V7 clutch slip

[malik]

As it happens, I'm in the middle of doing that on the 2014 Special. I've been documenting it and taking photos as I go, with a view to supplementing the excellent Nick Webb article on gearbox repair for the Breva 750 & updating the details for the 1TB versions. There are difference, but mostly in pulling the bike down to get at the motor. Looks like I should get a wriggle on with that - opportune - the weather forecast is for rain all this next week. Other peoples' experiences are useful, as the Guzzi workshop manuals miss bits, gloss over other bits & and occasionally are misleading, as well as being done in a fantasy isolation chamber wearring pristinely clean white gloves. Not quite real world.

Parts - the clutch disc/friction plate (4, on the Clutch I page in the spare parts manual) will be oily & need replacing. The  metal surfaces of the sprung clutch (1) and the flywheel/"chain ring" (5) will have leopard spots from the oil & can be polished out with wet 'n dry & brake cleaner. It's possible the main seal (20) is OK, but you won't know until you look at it.

On the Clutch II page, you've the pushrod seal (11 - $5.09 from AF1 - the source on my woes) & a couple of o-rings, just in case.

Possible other parts which might be replaced are the pushrod, and the clutch cup it presses against.

Special tools - I bought a 36mm socket, had the end trimmed and a long bar welded to it - for the nut on the primary gear shaft - to get the clutch cover off the gearbox, and
- I took the centre out of my first oiled up clutch, and had a long bar welded to that, to make a holder for the primary gear shaft so I could get that nut off. If you ask around, perhaps you could arrange to borrow these from someone has gone before.

Otherwise, a small range of spanners & sockets, good quality Allen keys & hex sockets, a heat gun to melt the locktite, a Phillips head screwdriver & a big long screwdriver to help lever off the manifolds, decent circlip pliers, large size for the circlip holding the clutch cup. I used a VW flywheel holder for the flywheel, but a long 24mm ring spanner on the alternator nut held against the floor works too.

The engine CAN be freed from the bike in about 2 hours, I've done it, BUT that was the fourth time within a week. The first time took days. And this last time, 3 years later, and with the 1TB not the 2TB, also tools days - sufficient differences to make it more difficult than expected. Not to mention the unexpected problems - and there's usuall a few of those surprises thrown in to keep you on your toes.

[sign216]

Malik,
 
Please post your tutorial after you are finished.  With your permission, I'll post it to the yahoo MG 750 site so that all Guzzi 750 owners have repair guides on one site.

Transmission and clutch work are vital, so your guide is valuable.

Joe

[John A]

One of the first trouble spots can be the slip joints in the exhaust system being corroded together so some penetrating oil on those now is a good thing. going back together antsieze is the way to go.

[SmithSwede]

We can talk you through this if you get stuck.  I took detailed notes when I did it.    Some thoughts:

as mentioned before, replace the bearing on the transmission input shaft.   Replace all the little seals on the clutch rod. 

Be sure you disconnect everything when you pull stuff apart.  I didn't see the wire to the neutral sensor, separated the frame, and destroyed the sensor. 

Last time I took the whole frame off the engine/transmission unit.   But it was a real bear getting everything lined up just right to put those long bolts back through with the entire frame flopping around.  (I didn't have a helper)   I think next time I'll leave one set in and rotate the frame up on the remaining bolt.

It is a bear to take the rubber/plastic intake manifolds on and off.  Very stiff rubber.   I finally figured out that you can run a hair driver over and through the manifolds, get it really hot, and then it's much easier to move them around.

[johnpaulcim]

This is awesome info, guys. My 2013 V7 special is a 1TB, so your tutorial will be spot on, Malik. The hair dryer/heat gun on the intake manifolds is good info SmithSwede. That’s the sort of thing you can’t get from a manual. I appreciate all the tips, guys, and I’m sure I’ll be back for advice when I start scratching my head midway.

[SmithSwede]

Nick Webb’s tutorial is brilliant.   I read it about a dozen times
to buck up my courage to do the clutch job myself. 

I wish there was a way to thank Nick but he seems to have vanished from the web world.   

[Muzz]

would lubricate the pivot points of the actuating arm, and manually move it backwards to see if it is somehow unable to relax pressure.  I would also loosen my clutch cable a lot, so that you are absolutely certain there is no tension on the arm when the clutch lever is released. 

That nub that the lever pushes on has the thrust bearing behind it.  On a second hand box we stripped down that nub and it's associated alloy plunger had actually seized in the housing; this would hold the clutcth in a depressed state even after the lever was released.  When the wheel is out for a tire change i always pull it and grease the Thorrington thrust bearing, also the clutch pushrod where it goes into the clutch.

[Muzz]

Nick Webb’s tutorial is brilliant.   I read it about a dozen times
to buck up my courage to do the clutch job myself. 

I wish there was a way to thank Nick but he seems to have vanished from the web world.

You said it!

Those were trying times Swede.   "Senor White Gloves"  does not have much of a grasp on reality.  It really was the blind leading the blind.  I have had to refer to it since a number of times, "what the hell did we do here"!