st1100 wont go into gear

hiya guys.....mines been stored over winter in unheated garage, engine been turned over every three days to operating temperatures,and this happened last year, bike wont go into gear immediately, somethings sticking somewhere, if bikes in neutral off stand and i'm on it soon as i drop it into first it lurches forward and stalls,so i think the clutch isn't engaging, or disengaging.....

clutch slave cylinder i'm thinking, and if it is , is that an engine oil drain job....to replace the seals etc.....

i can feel fluid in the pipe moving when clutch lever pulled in.....

this happened last year and after several attempts suddenly went ok.....this time its not ????

any help appreciated guys, thanks, nigel

thanks irish,.....will do...although it looks ok in the master cylinder, the fluid that is,....but like you say down by the slave cylinder could be caked up with goo....

is that engine oil removal as well /....if i pull off the slave cylinder and pin inside thingy.....wont engine oil come out....and ive just done a bloody oil change on it, lol

How much "play" in the clutch lever before you start feeling some "resistance" ??

If you work on the slave cylinder, jack up the motor a bit until the rear tire hits the pavement. That tilt will help keep the oil from the front of the engine.

BTW / FYI , When I rebuilt my slave cylinder, I didn't have a problem with oil draining out after the slave was removed.

Jim Van said:

How much "play" in the clutch lever before you start feeling some "resistance" ??

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not much free play before resistance is felt,whether the slave is operating or not i'm not sure....till i strip it down,change fluid etc......

how likely is it the clutch plates are seized up....?.....but first things first...

i have drained all the clutch fluid and the clutch slave cylinder is off and out, cant say i can see much wrong with it....piston is moving ok-(15mm to 20mm)- the long rod inside into the clutch seems free enough.....although i cant push it in by my fingers to dis engage the clutch.....not that strong.....


whats that rod pushing against inside the clutch basket ?...


i must admit the clutch at the lever never felt that strong to start with....?


another pointer maybe, is that when i undone the banjo at the bottom with the slave cylinder, only half the fluid drained out....? even pumping the lever did not expel much more....???? master was still 30% full...

Another item would be to clean up the shifter linkage. A lot of crud builds up under there and prevents full movement of the shifter.

hang on shifter linkage ? behind the clutch cover? do i take this cover off as well? ....do i drain the engine oil first ?....or just remove the clutch slave cylinders long pin,pushrod thing and spray into the hole???

Completely external. The shifter you move with your left toe, follow it under the bike.

oh "shifter".......you americans.....english "gear lever"....for the use of changing gear.......lol

thanks guys.....

right all back together but same problem, on main stand it goes in and out of gear no problems, off the stand it just cuts out the second you put it into gear.........someone else has mentioned clutch drag ????

I don't see that anyone has suggested trying to push the bike(engine not running) in 3rd gear when you have the clutch pulled (disengaged). If it pushes like it is in neutral, then if is not a sticking clutch, but if it will not push, then the clutch is stuck.

Neal

thanks neal, will give it a go........sounds like a good way to tell......bear with me......we're freezing over here at the moment......goddam england....lol

i hear Iowa is nice......you accepting any immigrants.....???...lol

Bypass the side stand switch.

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what will that do ?.....the side stand when down lights up on the dash, and when its up the light goes out.....????.....so how will that have any effect of not making it go into gear ?????

The side stand switch is a safety item so you can't put it in gear and drive off with the side stand deployed. To test it, put the bike on the main stand with the side stand up, pull the clutch in and start the engine with it in first gear. Now, put the side stand down and it should kill the engine.

st1100-99uk said:

thanks neal, will give it a go........swe're freezing over here at the moment......goddam england....lol

i hear Iowa is nice......you accepting any immigrants.....???...lol

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Define freezing - it is 0F here at present and was -10F early this morning. The coming week is forecast to have a high of about 35F after we get another 2-4" of snow. Very southern Iowa has little to no snow at present (180 miles south)

Iowa is always looking for more Brits. I have met several in my present area, and my high school English teacher/speech coach was a British war bride.

Is it stalling when you put it in gear when on the center stand ( i.e. with the rear wheel off the ground ) ??

If so, you don't have a problem with the clutch dis-engaging. You have an electrical problem. Check the side stand switch operation as Mcreviver has already suggested.

sorry guys had a bout of the flu virus and felt like crap last week, right up date...



a lot of rocking, in 5th gear,engine off...... tried it in first then starting and lurching forward, several attempts, lot of pleading to the pan gods and it seems to have kicked itself free,

just not enough use i guess......

thanks to all for the help and advise....greatly appreciated...

ive got two spare clutch assemblies with plates and such, so next winter.....its being replaced.....and the swingarm

which if anyone stateside has an ABS one for sale....let me know