investigating my problem - removing the clutch

Ok Fellas,

i fear i'm about to go down a dark, dark road....

as posted last evening, my KZ305 shifter/clutch is acting up...

someone posted pics (and a link to a previous thread) and suggested that it could be something like a bent/broke shifter arms...

i see in my manual that this is:
-located on the right side
- behind the clutch (plates and all)...

is this something a "newbie" should try and tackle??

i mean, are the clutch plates "one item" or will they all roll out on the floor on me?

are there very intricate springs/whatnot that i could SCREW UP if i start this investigation myself???

i'd like to gain the experience, sure, but i fear i could loose a good few weeks of riding if i start this job myself (rather then just taking it to my good/reliable mechanic)...

thoughts??

thanks...

- prime

i dont know where you live but surely there is a member in your area that can help. if you have a good tool set its not hard to do. you might be able to see any damage without actually pulling the clutch but if it is damaged you will have to pull it to fix it.

Hey Prime,

I just this past week pulled my clutch with the help and guidance of people on this site. It's fairly easy to do, long as you have a ratchet set, a good fat phillips screwdriver and some needle-nose pliers. One word of caution, even though you drain the oil from the bike, you'll still get a decent amount on the ground when you pull the clutch cover. I also found I had to remove the generator cover and use a 2nd wrench in order to get one of the bolts off. But other than that, its really MUCH MUCH easier than working on your car. Expect about an hour to get everything off (I work slow) and remember to write down the steps you did and sketch some little diagrams of where everything goes. It helped me plenty. I've even got a few pictures of the internals, if you like. PM me if you think they'd help you decide.

-Dave

Plates are about 6 inches in diameter, and the springs that hold them down are about 1" tall, by 1/2" wide.

Not small stuff.

If you need to remove the clutch basket, then you may have a bit of fun... It's a tough nut to crack.

hi all...

thanks for the words of encouragement...

i have a KZ400 as well (this bike is DEAD and i've been tinkering on it)...

i may first investigate all the steps (start-finish) with this bike, then peform surgey on the "living patient"!

thanks...

oh... i take digital pictures of ALL steps (so i know where things came from)...

and...

i live in central NJ (if any of you are "neighbors" that would be GREAT!)...

thanks...

So...

i'm looking things over and realize that the manual says i need a special tool "Clutch Holder"...

?

do i really need such a thing or can i "rig" a system??

thanks...

305

If I didn't screw this up, the above link should take you right to 305 part diagrams. If not, click continue, fill in the info and follow the links.

hey...

thanks, but i have a "cookies" issue with my computer... not allowing me at the site (and for the LIFE OF ME i cannot seem to locate the option to "allow cookies")....

anyway, i have used the "buykawasaki.com" site before...

were you drawing my attention to the "clutch tool"? or something else?

thanks...

tools/internet options/ security

Hey Prime:

One thing to remember is that the screws in the clutch cover are not all the same length. Do a rough sketch of the cover on a piece of corrugated cardboard, & push each screw through the cardboard at about the place it came from on the sketch to keep track. (Somebody here posted that trick; can't remember who, but I'd thank 'em if I could!)

I'm in Brooklyn & might be able to help you with the bike. I'm unemployed, so I have some time on my hands. Unfortunately, I also have no money so I'd have to hit you up for gas & tolls. If you can get the bike here, I have a pretty decent toolbox. FWIW, I'm batting .500: killed a KZ last Summer, but brought a dead one back to life this Spring.

Cheers,
-Kit

It might be helpful if you actually stated your problem. The clutch tool? It is actually a steel plate with a bar welded to the end. You put it over the hub to hold it. The hub and plates have matching... well slots I get you would call them or perhaps fingers. The tool allows you to hold the basket to remove the inner nut if you decide to remove the basket. You can also use an impact driver and won't have to mess with the "special tool" or have someone give you a plate and you can get a piece of metal (ree-bar) welded to hold the hub while you work the nut with a large breaker bar.

One of the fun things about working on bikes is rabbit trails... somebody told me this... somebody told me that... then you head down the trails presented where they may have absolutely nothing to do with the actual problem. State your problem again and lets see if you really need to pull the clutch basket. BTW... with an air impact wrench, you drain the oil, remove the cover, remove the six pressure plate bolts that hold the pressure plate clutch springs, pull out the steel and fiber plates and then just pop the clutch hub nut off with the impact driver. About a half hour's work so this isn't a big deal if you indeed need to get in there.

kzrider.com/component/option,com_joomlab...ew/id,47261/catid,2/
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