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General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: wirespokes on April 26, 2025, 12:08:33 PM
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When I pulled in the clutch there was a squeak. Lubed the cable, still squeaked. Cleaned and lubed the clutch arm, still there.
The clutch was getting grabbier and more difficult to modulate so I pulled it. Discovered dry and notchy splines. Had to replace the flywheel and clutch hub.
It's soooo nice having a clutch that works as it should!!!
But I realized the squeak was the pressure plate sliding on the splines when I pulled in the clutch lever. Probably a good idea when you first hear it and it's not the cable or clutch arm, pull the trans and lube the splines. Maybe you'll catch it in time to save the splines.
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I always thought that lubing the splines in that area would make an abrasive paste with the clutch friction material as it wears, and cause more eventual wear. when I replaced the clutch on my eldorado, I installed a new 4 mm clutch hub, and had it ceramic coated, with some stuff called "cermalube" that is supposed to make it slick. Hopefully, it will prevent some wear to the hub.
Rick.
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On the other hand, if the splines corrode a little, the rust is abrasive and wears the splines. With a very thin coat of sticky lube the splines, hopefully, are protected.
I'm curious how the cermalube works over time. Is it something you can do yourself?
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FWIW, early on I tried a dry lube and after that a thin "sticky" lube. Both were gone in short order. (shrug)
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On the other hand, if the splines corrode a little, the rust is abrasive and wears the splines. With a very thin coat of sticky lube the splines, hopefully, are protected.
I'm curious how the cermalube works over time. Is it something you can do yourself?
I bought a new 4mm clutch hub from MG cycles, and then sent it to a place called "Rikert engineering" on the east coast for the treatment.I undestood it was a small "mom and pop" business. The guy doing it told me, it was water based,and applied to the part with an airbrush, then it was baked at 300 degrees. it left a bronze colored coating on the part,that you could not scratch with a screwdriver. I have had it in my 73 eldorado for 6-7 years, and about 18K miles. The clutch action, with SD Tech clutch plates, is still very smooth.
I am not sure how much of that, can be attributed to the cermalube, but I figgure , at $75. it was money well spent. Time will tell.
Rick.
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If I use any lube on a clutch hub, I do like Rick and send it to have a dry film treatment at an industrial facility. I picked one that didn’t have any fling off. It’s the only thing I’ve seen that works for the long term. At one time, Gordon at MG cycle told me he thought the hubs they sold already had that done but he didn’t confirm that so I sent the last one off to have it done twenty years ago.it’s still in use. They had a minimum charge so they suggested I get a few done at the same time. They didn’t have to be the same thing so I sent along driveshafts and rear wheel hubs
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Cermalube sounds like a good solution. https://techlinecoatings.net/product/internal-coating-powerkote-c-lube/
And it's something I could do myself. I could even coat the flywheel splines while I'm at it. Sandblast and airbrush - nothing high tech about it.
The LM4 is squeaking, so it looks like I'll be crabbing its frame... :-(
I'm getting to be an old hand at this.