Topic: When oil is hot the clutch starts to slip

[jonathantaylor86]

I have a 72' CB500 and I've been noticing when the oil gets hot after a long drive the clutch begins to slip. Any suggestions?

[jonathantaylor86]

Excuse the idiotic question, but where is the crankcase vent?

[TwoTired]

Replace the clutch springs.  You can measure their length to see if they are within spec.

Of course while you are in there you should measure the steels and friction thickness, too.  If the whole stack is thinner, the springs can't exert proper pressure.


I don't know what the crankcase vent has to do with it.  But, the 550 has it at the top of the engine.  It's a 12 mm hose.

[TwoTired]

The 500 has a sensitive adjuster with limited range.
It can be difficult get the clutch to both release and grab unless the adjuster is set "just right".
You may also have some issues with a worn clutch actuator rod that has developed grooves, impeding its travel.

The rod is a bit easier to get at than the clutch springs and discs.  So, I would examine the actuator parts first.

You may want to look through these threads that I found using the search function.
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=14273.msg140479#msg140479
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=27355.msg279214#msg279214