426 Rekluse help

[beasleys]

My rekluse seems to be wearing clutch plates. I installed Tusk plates from Rocky Mountain MC at the same time as the rekluse. I conducted the prescribed break in procedures and rechecked the gap and it was good. After approx 20 hours I noticed a lot of slipping. I checked the gap and I am sitting was sitting at approx .049 wchich should be .030-.037 I only had one of the thicker steel plates they include in the kit left. I installed it and now I think I am right at the edge of .037-.038 I rode the bike around the block and it seems to be grabbing somewhat right now.

Question 1.Has any one ever used these TUSK clutch plates with a rekluse??

Question 2. What clutch plates do you run with your rekluse??

Question 3. How many of the thicker steel plates are you running in you system to bring the gap within tolerance??

Question 4. Does anyone know the specks of what the thickness of a good clutch friction plate should be?? I would like to be able to measure these Tusks ones to see if they are that much different from the stocks.

Please help this clutch system has been a lifesaver and I would like to keep it that way. Thanks

[642MX]

Tusk plates should be fine, but if the clutch slipped and your installed gap was .049 then you need to buy some new fibers. Here are some questions for you. What oil do you run? Do you use the tungsten balls? Which spring are you running? Do you use a perch adjuster?

[LJ]

I just installed a Rekluse in my yz400 with the Tusk clutch. I have only about 8 hours on it, and it's been good so far.

I checked it after the 20 min break in and had to add 1 additional Rekluse clutch plate. This makes a total of 2 Rekluse clutch plates, and the remainder the Tusk clutch plates.

I measured the Rekluse clutch plate to be .055" and the stock was around .050", but that's for the 400.

Do you have the perch adjuster (actually, it think this is true for the non-perch adjuster also)? If you do, did you disconnect the torsion spring at the engine case? If you didn't, it will cause the clutch to slip too much and will burn it up.

If you do have the perch adjuster, did you set the clutch lever end play correctly? My instructions for my yz400 said it should be .5" at the end of the lever, other instructions said it should be a certain gap (I don't remember) between the lever and the clutch perch.

Finally, what oil are you using? Don't use an oil with friction modifiers, like the ones used in most auto engine oils. Rekluse recommends a specific oil, check your installation instructions. If you don't have the installation instructions, you can download them from the Rekluse website.

[LJ]

Also, what spring set up are you using? If you use the motocross soft spring, and do a lot of slow speed trail riding using 3rd or 4th gear, you'll burn up the clutch.

[beasleys]

The fiber plates that are installed are the tusk ones and they are only about 20 hours old all with the rekluse. I am running Chevron Delo 400 oil just like rekluse recommended. I do have the external perch adjuster and I am running the heavy spring in it. I do no thave the return spring hooked up on the clutch actuator arm on the motor case. I am not sure why I am having to use all 5 thicker steel plates in my system to achieve to righ gap.

[beasleys]

I am using the stock steel balls. The clutch plates that you measured were they the steel drive plates or the fiber friction plates.

[642MX]

I would not run the heavier spring unless you are a real aggressive rider. I only run the heavy spring for MX racing. I noticed that the heavier spring makes the clutch slip more with a increased amount of heat in the clutch. The heavy spring works very well with the tungsten balls, but for normal riding I use the soft spring. You should try the heavier balls, it really gives a positive feel when the clutch pack tightens. I have 4 rekluse plates in my basket now, I don't think that is abnormal. If it takes 5, it takes 5. But like I said, if the clutch was slipping really bad then you need to swap out the fiber plates.

[thumper victim]

I had the same problem with my 00 426. I just gave up. I ran the gap tight, loose, right on nothing seemed to work. I tried stock plates, ebc, barnett carbon fibers,seems like no one makes friction plates durable enough to handle long term use/slippage of this type of clutch. I do a lot of uphill technical single track @ low rpm in the piute forest. The clutch always worked fine @ the beginning of a ride. but after 6 hrs of punishment the frictions where done. I was using delo 400. I loved it thru the tight stuff with lots of turns,but,as I said before,the really radical stuff seems to kill it. I'm hanging on to the rekluse in case they come out with a friction material that'll survive, I dont remember the installation manual saying anything about removing the case pivot spring ? ?

[vanisland]

I've had my rekluse clutch for about 1 1/2 years now with no problems.

I've made some minor adjustments just to try engaging the clutch at different rpms and see how the engine braking would be affected.

I only used one of the rekluse plates and get the gap setup to specs.

I have it setup to engage at low rpm, and there isn't a lot of slippage before it hooks up, and I have good engine braking. This doesn't sound normal that you would need to use 5 plates to get the gap set correctly. What about at the actuator arm, do you have it set up so there is just a slight bit of tension. You might want to contact the guys at Rekluse, they are pretty helpful.

[642MX]

I had the same problem with my 00 426. I just gave up. I ran the gap tight, loose, right on nothing seemed to work. I tried stock plates, ebc, barnett carbon fibers,seems like no one makes friction plates durable enough to handle long term use/slippage of this type of clutch. I do a lot of uphill technical single track @ low rpm in the piute forest. The clutch always worked fine @ the beginning of a ride. but after 6 hrs of punishment the frictions where done. I was using delo 400. I loved it thru the tight stuff with lots of turns,but,as I said before,the really radical stuff seems to kill it. I'm hanging on to the rekluse in case they come out with a friction material that'll survive, I dont remember the installation manual saying anything about removing the case pivot spring ? ?

Your last sentence tells exactly why you where frying clutches. If you don't remove the spring it works against the adjuster, it increases the amount of force needed to move the actuator arm.

[LJ]

Sorry, it was the steel plates, not the friction plates that I measured the thickness.

Is your clutch basket worn? Look on the ears of the clutch basket, if they are notched up, it will cause the clutch to not engage smoothly. Maybe the fiber clutch plates are hanging up on notches in your clutch basket? I remember reading in my installation manual that the clutch basket had to be in good shape for the clutch to work.

[beasleys]

My basket is stock and I see no signs of wear at all. It looks brand new to me. I am going to go to the dealer tomorrow and see if they will let me use a micrometer to measure a stock plate against one of the Tusk ones. I am at a loss. I am guessing that I will end up having to replace these friction plates.

?