Clutch on 3 CL tune up?

hochkoenig

hochkoenig

Senior member
Location
Salzburg-Austria
Hi,

I ask myself if there is a Way to make the Clutch more usefull, cause it can be, that the Clutch slips under some more Speed, Torque, Power whatever...
Even that this one is maybe the hardest Clutch in the World to use!
As far as I can see, the Problem is that it allways swimms in Oil like a Tuna in a Cane...
From the Moto Trail-Scene I know that some (espacialy on new Bikes they have the same Problem!) are going to drill some holes in the Steel Plate of the Clutch, to cut the Oilfilm. Maybe thist would be a Idea on Laverdas too? I am afraid to loose too much surface, maybe its become even more slipery under pressure when Driving?
Any Idea maybe drill some holes in the outer Clutchplate to let the Oil go? Makes this sense?

(any1)
 
What oil do you use?
Any additives?
How old are the plates and springs?
Are the springs all of equal length, and strength?
 
I believe that a few people have drilled holes in the clutch basket, apparently to good effect. There are a few pictures about on this forum, don't know about the plates.
There are some stiffer springs about as well(laverda-paradies) and other, which will not give your clutch wrist much joy. This has worked with 3 stiff and 3 normal springs fitted - no inadvertent slip encountered. Of course the springs are not all equal then, but doesn't seem to affect things too much.
 
HK, Laverda clutches generally only slip if something is wrong. As Grant suggests, the wrong type of oil can make the clutch slip. Also, wrong or old (collapsed) springs can also do it. But they also just wear out as the years pass by.
First tell us what model and year Laverda you have. The minimum thickness of the clutch pack is different on different models. If it's too thin you will have to buy new friction plates. I suggest you buy Kevlar plates because it seems to be a better technology.
If your springs are different lengths or shorter than they should be, just replace them, they're cheap and have to be replaced periodically anyway. OCT should have them. Put the clutch back together, add new mineral oil (like Motul). The clutch SHOULD be working right now.
If it's still too heavy but doesn't slip, OCT or Andy Wagner can sell an extended clutch actuation arm kit or an Easy-Pull lever. Don't use both, the clutch needs to move all the way in its travel.

As well as letting us know year/model, pictures often help. We may spot something you didn't.

Ken
 
Can not tell much about the Engine, cause I just going to fix it up for Raceengine and bought it separately...
I can see there some Ways to make the Clutch not slip with stronger Springs, and mineraloil with no adds, but whats about to make the Clutch seperate when the Plates stick together? Thats actually my question for drilling the Insite Steelplates...
 
HK, I think you may have something in the oil in that engine that is making the plates stick. Try this. Take the plates out, wash them thoroughly in a solvent that gets rid of all the oil, wash them in detergent, rinse well with clean water, then dry immediately with compressed air (to prevent rust). Then dip the very clean plates in clean oil (the same oil that you will be using when you race the bike), reassemble the clutch, and see if they are still sticking as badly.

Laverda clutches usually do not stick. There are exceptions, of course. Slipping under power is another story :( :D :D

Ken
 
In my experience Ken Laverda clutches do stick if the bike is left unused for a while. All of mine have done.
Sometimes they are complete bastards to free off.
 
I assume you mean you experienced both...  ;)

regarding slipping: I have only ever experienced slipping clutches by 2 causes: wrong oil or worn clutch plates.

A new set of clutch plates was available once from Stein-Dinse for 70? or so, but they don't sell them anymore. OCT has a set for roughly 100?, Red has some with carbon fiber enforced pads. No experience with them though.
 
Had clutch slip on my original Corsa.
Cured by fitting the missing steel plate.
Still no idea why the factory did that. It must have lessened the spring pressure surely.
Stuck clutches happen all to often, especially if the bike is not used for a while. Only surefire cure I found was to replace the friction plates. Maybe kevlar ones don't do it?
 
Original Laverda clutches are oil sensitive.
They tend to sitck sometimes to the point of needing taking apart if left standing for a long while.
They shouldn't slip if all else is ok and oil is compatible and engine putting out standard"ish" power.

You can of course drill holes all over the place, will lighten and aid cooling. I doubt that it'll cure slippage.
There is now a few decades of experience racing Laverdas, I don't have the notion that clutches were a major problem.
Paul.
 
Hi hochkoenig,
for your racebike a little bit of milling, two more clutch plates, three stiffer and three original springs and the use of mineral oil is the way to go. Give Hirschi a call and get your explanation. You can benefit from his experience with Laverda triple racebikes. Ciao, Gert
 
OK, I meant experiENCED, I know this word by Hendrix, maybe he was singing it not clear enought... ;)
Maybe, to assume, it would be a Idea (on more HP Engine) to use the Redax Stuff and with 2 more discs... I don?t really like a too hard Clutch by strengen using some hard Springs.
Of course there should be this longer Release Lever, but here it can cause the Problem #II, not separating of Clutch...
 
my engine puts 100 HP and 100 Nm to the rear wheel with a standard clutch. I only use Motul 20W50 and even with the use of Slick50, I never had any issue with a slipping clutch. That said, I did have it (as said) with the wrong engine oil and with worn out plates even on the engine before I did the tuning (means, with a standard engine that put out roughly 70HP to the clutch).

So - I would not worry to much about it, as long as the clutch-plate set is new (which I assume you will do anyway when you tune the engine) and the steel plates are in good condition, you shouldn't experience any slipping from my point of view. But as Gert suggested: ask Hirschi, his engine is for sure way more tuned than mine and that might make a difference.
 
Well, I just seperaded the Clutch, there was some old oil in of course. The Plates stick together very hard, and the Steelplates are Blue!
I belive that the Clutch sucks a lot HP that way, so theres a need to call Hirschi.....  ;)
 
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