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Clutch Chatter

I had posted here when my clutch plate failed at 5k in 2013 and now the same thing happened just after 50k. In June I walked out a grocery store back to the bike and when I tried to start it the clutch spring must have locked everything up. I checked with AF1 and MG didn't have the clutch pack available. By August it was and I ordered one. When I talked with service about scheduling the work he gave me a list of other parts needed for the replacement. One $8 part, Complete thrust needle roller bearing part #976532, is still on backorder and not available. Does anyone have a opinion if I really need to wait since the bike does have 50k miles? It was a bummer since I didn't have the bike with me in Oregon during the 14 months I was up there hiding from covid and had only been able to ride a few hundred miles once I got back to Texas. The only good thing was that I wasn't riding it back to Oregon for the summer when the clutch plate failed again.
 
As for that or any other bearing goes, you cannot predict when one will fail. I've seen many of then go over 150K miles, and some fail early. You just never know.
 
I can get a clutch assy complete relatively quickly, and I usually stock the bearing, however I do not have one at the moment. One is showing in stock from my source. Ping me direct email if interested; Info @GuzziTech.com
 
I can get a clutch assy complete relatively quickly, and I usually stock the bearing, however I do not have one at the moment. One is showing in stock from my source. Ping me direct email if interested; Info @GuzziTech.com
Thanks, thats great news. I just sent you an email.
 
To me, I will never tear open a bell housing that I don’t replace everything in there. Bearings, rear main seal, the works.

It’s simply way too expensive and labor intensive not to.

I’ve asked people if they could trade me $10 instead of an additional tear down, and they all say yes.

That’s my 2 cents.

Get all the parts, including the rear main seal, and bearing, and change them all while you are there!
 
To me, I will never tear open a bell housing that I don’t replace everything in there. Bearings, rear main seal, the works.

It’s simply way too expensive and labor intensive not to.

I’ve asked people if they could trade me $10 instead of an additional tear down, and they all say yes.

That’s my 2 cents.

Get all the parts, including the rear main seal, and bearing, and change them all while you are there!
The service manager gave me a list of other parts that should be replaced in addition to the clutch pack. They were clutch pushrod, pushrod seals, pushrod bearing guide, pushrod bearing assembly, cylinder, rear main seal and the elusive thrust needle roller bearing. Do you think that covers all the bases you're referring to? Thanks for your input. Carl
 
They were
clutch pushrod,
pushrod seals,
pushrod bearing guide,
pushrod bearing assembly,
cylinder,
rear main seal
and the elusive thrust needle roller bearing.

Do you think that covers all the bases you're referring to?

Yes, this is the idea I am putting forth.

My point being that if you have already absorbed the huge expense to separate the engine, clutch and transmission apart, (major surgery), then you absolutely want to replace all serviceable or wear item parts, especially with 50k+ miles and 2 clutch failures already. You don’t want to pay to rip this open again later due to a relatively inexpensive part failure like a seal.

That would be penny wise and pound foolish!

You don’t say what year your Stelvio is but I’m guessing 2011-2012?

0D87BE27 FE36 4C2A B0B1 0C72C9C454FF

7A49A4C4 B0AC 4526 95DA 0D29E77D81ED
 
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Yes, this is the idea I am putting forth.

My point being that if you have already absorbed the huge expense to separate the engine, clutch and transmission apart, (major surgery), then you absolutely want to replace all serviceable or wear item parts, especially with 50k+ miles and 2 clutch failures already. You don’t want to pay to rip this open again later due to a relatively inexpensive part failure like a seal.

That would be penny wise and pound foolish!

You don’t say what year your Stelvio is but I’m guessing 2011-2012?

View attachment 23710

View attachment 23711
Yes it's a 2012. From the clutch diagram it looks like the shop didn't have me buy 5,6,7,8,9 and 10. On the clutch shaft diagram they only have me buying 4. So you're suggesting I also get bearings 2&5 from the clutch shaft diagram? Thanks again for your support. Carl
 
No, I’m saying that your mechanic should guide you.

As I said before, I’ve not directly replaced a clutch on a Stelvio NTX like ours (mine is a 2012) and it’s not my place to say as I’m not working on your bike and I cannot see the parts.

It seems that what they have called for is reasonable. I just always inspect everything and replace it while it’s opened up. Of course, having stocked BMW parts on the shelf, ready to go, made that a simple process.

Tearing open a Moto Guzzi, often results in having to order parts after the teardown and inspection.

I think you are being taken good care of by your garage. I have no reason to believe otherwise. However, they are the ones you should ask these questions to.

You just want to make it clear that while you have it all torn apart, it’s INFINITELY CHEAPER to replace anything needed than to bear the teardown expense again later. If you express this to them, they may make other recommendations. IDK.

I hope this helps.
 
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No, I’m saying that your mechanic should guide you.

As I said before, I’ve not directly replaced a clutch on a Stelvio NTX like ours (mine is a 2012) and it’s not my place to say as I’m not working on your bike and I cannot see the parts.

It seems that what they have called for is reasonable. I just always inspect everything and replace it while it’s opened up. Of course, having stocked BMW parts on the shelf, ready to go, made that a simple process.

Tearing open a Moto Guzzi, often results in having to order parts after the teardown and inspection.

I think you are being taken good care of by your garage. I have no reason to believe otherwise. However, they are the ones you should ask these questions to.

You just want to make it clear that while you have it all torn apart, it’s INFINITELY CHEAPER to replace anything needed than to bear the teardown expense again later. If you express this to them, they may make other recommendations. IDK.

I hope this helps.
I understand. I did contact the service manager at AF1 yesterday about the other bearings and he said they are easily available and we can wait and see how they look. Now he said that they wouldn't have the needle bearing until next month so I'm hoping that Todd can obtain the one that he might have access too.
 
I read somewhere about a guy flushing his bell housing and clutch area with gasoline, that then drained out the bottom drain. He used gasoline because it evaporated quickly, but I have to wonder about degradation of seals and other parts with that approach. Anyone else heard of that sort of flushing?
 
I read somewhere about a guy flushing his bell housing and clutch area with gasoline, that then drained out the bottom drain. He used gasoline because it evaporated quickly, but I have to wonder about degradation of seals and other parts with that approach. Anyone else heard of that sort of flushing?

Long ago in the era of the big block 5 speed double clutch plates and hub gear with 2mm splines they would hang and not release because of wear on the hub gear. Some swore that flushing with Kerosene or your solvent of choice cured the issue. It doesn't. Don't try anything like that.
 
I read somewhere about a guy flushing his bell housing and clutch area with gasoline, that then drained out the bottom drain. He used gasoline because it evaporated quickly, but I have to wonder about degradation of seals and other parts with that approach. Anyone else heard of that sort of flushing?

Shock
 
That was the expected response to that idea! The clutch on my 15 with 53K miles is all kinds of odd in how it bangs and grabs and shakes, but it never slips and always grips and I'll ride it that way until it dies.
 
I read somewhere about a guy flushing his bell housing and clutch area with gasoline, that then drained out the bottom drain. He used gasoline because it evaporated quickly, but I have to wonder about degradation of seals and other parts with that approach. Anyone else heard of that sort of flushing?
I noticed that you are in Olympia. I spend half of every year just outside of Portland, Oregon. Before covid when I had issues there was a MG dealer in Portland. Now they are gone. Do you think the Washington dealerships are going to be a good option for service? It will just be a pain to get the bike there if it isn't rideable.
 
Glad you asked korskov. The only Guzzi dealer left in the entire PNW of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and so on, is one in Seattle that I can tell you from first hand experience is to be avoided at all costs. It is called Optimum Performance motorsports, and I took my former Aprilia there for work and after waiting many, many months, they screwed it up and then tried to refuse to fix their own mistakes. They have only one certified mechanic for their whole shop, and he is not skilled. They are so bad that it prevents me from considering the purchase of a new Guzzi, and many of us Guzzi folks here lament the loss of Moto International or some other reputable dealer with skilled mechanics.
 
Glad you asked korskov. The only Guzzi dealer left in the entire PNW of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and so on, is one in Seattle that I can tell you from first hand experience is to be avoided at all costs. It is called Optimum Performance motorsports, and I took my former Aprilia there for work and after waiting many, many months, they screwed it up and then tried to refuse to fix their own mistakes. They have only one certified mechanic for their whole shop, and he is not skilled. They are so bad that it prevents me from considering the purchase of a new Guzzi, and many of us Guzzi folks here lament the loss of Moto International or some other reputable dealer with skilled mechanics.
Thanks for the warning. I might be better off getting one of my old Buells running and take that up there and keep the Stelvio in Texas.
 
I read somewhere about a guy flushing his bell housing and clutch area with gasoline, that then drained out the bottom drain. He used gasoline because it evaporated quickly, but I have to wonder about degradation of seals and other parts with that approach. Anyone else heard of that sort of flushing?

There were quite a few reputable Guzzi folks in the old days (I won't name names, but suffice it to say they were highly reputable!) that recommended flushing the clutch housing of a Guzzi with a sticky clutch with mineral spirits, a pint or so poured in through the inspection hole, held in the housing with a popsicle stick stuck in the drain hole in the bottom, the clutch turned or run, and then allowed to drain out, carrying the badness with it. There was certainly a lot of badness in the horrible brew that drained out of the bottom, but it never did a thing for me .... flushing the housing isn't going to compensate for worn, notched splines or dickey plates.

Lannis
 
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