Sticking friction plates, confused here

[MJKH_BIGRED]

I tried to ride my KLT250 the other day and found that the clutch had seized up with brand new friction plates replaced a couple months back. I pulled the side cover and a several of the friction plates were stuck to the steel plates. Ok, disassembled the basket, soaked the friction and steel plates in fresh clean oil for a few hours and reassembled. Fire up the bike, it's perfect, rode all afternoon. Go to ride it today, plates are stuck together again. I was able to separate them thru the oil fill with a nail file and it's functioning, but why are the plates getting stuck like that?

[Dirtcrasher]

Something appears to be missing. You have all the springs?

Are all the thrust washers in place correctly??

You have something silly going on here.

Even 30 YO take out motors don't have stuck clutch plates........ I think it's something your overlooking.

[MJKH_BIGRED]

I dunno man. I have the service manual and everything is in there correctly according to the book. I triple checked it. There is only one washer behind a circlip that holds the whole basket on the shaft. Other than that, 7 friction plates and 6 steel plates. All springs in place, torqued properly.

[fieldy]

So you pull the friction and steel plates out of the basket and lay them alone on the table and they are stuck together? Guess i would let them soak overnight if the plates are not catching on the sides of the basket.

[MJKH_BIGRED]

Ya not all of them though, only two or three stick together, but enough so the clutch won't disengage when you get it into gear it just takes off.

[yaegerb]

Does your clutch basket have grooves in the fingers?

[MJKH_BIGRED]

The fingers are where the tabs of the friction discs sit I'm assuming. No, no grooving.

[oscarmayer]

what oil are you using?

[shortline10]

Try using mobil1 synthetic 4 stroke for wet clutch application oil 10w-40 . Very common problem but it should go away after the motor is up to temperature .

[RUNMEDOWN]

Try using mobil1 synthetic 4 stroke for wet clutch application oil 10w-40

Just googled it, It is called Mobil1 4T.

[wonderboy]

Define stuck.

Do you mean when you try to pull them straight apart? Or do you mean they won't even slide against one another?

The reason I ask is I'm wondering if what you are considering stuck really isn't and you have some other problem. When trying to pull the plates and discs straight apart, they definitely will feel like they are sticking together, I think due to surface tension of the oil. However, you should notice that they will slide against one another pretty easily still.

My suggestion was going to echo yaegerb, and check the basket and hub for any notches. The clutch discs will settle into these notches and make the clutch difficult to disengage.

When you said you rode it and it was fine, then the clutch plates were all stuck again, you kinda jumped straight to the conclusion without telling us the symptoms you noticed when riding that made you tear it all down to inspect the clutch plates. What was going on when you rode it to make you tear it all down? Maybe there is something else going on...

[MJKH_BIGRED]

Frank, I didn't ride the bike for a month, tried to ride the trike but the clutch wouldn't disengage. I attempted to replace the clutch cable because it seemed stretched, didn't work. I talked to a guy with a KLT and he said his plares got stuck together after his bike sat for a year. I opened the side cover, removed the basket assembly, and started removing the plates, the 2nd and 4th friction plate s were stuck to the steel discs as in "couldn't pull apart". I separated them, and soaked everything in oil. There are no grooves in the basket fingers upon inspection. I reassembled and the clutch operated perfectly again. Two days later, the clutch won't disengage again. I stuck a finger nail file in between the first plate and steel disc and freed them as though they were stuck by surface tension of oil like you suggested. The clutch operates perfectly when the plates aren't sticking, grabs low and holds gear with no slipping whatsoever. I was using Shell Rotella T6 oil, at the suggestion of the previous owner. This time I filled it with Valvoline 4-stroke ATV oil. I've been using the bike around the yard all day today for yard work no problems so far.