Clutch oil leaks - slave clutch cylinder. Help

Joined
Nov 6, 2010
Messages
6
Location
HCMC, VNM
Dear all,

I am from Vietnam and we don't have Honda service for big bike like ST1300.
I am owning an ST13 2003 (no ABS) for awhile. Recently I discovered that there some oil leaks in the bottom of engine and the clutch lever didn't well disengage at same time. I investigated where oil leak came from and found problem.

The Clutch slave cylinder has a small hole. oil leaks from that hole dropped to side of air gaskets.

I thought that there are some problems with clutch slave cylinder (oil seal or piston ring).
Does anyone in this forum have experience with this?
I would like to replace part no. 4, 7 and 15 (attached picture) myself.

Thanks,
Danh
 

Attachments

Mellow

Joe
Admin
Joined
Dec 1, 2004
Messages
18,819
Age
60
Bike
'21 BMW R1250RT
2024 Miles
000540
Does anyone have same issue?
Dan, I don't believe I've ever heard of anyone having this issue. It could be so rare I've just missed it. Sorry, wish I could help... do you have a service manual?
 

Avtrician

After carefully reading your post a few times, its seems that you found a hole in the clutch cylinder. would it be possible for you to remove the cylinder and try to do a repair of the hole with some metalic epoxy cement. This would at least let you ride the bike while finding a new cylinder. You would need to clean the surfaces of the cylinder body very well before using the epoxy.

The gasket (item 4) could be sealed with some auto gasket sealer. I dont think the replacement of the seals on the piston is needed.

It will be necessary to replace the clutch fluid and carefully bleed the cylinder after refitment.
 
OP
OP
Joined
Nov 6, 2010
Messages
6
Location
HCMC, VNM
Hi Mellow and Avtrican,

Thanks for your posts. I googled around this problem on ST' but couldn't find any result. This may be some fault on my ST in tropical weather. This happened after my 2 trips total 1200 miles in hot weather (summer time); temperature around 33~35 Celsius. We rode to long mountain passes (60km) on long long way.

Lucky that the problem has been solved.
I read the service manual and go ahead ordered 03 parts: clutch oil seal ring, piston, oil seal, piston (item no. 5, 7, 15) from Singapore.
Then went to workshop. show the tech guy service manual and leaking point. We worked together replace parts.

In service manual; it shows that we should do following things:

1. Drain the clutch hydraulic system
2. Remove the engine from the Frame
3. Remove the clutch slave cylinder mounting bolts
4. Remove the clutch slave cylinder, gasket and dowel pins.
The point is: Do we really need to remove the engine from the frame to replace the slave cylinder? We tried to do this job without remove the engine from frame. Position of cylinder located between engine crankcase and frame. beside the center stand.in this post is not easy to access our hands on it(only Asian hands can reach to this point- not recommended to European and American body)

We removed:
02 lower cowls
Right end can exhausted
Right saddle bag
lift bike to high position where we can see the bottom.
drain the fluid on the left side release the air bolt and leave it drained.
Use a 8mm tool release 03 bolts carefully
Use a 12mm tool release SH bolt
(Service manual 9-12 to 9-14).
When we got the slave cylinder out, the piston seal and oil seal 've been broken, it leaks oil from that point. We clean the slave cylinder body, replaced all oil seal, piston and the piston seal.
Then install them to original location.
Install the new piston seal with its grove side facing to the slave cylinder
Install the new oil seal with its groove side facing to the slave cylinder
Install the spring into the boss of the piston
Lubricate the piston seal with brake fluid
Install the spring and piston into the slave cylinder

Install the dowel pins to new gasket
Apply silicone grease to the top of push rod
install the slave cylinder onto the rear crankcase cover.

Install and tighten the SH bolts
Fill the reservoir to the upper level and bleed the hydraulic system.
Check level on master cylinder.
 

Avtrician

All thats left to do now is ride and enjoy, and monitor for future leaks. If no more leaks evident, forget about it and ride..
 
Joined
May 14, 2009
Messages
66
Location
Leiden, the Netherlands
Bike
ST1300P
Great job! It was one of the most unnerving things I saw in the service manual, those first lines when replacing the slave cylinder: Remove the engine from the frame..

Glad you got it sorted without having to do all that!
 
Joined
Jun 18, 2013
Messages
10
Location
Cambodia
Dear all,

I am from Vietnam and we don't have Honda service for big bike like ST1300.
I am owning an ST13 2003 (no ABS) for awhile. Recently I discovered that there some oil leaks in the bottom of engine and the clutch lever didn't well disengage at same time. I investigated where oil leak came from and found problem.

The Clutch slave cylinder has a small hole. oil leaks from that hole dropped to side of air gaskets.

I thought that there are some problems with clutch slave cylinder (oil seal or piston ring).
Does anyone in this forum have experience with this?
I would like to replace part no. 4, 7 and 15 (attached picture) myself.

Thanks,
Danh
The oil that leaks out was brake fluid or engine oil?
 
Joined
Oct 17, 2015
Messages
1,957
Location
near Harrow, Ontario, Canada
Bike
'83 BMW R100RS
STOC #
8870
It looks like I have the same problem - and FYI - the leak will be brake fluid (which the clutch uses as its hydraulic fluid). BTW - the brake and clutch hydraulic systems are entirely separate on the ST1300 - even though they use the same fluid.

Now, I have to figure out if I can get my hands in there.

Pete
 
Joined
Dec 25, 2016
Messages
2
Location
Lanark
Bike
ST1300
Had a look around site and found all the information spot on.
I did not remove the exhaust but did remove the oil filter to access the bolt hidden behind it, I could see it using a torch but very difficult to reach without removing the oil filter.
Using the spaces between main stand frame I could get to the top bolt and access the supply pipes bolt, very fiddly getting the washers back in place but all's good.
I used a swivel ratchet ring spanner to do and undo the bolt.
Only a few minutes to remove clean and refit the new seals and spring, make you think "what the" and "how much" at a garage bill.
A short reach socket or sockets that have a good swivel on mount are best suited.
To all posts on this matter are thanked, cheers
 
Joined
Oct 17, 2015
Messages
1,957
Location
near Harrow, Ontario, Canada
Bike
'83 BMW R100RS
STOC #
8870
Had a look around site and found all the information spot on.
I did not remove the exhaust but did remove the oil filter to access the bolt hidden behind it, I could see it using a torch but very difficult to reach without removing the oil filter.
Using the spaces between main stand frame I could get to the top bolt and access the supply pipes bolt, very fiddly getting the washers back in place but all's good.
I used a swivel ratchet ring spanner to do and undo the bolt.
Only a few minutes to remove clean and refit the new seals and spring, make you think "what the" and "how much" at a garage bill.
A short reach socket or sockets that have a good swivel on mount are best suited.
To all posts on this matter are thanked, cheers
Thanks for the note on this.

Can I ask - did you lay the bike right down on its left side or did you do the job on the sidestand?

thanks in advance,

Pete
 
Joined
Dec 25, 2016
Messages
2
Location
Lanark
Bike
ST1300
Thanks for the note on this.

Can I ask - did you lay the bike right down on its left side or did you do the job on the sidestand?

thanks in advance,

Pete
Sorry for the delay. No, I had a bike table. Age doesn't come without its consequences. No more sitting on a dirt or concrete surface.
 
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