I am rebuilding a RD500 engine left in a basement for ages without the clutch cover.
Engine is in a good condition, but the clutch disks, both steel and fiber, need replacement.
Any suggestions? Any aftermarket clutch discs available (Barnett)? Any feedback?
George
clutch disks
Moderator: rztom
Unless Barnett has changed their friction materials in the last year or so, those may not be the ones to use.
Most Barnett frictions are made with a compound that leaches oils into them, and then, exdpanding from the oil. When this occurs, the clutch lever will be pulled all the way to the bar, in gear, the bike will begin to creep forward, more and more as the plates bulge. You won't be able to get the trans into neutral as well, when this occurs.
We need to do a check to see if there is another plate that will interchange from something else, Yamaha or other. Even possibly, add a pair of plates, etc.
In the mid-1970'2. Hurley Wilvert and I raced a TZ700/750 in AFM, AMA and overseas competition. Clutch friction plates for them were priced at $11.60 EACH (8), way too expensive. We went on a search mission, found that the steels and frictions for a Yamaha XS650 were the same outer and inner splines, but were thinner, just enough to add one more steel, one more friction. And, the steels were $0.90 each, frictions were $1.98. Bonus deal, add an extra plate set, lower price. We ended up machining the hub and pressure plate and got yet another pair of the 650 plates into those clutches. Although the TZ was a dry clutch, and the XS650 was a wet clutch, the frictions and steels didn't show adversity from the change of atmosphere.
Most Barnett frictions are made with a compound that leaches oils into them, and then, exdpanding from the oil. When this occurs, the clutch lever will be pulled all the way to the bar, in gear, the bike will begin to creep forward, more and more as the plates bulge. You won't be able to get the trans into neutral as well, when this occurs.
We need to do a check to see if there is another plate that will interchange from something else, Yamaha or other. Even possibly, add a pair of plates, etc.
In the mid-1970'2. Hurley Wilvert and I raced a TZ700/750 in AFM, AMA and overseas competition. Clutch friction plates for them were priced at $11.60 EACH (8), way too expensive. We went on a search mission, found that the steels and frictions for a Yamaha XS650 were the same outer and inner splines, but were thinner, just enough to add one more steel, one more friction. And, the steels were $0.90 each, frictions were $1.98. Bonus deal, add an extra plate set, lower price. We ended up machining the hub and pressure plate and got yet another pair of the 650 plates into those clutches. Although the TZ was a dry clutch, and the XS650 was a wet clutch, the frictions and steels didn't show adversity from the change of atmosphere.
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Jordi YZR500
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