Filling clutch compartment with ATF , Veetwo or V3 run in oil plates

Monkeypants

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
In the past I've used this time honoured method: lay the clutch cover down flat and upside down then fill it with ATF, position the gasket on whichever surface you think it will stay put on, then quickly turn the clutch cover up 90 degrees and slap it on, hoping enough oil goes in to do the job.
Couldn't seem to make that work today, oil went everywhere but in the compartment, the gasket got torn etc.
While pondering the drippy situation I noticed that the clutch cover screw hole close to the blanking plug (about half way up the cover)breaks right thru to the clutch compartment. It only took a few minutes to fashion a filler mechanism to fill via this screw hole.
This way one can take time to carefully position the gasket and tighten all screws except the filler screw before filling with oil. After filling the compartment, I put some permatex on the screw that goes in this filler hole.

Prior to this I have considered adding a filler plug to the arrangement, but didn't want to change the appearance of the primary or clutch cover. If none of the clutch cover screw holes breaks thru on your bike, you could pick one that is up reasonably high and drill it such that it can be the filler hole.
Using one of the clutch cover screw holes for a filler works well, it just takes a few minutes to put about 12 oz or so in the compartment and I did not spill a drop. I more than made up for that earlier by spilling about a litre and a half!

For the filler tube at the bike end, I used a plastic cover from a female electrical bullet connector. I ground a little taper on the end that pushes into the threaded primary case hole so that the connector could be pushed in and would stay in and seal nicely. Before pushing it in, about 6 inches of 3/8 heat shrink tubing was placed over about half the length of the connector then heated until it shrunk down tight. The other end of the 3/8 heat shrink was pushed over the outlet of a small funnel.
The other advantage of this method is that I actually know how much oil is in there and can put a specific amount in. With the other method I really had no idea whether a lot, a little or no oil remained trapped in the compartment.

Glen
 
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Bazlerker

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
I normally put my bike upside down on its bars and seat-same way I used to work on my bicycle..that way I can access a 10-32 drain/filler plug that I installed on the bottom of the clutch dome..small enough to be unobstrusive, yet large enough to do the job..The only tricky part is inverting the bike beforehand, and righting it afterwards..
 

b'knighted

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
That's alright for you chaps with touring bars but when I tried it with flat bars the bike wouldn't stand right because the steering damper knob protrudes below the line of the bars. I also found that my filler cap needed a new cork washer.
 

Monkeypants

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
I normally put my bike upside down on its bars and seat-same way I used to work on my bicycle..that way I can access a 10-32 drain/filler plug that I installed on the bottom of the clutch dome..small enough to be unobstrusive, yet large enough to do the job..The only tricky part is inverting the bike beforehand, and righting it afterwards..[/QUOT

So you drain all the fuel, trans oil and engine oil first? Sounds a bit of a nightmare, even without possible damage to the bike from inversion/tip up.Methinks Ten minutes or so to make a clutch cover screw into a filler screw would be time well spent .
Glen
 

notap

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
Being in Australia, at the bottom half of the planet, our bikes are naturally upside down and none of this is really an issue.

I normally put my bike upside down on its bars and seat-same way I used to work on my bicycle..that way I can access a 10-32 drain/filler plug that I installed on the bottom of the clutch dome..small enough to be unobstrusive, yet large enough to do the job..The only tricky part is inverting the bike beforehand, and righting it afterwards..
 

Monkeypants

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
you must have a problem with oil and fuel flowing out of the cap vents continuously, or do you plug them and put vents in the bottom of tanks instead?

I've not been to Australia, the whole upside down thing seems just too complicated. I'm pretty sure I would become incontinent on that continent.

Glen
 
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bmetcalf

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
The Chicago Section has produced clutch cover gaskets from Cometic.

I have assumed that you lean your bike way to the right, pour in as much fluid as you can, put the cover on with gasket/sealant, then set the bike up straight (if you remember:D). My wet clutch Buell only needs fluid to the bottom of the clutch basket, so I assume not much is needed for wet clutch Vins.
 

Monkeypants

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
If there is only a small amount of oil in there it gets contaminated pretty quickly and the clutch gets noisy/grabby. Laying the bike right down on the right side would work, but seems a difficult and risky way to go about it.
It is easy to make the screw hole into a filler, then filling the clutch with oil is as easy as filling any other compartment .

Glen
 
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ernie

VOC Assistant Secretary
VOC Member
I run V2 & V3 clutches dry. Rub a little oil on the plates once a year as part of the annual service. If you have 2 inches of oil in there it's not a lot. You can use a squeeze oil can.
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