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Another Clutch Thread

Discussion in 'Technical Help' started by Nasher, Sep 9, 2020.

  1. On my Carbie M900 and 900SS the clutches are silent until you pull the clutch lever in.
    On pulling the lever in they erupt into the standard Ducati dry Clutch harsh rattle, which I've now got used to despite the mechanically sympathetic part of me screaming in disgust.

    However my recently acquired 1000SSie DS is completely different.

    The Clutch plates and basket were replaced by a Ducati specialist less than 500 miles ago.

    When sitting at idle the clutch makes hell of a noise, but a rumbling knock like a big vehicle gearbox in neutral.
    Pulling the lever in completely eliminates the noise, in fact there is no noise at all, which really surprised me.

    I'm happy without the harsh rattle, but am concerned about the rumbling knock.
    Assuming it isn't normal, what's likely to have been done at the basket change to cause it?
    Or what else could be wrong?
    I'm thinking maybe the big bearing in the inner clutch cover is on it's way out.

    I whipped the cover off and had a quick look, but with little time to look at it I didn't look too far.

    It rides lovely with no issues apparent from the clutch except the different noise than my older bikes.

    Thanks

    Nasher.
     
  2. Both my 748R and 1098R rattle in neutral like a washing machine drum full of nuts and bolts. Pull the clutch in and it goes relatively quiet which I think is normal. Not sure how different the clutches are between models and age. Andy
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  3. Do a search on the "Quiet clutch mod".
     
  4. The rumbling knock noise you refer to is the backlash in the primary gears and nothing to worry about.
    Steve
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  5. Thanks guys
    The quiet clutch mod completely ruined the feel of the clutch on my M900, so I reversed it.
    It's not that loud, and I'm happy to live with it, the 1000SS noise was more of a worry.

    Birdie - thanks for that, neither of the other bikes do it, and it's louder than what I've had before on Japanese twins and fours.
    I might whip the inner clutch cover off and check the backlash isn't too bad.
    I have a couple of spare sets of 900 primary gears, so if they are the same when I open it up I'll swap them and see if it makes a difference.

    Nasher.
     
  6. I have to disagree. The knocking is caused by the tabs on the friction plates moving back and forward in the slots in the drum. The more wear on the tabs and the drum the worse it gets, wearing notches in the drum's slots.
    I did the mod to an ST4s at just over 1,000 miles. The clutch action was good, although on my 907ie I had to experiment with different thickness plain plates to get it right. The plates on the ST lasted to 39,000 miles and the drum and basket had no wear. Good enough for me :)
     
    • Useful Useful x 1
  7. It's a different deeper noise Derek.
    Bellow is a quote from another thread from Nelly.

    (The lower frequency "knocking" at tickover is the primarys. Yes, the "traditional" rattle comes from the clutch but the primarys are stright cut gears, not helical like most Japs, and the uneven engine pulses cause the knock due to the back lash. Pulling the clutch in, eases the pressure in the gear train and reduces the clank a little. The later bikes use a split, spring loaded primary gear on the crank to absorb the backlash and as a result run much quieter to meet the newer noise regs.)
     
    #7 Birdie, Sep 9, 2020
    Last edited: Sep 9, 2020
  8. Derek thanks, but what you mention is the harsh rattle, this is definitely not that.

    Nasher.
     
  9. That’s exactly how mine is. Ime how all dry ducati clutches are
     
  10. Which one Bradders?

    The M900 and 900SS ones I'm OK with or the 1000SS one I'm worried about?

    Thanks

    Nasher.
     
  11. Fair enough guys. If Nelly says so then I'm sure that's right. The mod does reduce a lot of the racket though and stops the plates and drum bashing themselves to destruction.
     
  12. Ok, so if I have this right... at idle the clutch goes TACKATACKATACKATACKA

    And when you pull in the lever the clutch goes

    KERCHINKERCHINKERCHINKERCHINK
     
    • Funny Funny x 3
    • Like Like x 1
  13. Deffo something wrong with the Clutch on the 1000SSie DS:(

    I had a chance to whip the fairing and clutch cover off last night, and was a little disappointed.

    I have a receipt from a Ducati Specialist for the clutch basket to be replaced less than 500 miles ago.
    The new basket is in there all nice and shiny, but everything else hasn't even been given a wipe down, and is covered in 11k miles of dust.
    But worse is that one of the spring retaining screws is bright and shiny, because it's been replaced with a B&Q quality bright plated Cross head screw, which when I took it out is only @5mm long:astonished: Bastards.

    Having had a play with it there is an issue somewhere which will require me to strip it down further over the weekend, and will be a great excuse to fit the DP pressure plate and open cover I have ready to go on it.

    If I pull the clutch lever in and hold the pressure plate/plates either clockwise or anticlockwise against the basket when I let the clutch lever out I can still move the pressure plate/plates @0.5mm in either direction as they are still 'loose'.
    If I let the clutch lever out and let it centre itself it all locks up as it should.
    I did double check and my M900 definitely doesn't do that.

    I'll whip the plates out over the weekend, but from what I read when I was previously mucking about with 'The quiet Clutch Mod' on my M900 it could be somebody has tried it and got the stack height wrong.
    Or more likely the so-called specialist has Fu**ed it up.

    Nasher.
     
    #13 Nasher, Oct 2, 2020
    Last edited: Oct 2, 2020
    • Like Like x 1
  14. I'm surprised the Clutch felt OK to ride the bike now!

    3 metal plates at the back, 14 metal plates in total, not a single dished one with a dot, and only 6 very worn friction plates.
    Although the stack height was @39.9mm, so just in spec.

    Luckily I have a pile of old plates in a box in the garage so made up a stack of alternate metal and friction plates with a really worn friction one at the back, and a dished metal plate being the second metal one in from the back.
    Stack height was @ 39.1mm, so well in spec.

    It all appears to work fine now, is completely quiet at idle in neutral, and has a lovely tinkling when the clutch is pulled in.
    No more sounding like it's hammering itself to pieces at idle.

    Shame it's been heaving down all day, would have been nice to take it out for a test.

    Nasher
     
    • Like Like x 1
  15. Sounds like you sorted that out well. I've recently bought some re engineered used friction plates off eBay and what a difference it's very quiet and the clutch Lever seems lighter.
     
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