NGC - need a honda ct 90 guru!

[Scott DeRoss]

Hi everybody.  It's been a while since I've been on the board.  I thought that I would search the board since there are a lot of experts here.  I rebuilt the clutch pack on my 75 CT90.  All new pressure plates, friction plates and springs.  Everything seems to work when on the center stand and no load on the bike.  When I put my fat ass on it and it's under load, I shift to first gear, it grabs and dies right away.  I adjusted the clutch to many different positions and got it to go with a little extra throttle.  It drives and shifts fine until you come to a stop and it dies.   It won't stay idling like it should in first.  It's supposed to be free spinning until you hit the gas then the centrifical clutch will engage and go.  It seems to be that it is extra tight.  Maybe I just need to break it in?  Hoping there is a guru out there that can give me some insight

[fotoguzzi]

I'm no guru but sometimes I can find one on the Yahoo group..

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/ct90/conversations/messages

[Scott DeRoss]

Thanks Foto I knew you would respond! Thanks. Scott

[lrutt]

In all the abuse I've given those little bikes I've never ever had to touch a clutch. But...did you use Honda plates or aftermarket?

[fotoguzzi]

as a kid I burned out two clutches the first summer I had it, trying to wheelie don'tcha know.. then my Dad took it away from me for 30 some years until I was adult enough to ride it nicely.

[MarkMk]

Did you oil the new plates before they were installed ?



I play with old Honda singles when I sleep 
https://youtu.be/Uh6mtzR9Yr4

[lucian]

Here's an excellent how to on your clutch , make sure you have four the middle sized springs in the right location.  I just rebuilt one and had the four middle sized springs mixed up  . The bigger ones I mistakenly put in the top of the basket. They are very close to the same size but will only work in their proper place. Same symptoms as yours, had to start over.

https://ct90restoration.blogspot.com/2018/05/ct90-clutch-pack-assembly-detail-build.html

[Muzz]

I think the 90 is the same as the 50 (we had both).

Although it is a fair while ago the adjustment works opposite to what you would expect.  Pretty sure it is screw in to release earlier, out to increase the "grabiness".

When I rebuilt the C90 clutch because it was grabby I found the casting that goes on the shaft had actually cracked.  A new one fixed the problem.  Seem to remember that assembly was fairly self explanatory.

On a side note, when one of the 50's started to clutch slip badly I found that only one plate was outside the factory specs. (I had genuine Honda workshop manuals which had factory specs for each part - most useful).  After buying just one plate instead of the whole pack the clutch worked just fine.  This one plate was only just outside the factory specs, so I suspect that the final plate size is actually pretty critical.

[Scott DeRoss]

Did you oil the new plates before they were installed ?



I play with old Honda singles when I sleep 
https://youtu.be/Uh6mtzR9Yr4

That's what I thought but wasn't it.

[Scott DeRoss]

Thanks everyone for your input. i have all the books and break down for this bike/clutch. what it turned out to be is I found another break down of the clutch showing two of the 6 clutch springs for the pressure plates and friction plates the shorter ones actually were in the wrong spot but my book didn't show then in that position. type "0" maybe but after following that breakdown everything worked great by hand before I re-installed the clutch pack again so I knew it was going to work! and now everything is just fine. I guess even genuine Honda books have mistakes...Go figure. yes and everything is genuine Honda parts. Rides great now! thanks again everyone.