Clutch Failure

[hombre]

IMO, you definitely have enough "evidence" to force a repair from Triumph. If they don't give you satisfaction, report your findings to the NTSB and they may force a recall. Crappy quality control costs lives!

 

[Silver Bullet]

Report anyway

As memory serves, other issues like this have come up such as the paint can rattle with the lower crank sprocket assembly. I would report it anyway because some one reported here on this site that the NTSB requires a minimum number of complaints on any given issue before they consider it a problem for the OEM to take care of in the form of a recall...SB.

 

[wilbur-t]

Snuck a peek in a service manual and my clutch was assembled wrong. The hardened washer was supposed to be between the bearing and the pressure plate, as I suspected. I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did.

 

[Paul Hyland]

Ya but if you took it apart have fun convincing the dealer it was wrong

 

[busajack]

Please Wilbur,make them fix it.Once again humans suck.Seems every major problem is human errrrroooorrr.Jack

 

[wilbur-t]

Actually, it is self proving. The steel washer is a larger diameter than the rollers on the bearing, so the wear pattern on the pressure plate is exhibit #1.

 

[wilbur-t]

Service Manager at Capitil BMW, Triumph has forwarded my pics to Triumph. Expects to have an answer by Friday..............

 

[TxRIIIRider]

I've got 29,000 miles on mine and it's a Jul '04 model.. so I'm keeping any eye on this thread.. So far, I'm fine though. I've not had to adjust the clutch very much at all. I'm not too hard on it off the line, but do spin the rear or pull the front wheel on occaision..

 

[Sidecar Flip]

I've got 29,000 miles on mine and it's a Jul '04 model.. so I'm keeping any eye on this thread.. So far, I'm fine though. I've not had to adjust the clutch very much at all. I'm not too hard on it off the line, but do spin the rear or pull the front wheel on occaision..

When the clutch is realsed there is NO load on the bearing or the pushrod or the actuator ball. It's when the clutch is disengaged, (the plates are seperated) that the bearing, ball and rod is under stress.

Pulling the wheel or spinning the tire have no effect on the basket or the actuator mechanism, however, holding the clutch disengaged and revving the motor does.......

It's a wet, multi-plate clutch so there is minimal wear as opposed to a dry clutch. 99% of the adjustment is due to cable stretch and if you have to adjust it frequently, you are eating the bearing, ball, rod and basket internally. As long as a wet clutch has adequate spring pressure to overcome torque load, there is no slip. When it starts to slip, it's not adjustment time, it's replacement time.

 

[wilbur-t]

I've got 29,000 miles on mine and it's a Jul '04 model.. so I'm keeping any eye on this thread.. So far, I'm fine though. I've not had to adjust the clutch very much at all. I'm not too hard on it off the line, but do spin the rear or pull the front wheel on occaision..

So long as your bearing was assembled correctly, it should be fine. It's possible that the mechanic at Meyers Motorcycles put mine together wrong when the bike was there at 12k. and they said they inspected the clutch. To me, it did not look like the front cover had ever been off before. The gasket still had silver engine paint on the edge.