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

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

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?

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

Taffy said:

yes you need the washer. yes you are right

taffy

Click to expand...

Great - thanks.

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

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