Clutch Issue - Slave Cylinder?

BluesRider

Rick
Joined
Jun 2, 2006
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112
Location
Tampa, FL
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'06 ST1300
STOC #
7123
After 2 months of no riding in Central Florida we got a little cooler air come through and I went to ride Sunday on my '06 ST with 85K miles, and my clutch lever wouldn't engage the clutch. Not being a bike mechanic or do-it-yourself guy like most of you here, I towed it to my local Honda dealer. After checking it out they said its the Clutch Slave Cylinder and they have it on order. They didn't seem to be able to figure out where it was coming from and how long it would take due to Honda's site being down. I called this morning to find out if they have more info and they say there was only one in the country and they still can't tell where its coming from and when it'll be here. They hope by Friday if its coming from Wisconsin, but if its coming from California it'll take longer. So now a trip I was going to take next week is in jeopardy, and I'm wondering if I'm getting correct information from the dealer, and if other's have needed to replace slave cylinders, or could it be something else not requiring such a rare part. If they are available elsewhere, and I haven't had time to look yet this morning, maybe I should get one myself and bring it to them. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
 

T_C

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8568
Yep.. spend five minutes and bleed the clutch.
Cost you $3 in fluid.
Bet it works just fine....
 

Blrfl

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... my clutch lever wouldn't engage the clutch.
Wouldn't engage (as in connect the engine to the transmission) or disengage (disconnect)? The latter is a common problem and is solved by bleeding the system.

After checking it out they said its the Clutch Slave Cylinder and they have it on order.
Somebody at your dealer must have a boat payment due. I'd call them back and ask how they checked it out. Slave cylinders are not known to fail on this bike, which is probably why there's only one in the entire country.

--Mark
 

T_C

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Wouldn't engage (as in connect the engine to the transmission) or disengage (disconnect)?
Good point Mark. I assumed it meant when he pulled the lever he never felt resistance, so it wouldn't engage the clutch unit to disengage the drive from the engine. ;)
 
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BluesRider

BluesRider

Rick
Joined
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Messages
112
Location
Tampa, FL
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'06 ST1300
STOC #
7123
Good point Mark. I assumed it meant when he pulled the lever he never felt resistance, so it wouldn't engage the clutch unit to disengage the drive from the engine. ;)
Exactly. No resistance when I pull the lever so clutch won't engage. Could not put the bike in gear at all. So this means its not just a matter of bleeding the clutch?
 

T_C

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8568
Exactly. No resistance when I pull the lever so clutch won't engage. Could not put the bike in gear at all. So this means its not just a matter of bleeding the clutch?
Exactly!
Opposite.

No resistance when you pull the lever means you can not dis-engage the clutch. The clutch basket is compressed and the plates are transmitting power full time. When you feel pressure is the slave cylinder putting pressure on the basket to allow the plates to separate.

Usually this is caused by air in the line. Possibly form a leak, possibly from moisture in the fluid that turned to steam when it got hot.

Bleed!
Bleed!
 
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BluesRider

BluesRider

Rick
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7123
Talked to the mechanic. He said he saw fluid on the back of the motor and that he's seen that before and its a tell tale sign its the slave cylinder. I didn't have that information before that there was a leak.
 

T_C

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8568
He said he saw fluid on the back of the motor and that he's seen that before
Sounds like hogwash to me.

Fluid on the back of the motor?
Ask him how many other ST1300's he has ever seen this on?
How many 1300's has he ever actually worked on?
 
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I call BS on the dealer...service mgr...and mechanic! Sounds like they are using your lack of knowledge as a way to make money.
Get the bike back, tale 10 minutes and bleed the clutch! If you need help I will personally call you and talk you through it.
Igofar
 

T_C

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If you need help I will personally call you and talk you through it.
Trust us... with an offer like that from Larry, you can't go wrong.
Larry could walk you through anything, even WhiteHouse security, if they had any.

He gave me some instructions on my front brakes and the 15 minutes on the phone was extremely valuable! Pointed out parts and pieces you never see discussed or mentioned in the service manual.
 
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BluesRider

BluesRider

Rick
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Tampa, FL
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7123
LOL. Thanks Larry. I trust your ability to walk me through it, but that would be too painful for you and I don't trust my ability to do the work properly, never mind while holding the cell phone to my ear.
I didn't actually talk to the mechanic, I talked to another guy in the service dept. that asked him, but he's worked at this place for many years and works on all the ST's that they service. There are people on this site that swear by him which is why I went to him in the first place. He's done my maintenance for the last few years so he already knows the bike.
Are you guys saying a slave cylinder can't spring a leak? I'll call the mechanic and try to get more info and ask him to try the bleed. I have a long trip coming up so I don't want a temporary fix that might not hold and cause me to break down on the road. I do appreciate the assistance on this.
 

Blrfl

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Are you guys saying a slave cylinder can't spring a leak?
I can recall maybe two or three actual failures, so it's not impossible, but it also isn't anywhere near as common as air getting into the system. If there's brake fluid on the back of the crankcase where the slave cylinder bolts on, I'd be more inclined to believe a failure if the banjo bolts have been re-checked and the system's been bled. (If it's been there any length of time and it's actually brake fluid, that stuff eats paint, and if I recall correctly, that part of the engine is painted.)

If you go by the book, replacing the slave cylinder requires removing the engine from the bike, which is going to cost you a ton in labor. If they do the job, the last thing that's going to happen is a fill and bleed. That will make everything wonderful and the conclusion will be "yep, must've been the slave cylinder" whether it actually was or not.

A bleed is a quick, inexpensive way to get a handle on what's going on. Flush the system out, bleed it and lash the lever to the grip overnight. If it's still firm in the morning, you're good; if it isn't, you've got a problem.

--Mark
 
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A bleed is a quick, inexpensive way to get a handle on what's going on. Flush the system out, bleed it and lash the lever to the grip overnight. If it's still firm in the morning, you're good; if it isn't, you've got a problem.
Excellent idea. I agree 100%
 

970mike

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Now get out there and bleed that clutch and see if that fixes it. Good luck and keep us posted.
 
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Pm me a contact number...I will call you on my dime :call:
 
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If you have a 5mm Allen wrench, a small piece of clear 3/16 ID x 5/16 OD tubing from the hardware store, a Phillips or JIS screwdriver, a 10mm wrench, and an empty water bottle, you can do this job in less than 15 minutes and save your money for your trip.
Is there anyone close by that can help him out and flush and bleed his clutch for him?
 
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BluesRider

BluesRider

Rick
Joined
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Location
Tampa, FL
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'06 ST1300
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7123
Ok here's the deal with this. The bike is at the dealers in Sarasota 60 miles away. I'm working today and tomorrow, so the earliest I can get down there to have it towed back to my house to work on it myself is Saturday. The mechanic there is very knowledgeable with STs as he's been working on them since the inception of the 1300's. There are at least 4 dealers closer, but I take the bike there for maintenance because this guy is highly recommended my folks on this site and well known as best in the area, for ST's anyway, which most mechanics don't seem to have much experience with.

I just got off the phone with the mechanic. He's said since he's been working on ST's he's had to replace 3 slave cylinders, so he knows its not a common problem. The reason he thinks its a cylinder leak and not just an air bubble in the line is that he's seeing break fluid has leaked out of it, and the master cylinder is almost empty. He says its bubbling up the paint and its corroded right around the slave cylinder. I wish I could check it out with my own eyes and explain it better here, maybe post a pic, but I'm not going to be able to get down there today. He says he can replace it without pulling the engine like the manual says. There's a way to reach in there and turn the bolts. One of them sticks and is usually difficult to get off. The part was ordered Tuesday and its coming from California but should be in today or tomorrow. In the mean time, today, per my request, he's going to bleed the system and let it have a chance to build the pressure back up and see if he sees any leaks and if it holds pressure. He doesn't want me to go on 3000 mile trip with a potential leak, and I agree with that. I feel comfortable with his explaination and his knowledge and that he's not trying to rip me off or do any unnecessary work. Next time, if the clutch needs bleeding, I know from you guys its not a difficult job and I can do it myself.

I'll post any more info I find out about this issue.
 

Blrfl

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There's lots of stories out there of mechanics at dealers jumping to the [-]worst[/-] most expensive conclusion without doing the basic diagnostics first. Sounds like your guy has done his homework, and I'm more comfortable with the idea of it being a slave cylinder failure than I was.

If you can find out anything about what part of it failed, that information might be useful for posterity.

--Mark
 
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Take before and after photos....and demand the old parts for inspection. I'm betting he won't give you any parts, and tell you that it was fixed before you got down there to see it again...just saying.
I've seen this done with water pumps over and over again....and some of them have been known to really go bad, but most don't. I personally have never seen or heard of one going bad myself, and I can't count all the ST1300's that I've seen over the last few years....but I'm probably safe in saying its been more than his dealership :rofl1:
Good luck, I hope you get it fixed and enjoy your trip.
 
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