second clutch pushrod adjustment).

Where measurements after clutch disassembly are found within specs, boo on any failure to having first tried adjusting the pushrod gap.


Here it is, straight from Mama Kaw's lips:

"Clutch push rod adjustment -- Need and Purpose"

The FSM (factory service manual) covering Z1 and KZ900 includes a periodic maintenance chart requiring clutch push rod adjustment at 2000 mile (3000 km) intervals and explains the need there for in separate text, which explanation is quoted verbatim as follows:

"Besides cable stretch, clutch plate wear also causes the clutch to go out of adjustment, with a decrease in push rod play. Due to this wear, the push rod gradually moves closer to the clutch release lever (at the lower end of the clutch cable) until it touches the adjusting screw. When the rod is touching the screw and therefore has no play, the clutch will not engage fully and clutch slippage will occur. Note that the clutch push rod does not necessarily have play just because the clutch hand lever has play, and so hand lever play alone cannot be used to determine whether or not the clutch requires adjustment."

The FSM covering '77-'79 KZ1000's includes a periodic maintenance chart requiring clutch adjustment at 5000 km intervals, and explains the need there for in slightly different language, which explanation is quoted verbatim as follows:

"Clutch plate wear also causes the clutch to go out of adjustment. This wear causes the play between the push rod and the adjusting screw to gradually diminish until the push rod touches the adjusting screw. When this play is lost, the clutch will not engage fully, causing the clutch to slip.
NOTE: Even though the proper amount of play exists at the clutch lever, clutch lever play alone cannot be used to determine whether or not the clutch requires adjustment."


Good Luck!