Help with '97 Katana Clutch Cable

[mjroby]

Ok Guys -
I am 100% Rookie.
Anyone know of any online articles or FAQ on changing the Clutch cable on a '97 Katana. I can get to the point where I take the holding bolts out of the Cover, but then I get bogged down. Please help me out. I want to ride and replacing the clutch cable is my last obstacle to overcome.
I'm not sure what to do with the shift lever and adjuster.
Any one got any info?
Thanks in advance
-Mike

[md86]

Shift lever has to come off . Once you get the cover off , you'l see how the cable's held in there with this bucket deal . After that , it's pretty easy to figure out .

[mjroby]

Hmmmmmm.........

Thanks for the info. I did get everything off. No problem changing the cable. I adjusted both ends, but...

Still the same. The clutch seems not to completely dis-engage when the lever is pulled all the way in. I'm baffeled, dazed, and confused.
It's almost like the clutch is sticking. Any Ideas?

-Mike

[The CyberPoet]

Re: Hmmmmmm.........

Still the same. The clutch seems not to completely dis-engage when the lever is pulled all the way in. I'm baffeled, dazed, and confused. It's almost like the clutch is sticking. Any Ideas?

A few... but I need to ask some questions first:

(A) Are you getting this behavior when the engine is warm, or only when it's cold?
(B) Did the bike sit for any extended time (months, years) before you started getting this symptom?
(C) How many miles on the bike?
(D) Have you dropped the bike on it's left side, or see any indication (in terms of damages) that a past owner might have?

Oh, and what are the exact symptoms (engine temp, gear selection, speed, etc)?

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[mjroby]

More Information

Ok... to add more:
This Suzuki Katana 600cc has 16K miles. It did sit up for 2 yrs, stored in a garage. I don’t think it’s ever been dropped or damaged. It doesn’t appear to be.
What is did was:
Drained and cleaned the fuel Tank
Replaced the battery
Cleaned all the Carbs, jets, and float bowls
Replaced all Fuel Lines
Replaced Spark Plugs & Air Filter w/ OEM spec parts

I then fired up the engine. It started and ran fine. No problems what so ever.
I ran the bike for approx 1 mile to warm up the engine fluids. At that time, the clutch engaged/dis-engaged fine and it shifted ok.

I then drained the crankcase and oil cooler and changed the oil w/ Valvoline M/C oil.
When I tried to ride after that, that’s when I began to have the problem with the bike Killing when I attempted to put it in gear. I could see that the clutch was not dis-engaging completely when I pulled in the clutch lever.
I tried to adjust the clutch cable but no results. I then replaced the clutch cable and attempted to adjust, but same thing.
What do I need to do now???

Thanks in advance,
-Mike

[The CyberPoet]

Re: More Information

I then drained the crankcase and oil cooler and changed the oil w/ Valvoline M/C oil.
When I tried to ride after that, that’s when I began to have the problem with the bike Killing when I attempted to put it in gear. I could see that the clutch was not dis-engaging completely when I pulled in the clutch lever.

Actually, this behavior sounds like it's something totally separate from the whole sticky clutch pad issue (which I'll cover in a minute anyway). Specifically, I suspect that it's your sidestand sensor...

On Katana's and most other modern bikes, there is a safety interlock at the sidestand (kickstand) that gets pushed in when the sidestand is up. If the sensor isn't making contact, the engine shuts down as soon as it's put into gear (any gear). Sometimes the sensors fail, usually caused by one of the following:
Elongation of the pivot hole (age/wear/using the sidestand as a way of rotating the bike around -- cure is generally to weld the pivot hole and redrill it, cheap cure is to short-circuit the wiring);
Wiring going to the sidestand switch bad (insulation worn, wire has a bad lead -- if so, fix/replace wiring);
Sidestand spring weak (no longer keeping the sidestand up all the way -- if so, replace).
Contact switch dirty (clean with WD-40 and work in-out).

Easy way to test: jumper the contacts for the sensor and see if the problem goes away.

-----

The second problem is a clutch pad problem involving gummy old oil. The clutch pads are designed to separate and come together in response to the clutch input. As the oil they sit in gets old and oxidized (turning to gunk) over the months and years of disuse, the pads become coated in the stuff, and the whole clutch mechanism gets sticky, not wanting to move properly in regards to clutch lever input. Usually changing the oil to a detergent rich oil, and then letting the bike run for an hour or so (either riding on a highway, or running the centerstand in gear) will usually free up most of the gunk -- but it will leave you wanting to change the oil again, because it's now filled with sludge that came off various engine parts, including the clutch plates.

In worst case scenarios (bikes sitting literally for a number of years), I've been known to use an actual engine flush product (Gunk brand engine flush) in a batch of fresh oil, run for 5 minutes as per the directions, then dump the oil (including the contents of the oil cooler), install fresh oil, run it for 5 minutes and do another oil change (including the oil cooler again, as well as the filter this time)... But I will not recommend that anyone else does this, because it thins out your oil and may hamper protection of your internals (bearings, etc) while the flush product is in there, and I won't promise that it is safe for use with a wet clutch (neither would the manufacturer when questioned about it). If you do use this method, change the oil twice and dump the cooler each time!

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[mjroby]

That did the Trick - I'm riding!!!!

Thanks for all the help gentlemen. Cyberpoet - You hit the nail on the head! As you stated, the Kickstand safety switch was bad. I jumped it out, started the bike and when the oil warmed up, whatever clutch problems I had disappeared.

Thanks a million. THIS IS A GREAT FORUM.

-Mike

[mx916]

Actually, I believe this forum is priceless. Congtrats.!!!!

[The CyberPoet]

Re: That did the Trick - I'm riding!!!!

Thanks for all the help gentlemen. Cyberpoet - You hit the nail on the head! As you stated, the Kickstand safety switch was bad. I jumped it out, started the bike and when the oil warmed up, whatever clutch problems I had disappeared.

OK, now go track down the actual sidestand problem and arrange to fix it properly. Why? Because that safety interlock is there to keep you from killing yourself. Let's say you're going around a turn and the sidestand is hanging low (weak spring) or sticking out at a bad angle (bad pivot hole) -- it might catch the edge of a manhole cover or other obstruction, snagging and casting you adrift through time and space. If the engine wasn't running, you wouldn't have been at speed and the whole accident would have been avoided.

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[Harlyman1969]

Clutch problems

Need a link on a 2002 600 katana clutch change out I'm a mechanic but need info on how to what all to take off please any links would be helpfull can't find any info on this on the Internet

[92xjunker]

This thread is many years old.

[crazycraven420]

a manual or the service manual available to download here if you search for it should do the trick