Manky's XS650 Yamaha

[scannerzer]

those reflectors look the part,very tidy
 

[flc]

I really like this bike , but seeing all these on here is making me want an xs badly. Have you seen the prices these days?
Looks like I'm not the only one

[Manky Monkey]

Talk to Mr Spanners!

[Manky Monkey]

Spare/replacement clutch arrived today.

[Tony oily bike]

I'll have another look at it later this week.
Just been shopping for a couple of plain steel plates on Ebay & ended up buying this complete clutch assembly instead. It looks well used but might yield some parts or go in as a complete replacement, using my new friction plates & springs.
Never had problems like this before with any of my previous XSs. I'll be so glad to get this thing finished. Never, ever again.

This may or not be of use, but just in case.............

Managed to take a look at an American Cylmer manual (special edition UK) for the 1970-78 650 twins (printed 1979), and in particular the section on pages 80 & 81 relating to the clutch.

The exploded diagram on p80 is that of a 6 friction, 5 steel plate clutch.

It states “Note that the friction plates are alternated with the metal clutch plates but that the friction plates are not all identical. There are 4 fibre-backed plates and 2 aluminium-backed plates. Two fibre-backed plates are installed first, followed by the the 2 aluminium-backed plates. There will be a metal clutch plate between every set of friction plates."

It also mentions the flatness of the plates, and states  "if a 0.2mm feeler gauge can be inserted under a plate when on a surface-plate or sheet of plate glass, it should be replaced."

[Manky Monkey]

Never heard of one with ali plates in it, but then, didn't know about the ones with an extra steel plate at the back of the basket until we destroyed one.
Should've had another go a the clutch over the weekend, but to be honest, the recent list of yet more jobs to do & in particular the clutch that defies all attempts to fix it have really dampened my enthusiasm. Still want to be riding it in the Spring, but struggling to find the fun in it at the moment. I enjoy being creative but I'm not a natural mechanic & the nitty gritty of getting the damn things to actually work once they're built isn't my thing.
Been a sunny but very cold day here today, so I worked on my truck instead. Promise I'll get back to this soon.

[spanners]

i am a ,natural mechanic,  and i just cant get the motivation to do my own stuff ,, but i,v just spent  two very full,,busy,,,cold, days, yes we had frost then sleet this morning    working on the  eight legger,, (foden truck )  only just getting warmed up now and its nearly bed time 

[Manky Monkey]

I know how you feel mate. I was working on the Pop today outside my lock-up garage -when I rolled it back inside this evening there was ice forming on the roof & I had to scrape the windscreen of my car before I drove home. Early night now for me to warm up, ready to walk the streets at work again in the morning.

[Manky Monkey]

Mr BayChimp called at the garage again this afternoon & we had another look at the bike.
The replacement clutch I picked up on Ebay appears to be a pre '79 one. It doesn't have the sprung shock absorber arrangement that the original had, but looks like we can fit it in place of the old one.
So we stripped the original off the engine, leaving the outside basket in place, then slotted on the earlier inner basket. Locking tab washer & new hub nut ...bugger, the tab washer's different. The later one has ears that locate in slots in the inner basket. No slots in the replacement, early inner basket.
So things came to a halt yet again. I've just checked a few websites & it seems the early models used a domed "Belleville" washer instead of a tab washer -torqueing the centre nut down spreads the washer & locks it in place. When we took the existing clutch off it had both -a tab washer with the slightly domed one on top. I've just ordered a new one from YamBits though -don't want to risk re-using an old one.
So still no further forward, but plodding on slowly.

[Manky Monkey]

A diagram of the early clutch set-up I bought from Ebay. Think it might be missing the plain washer behind the "conical Spring" or "Belleville" washer, but otherwise, it's the same.

[stinkey]

Now you know why so many of these yams never get finished ?

[BikerGran]

Missing ANY bit from the clutch assembly would be enough to make it not work I would think?

[Manky Monkey]

Just a simple flat washer behind the locking one Bobbi. I picked up a stainless one from the local tool shop this afternoon.
They changed the clutch set-up several times while the model was in production, but then I guess every bike or car gets updated almost every year now doesn't it. What gets me is I've owned 5 or 6 of these over the years. I know my memory really is shot to bits these days, but I'm sure I just bolted them together & they worked -none of the faffing about I've had with this one. It really does seem to be fighting me every step of the way.

[morrag]

Mr M this may be relevant, or not!, but when installing the GL 500 motor in my 3 Wheeler I decided to treat it to a set of new clutch plates, which were after market 'jobbies' and cost about £25 I recall. Now they looked fine, but would they free, would they buggery! so out they came and originals re-installed and all was well. The after market stuff is not, I believe, made to the original tolerances, hence the problem. No doubt in use with a little judicious "slipping" they might have bedded in, but for now they can stay on the shelf! ...Morrag

[Manky Monkey]

  I'll keep plugging away at it. I'm not building another so this one's gonna work one way or another!