Transmission issues on 2008 FE550

Hi,

My recently purchased 2008 FE550 has a bit of weirdness with the transmission. I can find neutral fine with the engine off. When I start, then put in gear, no problems. But while engine running,

1) can't shift back into neutral. And

2) when running, in gear and clutch in, it feels like bike is not fully "clutched" - meaning I can't roll it backwards. It doesn't "walk" forward per se, but I can't roll it back.

Remedies I've taken:

1) rebuilt both master and slave cylinders with new gaskets and cylinders all round.
2) Bled and refilled with mineral oil. Normally use Magura, but since I'm still in "troubleshooting" mode with multiple bleeds/refills, I'd like to sort the issue out before finishing with Magura.

Clutch doesn't slip, or misbehave in any other fashion other than the above two issues.

Any help would be most appreciated.

cheers from Canada,

CM

Also look at the clutch both plates and lining discs. Warped uneven. Might have to replace them. With huskys to Husaberg's Neutral has always been a *****. Adjust your clutch at the lever as tight as your comfortable with. Some people look for neutral as there rolling to a stop other roll the bike back and forth not to work with You though... if no one responds try looking around the forum for your answer. Good luck

Its common with Husabergs.
Yeah there are few things you can look into with cover off with worn plates, warped/grooved discs.
Taffy sells a clutch pill that helps get better separation. He also has special thickness discs I believe. But you will need to confirm with him. I have just heard and have not got some myself yet.

pollo

Thanks Rain and Chicken (Yes, Spanish is one of the three languages I speak).

Regrettably, I'm not as fluent in mechanish, but I'm slowly getting there.

Have never taken the clutch side off any bike - but I've got the full manual - will study tonight.

cm

canadius said:

Thanks Rain and Chicken (Yes, Spanish is one of the three languages I speak).

Regrettably, I'm not as fluent in mechanish, but I'm slowly getting there.

Have never taken the clutch side off any bike - but I've got the full manual - will study tonight.

cm

Click to expand...

My name is Paul and my Italian boss started calling me paolo and then it started sounding like pollo. And it stuck.

yup, clutch steels IMHO.

cheers

taffy

Just picking this up as the whole point of the clutch exploration was to look at the clutch plates / steels.

So now that all replacement parts have arrived, I've noticed something odd - and am wondering if it may have a bearing on my initial symptom of clutch not being fully engaged.

The manual refers to a #17 - support washer 25 x 35 x 1 as the first part to insert in the assembly.

But looking at the assembly on my bike, it looks like it was never there. When I put the needle bearings and half washers on, look at the gap - a good 2-3mm of play.

I'm concluding that part was missing, and am wondering if that resulting offset is contributing to the no first to neutral at stop, no roll back in gear with clutch in symptoms. The clutch plates looked perfect - hardly worn.

Thoughts?

yep, you're right!

slap it together and ride!

Taffy

Taffy said:

yep, you're right!

slap it together and ride!

Taffy

Click to expand...

so you're saying yes, I'm missing the support washer (59032017000)?

As far as I can tell, the only thing further aft of the two needle bearings is the main clutch shaft bearing, so that's where that support washer is supposed to be.

Another part to order .... lol

cm

yes you need the washer. yes you are right

taffy

Taffy said:

yes you need the washer. yes you are right

taffy

Click to expand...

Great - thanks.

Click into neutral before stopping and just after you pull the clutch in. ...dont coast first. If you miss the chance to do that.... when stopped reach down and pull it into neutral with your hand which has a more subtle use of force than your foot. Use the recommended oil.

Thanks Taff,

So now that washer has arrived, I've "reset" the kick starter, and timing is aligned (1 dot between 2 dots), old gasket peeled off, new gasket mounted. I've put some heat shrink over the water pump shaft temporarily, to ease into the water pump seal. New water pump seal on hand. So it's time for remounting the clutch cover, and have a few questions:

1) Not wanting the kick starter shaft to "unset" itself, is this easier done with bike on my service stand or on it's right side?

2) Should I seat the water pump seal onto the case, and then slide the whole thing over the shaft that way - or should I leave the seal off, and pop in after case is fully in? Not wanting to mess up the new seal ...

Thanks folks. Caveat - this is the first time I've opened an engine case, so this whole experience is new ground for me. Sorry if questions are obvious or dumb - I make no claim of skill in this regard....

cheers,

cm

put the seal in the cover. put a little oil on the heat shrink. the kickstart will not mind if the engine is vertical or on the right but your left cover gasket WILL appreciate it being on the right.

Taffy

Hello all,

Just a quick update on this. Thanks to all for the tips - happy to report things are "mostly" fixed.

BTW, the trick to keep the starter shaft/cam assembly from kicking out during reassembly of the side cover was, as suggested, bike on it's side, and most importantly - having a buddy apply continuous inward pressure/immobilize the shaft as I positioned and tapped the case gently into place. After the trouble of positioning the gears and torqueing the nut - it's agonizing to have it pop out just as you're about to finish the job. It takes the tiniest amount of deflection of the shaft or even jiggling about to get it to unseat and pop out. Took me two attempts of doing this alone to figure out it was worth getting a hand.

Bike is now easy to put into neutral for either 1st or 2nd while running = win.

Starts with no "spinning/whining" of the sprague = win.

Bike still won't roll backwards easily when in gear and clutched in while running. I'm short, so with only balls of feet touching, it's hard to get lots of purchase to push back, but am comparing to other bikes I've owned. So am thinking it might need rebleeding. = wait and see. Since I'm about do an engine-off restoration, I'll wait to rebleed after that's all done.

Weep hole on the water pump still leaking some oil; I bought a new KTM blue seal. My question is this - where should that seal be positioned? By that I mean how far in/out along the shaft should it be positioned?

I placed it so that as you're looking at the water pump area, it's flush to the surface of the water pump cavity. But it could be shoved further back. I didn't, since I figured the sealing had to occur at the "outermost" point. I'm starting to think that's wrong, that I should have shoved it all the way inward. I figured I can always shove it in, but it's virtually impossible to pull out without ruining it, now that the cover is back on.

Before I evacuate all my coolant (uuuhgain), some thoughts on that seal's position, and if that's playing a role in the leak of the weep hole?

thx,

cm

Re-build nearing end - tore it down to the frame and restored virtually every piece. Fun times.

Engine is in and running. Before putting on the new chain I did a fresh clutch bleed and that's when I realized that the clutch is still not quite right. With the gearbox in neutral, the front cog is still spinning. I can "stop" it with a pen - not turning with much force - but it's turning nonetheless. Has all new clutch plates, so I'm trying to narrow this down.

Took another look at the clutch piston, and I found two things that might be issues:

1) The outward (side facing the inside of the output cylinder) face is scored/scratched.

2) That wall thickness seems to have worn down, such that it's thinner than the other side of the wall sandwiching the piston o-ring.

I'm assuming both are indications of worn piston, yes? And is this consistent with why there's some "stiction" - cog freewheeling, and why I was having my earlier problems where, in first / with clutch in, I couldn't roll the bike back and/or it would "walk"?

thanks for your input.

cm

I can't see or gauge that wear from here - nobody can. all you can do if you can't get a seal on it is to get a new complete slave or at least try a fraction larger o ring.

the other thing you might consider is dropping some warm runny hot glue in the bottom of the groove and let it run around and then put it in the drill and spin it up and let it fling out any excess. let it dry out. then stick the O ring back in.

cheers

Taffy

When I first got my bike (2008 FE550), I used to get a very slow forward rotation of the rear wheel when the bike was up on a stand. Maybe 1 rotation every 10 seconds and with no force at all. With the bike on the ground under its own weight, there was no noticeable forward pull. Then after a few months, I noticed that the bike hadn't been doing that since I first got it. I put it down to maybe using a different oil than the previous owner had used but I dunno.

its the clutch drum problem in the 2002s and that leads to warped plates. in the 2003-2008s it is just warped steels.

the only other thing that comes up is that the clutch pack height (all 15 plates) can vary enormously. if it is very tall, you need a pill on the end of the clutch pushrod. but the opposite can happen as the pack goes down.

remember that the 2003-2008s can have 1.4mm steels in it and there were 1.8mm frictions and 2.0mm frictions.

so there can be a difference of a new pack with 4 x 1.4 steels in it and 7 x 2.0mm frictions compared to all 1mm steels and all 1.8mm frictions of 3mm.

yup 3mm. and the throw of the clutch is only what? 1.5mm? maybe 2mm tops.

you can tell by looking at how far out the piston is within the slave body.

cheers

Taffy

Click to neutral while rolling or when stopped reach down with left hand and give a sharp controlled pull to neutral from first or controlled push from second. Your foot is not sensitive enough to do this. You get used to this as you do with your foot just before you stop. Try it.