Topic: 550 clutch grab issue

[Tews19]

I have been trying to use the search function but it is a little funky. No longer does it isolate the word or phrase and rather grabs every post with any word in it.

Anyways this is my issue. I thought I put the gears in wrong on my 550 but I have been able to figure out that is not the issue. My clutch seems to be fighting itself and me. I followed the procedure per manual. I loosened the 10 mm nut on the cover. 

Then I lined up the marks on the arm and the clutch cover. When I do this there is no grab. If I move the arm marking way below the mark on the clutch cover I can get it in gear but then the neutral light is always on. The bike will get into gear immediately and have absolutely no power to it. I can't even make it up my driveway. It is as if it wants to stay in between gears?

Any ideas what to do?

[calj737]

Unless an expert comes along, sounds to me like your clutch springs have come undone. Did you properly torque them down? Sounds as if youre getting no engagement regardless of the gear shift position.

[Tews19]

Took a few pics. Everything looks normal.  I will put in the spare clutch basket to see if that fixes it.

[Tews19]

If I pull in the clutch drop it into first. Once I let it up just a tad on the lever the bike moves forward. I did put in a different clutch basket and same issue.

What am I missing?

[Tews19]

I figured out the clutch issue. Now onto the head gasket.

[bwaller]

  Well done. By the way, I never go by the marks and always adjust the screw with 1/4 turn of free play. 

[calj737]

So what was it?

[Tews19]

If you look at the top angle view of the clutch basket. It looks like a space in between the plates. The other basket had no gap. I installed that basket and relocated the cable itself. Simple and I feel like a dummy. But oh well. Took her around the neighborhood with the leaky head gasket. Back to full power.

[calj737]

I saw the gap in the pictures and was scratching my head, but had to deal with some other stuff... What caused that gap? We're the plates hung up on the fingers, or is that a 550 basket, or what?

[Tews19]

It's the metal plates between the plates. Which still has me curious cause I have another clutch basket and it is the same way as the first basket.