350x Clutch Slips when engine is hot.

[cragster]

My x's clutch slips when the engine is hot. you first start it and drive it full speed and its fine, but you drive it down the road and back about 4 times and the clutch will slip. Turn it off and let it sit for like 30 mins or more and its fine. It never did this till i ran the oil that gay advanced aitop parts told me to run. It sliped ever since i put in that oil. I drained it out a while ago and put in different oil and it helped it alot. Should i just change the oil again before i try a new clutch? ALso what would i need? Clucth springs or just the discs or everything???
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http://www.denniskirk.com/jsp/product_catalog/MMYSkuDisplay.jsp;jsessionid=B3CEV2MXYRRZTLA0WTVSM 4VMDK0NCIV0?leafCatId=11001&catId=110&store=Main&mmyId=10270

[deathman53]

the oil was probably no good for motorcycles. you can't run car oil in a motorcylce, it contains moly and will make the cluth slip. on the newer 4 strokes you can use car oil for the top end as long as the top end and tranny oil is seperate IE: crf450r, trx450r, yfz.

[cragster]

no it said specificaly for motorcylces and something about superior wet clutch pretection. But it still screwed it up.

[SYKO]

hey was that castrole? for 4-strokes? becouse my 200sx started slipping after I rebuilt the engine and thats what i used in it.. jsut sold it and said that the clutch was slipping.. so is this stuf junk or what? man this sucks

[cragster]

no i dont think so. I have a bunch more out in the shed, i will look tomorow..

[Dirtcrasher]

I've been running Valvoline or Autozone Pro line cheap oil in my SX's for years, never had a clutch problem...

[traxxasx]

the oil was probably no good for motorcycles. you can't run car oil in a motorcylce, it contains moly and will make the cluth slip. on the newer 4 strokes you can use car oil for the top end as long as the top end and tranny oil is seperate IE: crf450r, trx450r, yfz.


Not true i run car oil in mine and never had the clutch slip.

[TimSr]

Either your cable is too tight or your fibers are shot. Replace fibers and springs. Metal disks are usually good for a few sets of fibers. Id be extremely surprised if its your oil.

[bassman]

the oil was probably no good for motorcycles. you can't run car oil in a motorcylce, it contains moly and will make the cluth slip. on the newer 4 strokes you can use car oil for the top end as long as the top end and tranny oil is seperate IE: crf450r, trx450r, yfz.

I dont think so, i'm running a bunch of mixes of 10-30 all for cars in my 200, and it works perfectly.

[Sargon2112]

I've used nothing but car oil for 15 years in my wheelers and dirtbikes. Never had a clutch or tranny issue.

[350xBomb]

I thought it was the synthetics that caused clutch slipping....???

[greenhuman]

Clutch cable is seizing up and making the clutch ride.

[bigred1981]

I agree with the fact that oil used for the engine and trans. should be of a special motorcycle oil.... I believe the molecules are different.. anyway.. any oil is better than none at all.

[crackshot]

Synthetic killed my clutch in 200s. Don't use it. Not made for 20+ year old trikes.

[TimSr]

:rolleyes: Funny how any clutch question always turns into a synthetic vs standard oil debate.

Walk into any motocycle shop and tell them you want the best 4 stroke oil, or best two stroke gear oil money can buy, and that price is no object. Ill bet you go home with synthetic oil in both cases.

[cragster]

So if its my cable then why does it only do it when its hot?
the clutch was finein the old engine and was fine in this engine till i put in valvaline i think 10 w 40 oil for supperior wetclutch protection in motorcycles

[thebutelr]

So if its my cable then why does it only do it when its hot?
the clutch was finein the old engine and was fine in this engine till i put in valvaline i think 10 w 40 oil for supperior wetclutch protection in motorcycles
I just had this exact same problem with my 350x. It would run ok and not slip very bad when it was cold but when it was hot I could barely get it to catch at high rpm's. I replaced my fibers & springs with original honda parts and took the glaze off of my metal plates, I have to say that is the best money I have spent on that bike yet, it is so much more fun riding a bike with a new clutch!

[cragster]

so its definatly is the clutch not the cable

[greenhuman]

The only time I ever had a 350X clutch issue turned out to be caused by a crook cable. The cable gradually siezes up and lets the clutch slip a little each time you ride. Sometimes its not noticeable until its too late. You will have to replace plates etc and I would really check out the cable.
The problem is greater on the 85 model because the cable runs across the front under the exhaust headers. Thats why the 86 models have the re-routed cable away from the hot header.
It slips more when hot because the oil is thinner when hot.

[thebutelr]

so its definatly is the clutch not the cable
More than likely yes. Try a new clutch cable first and if that doesn't fix it that will eliminate that possibility. Its probably about time it needs changed since the bike is 21 years old. I think the clutch was pretty worn in mine when I first got it because I don't remember it ever running as good as it does now. Hope it lasts another 20+ years.....

[TimSr]

The only way the cable can make it slip is if its too tight, or sticking and binding and not returning when you release the lever. Simple. Your lever should have some slop. If it has no slop, your cable adjustment is too tight. You only need half a pull to release your clutch, so be liberal about giving it plenty of slop. 1/8" to 1/4" lever gap is good. If you have slop, then unhook the cable at each end without pulling it off the bike, and see if the cable moves freely with your fingers. If it slides back and forth okay, its fine, hook it back up and ride it. Checking a cable is not rocket science and a brand new one adjusted too tight will still still cause clutch slippage.

[Liquid-Darkness]

Iv used car motor oil in all my bikes for a few years now. I have put 100's of miles on my bikes and haven't had a clutch slip, unless it was going out. You must replace the cable with a new clutch, it will break away and snap. Also I had a clutch slip on my 200x. Brand new clutch and it chugged/slipped. So I put in some 20/50 and it went away. Worked great.

[rally4x4racer]

I have always used motorcycle oil in motrcycles. Im just assuming that companies such as XOM (largest marketshare in the world, 2005) have the resources to make these decisions better than I do.

[ceaserthethird]

this thread is so OLD , but a good topic!

[rally4x4racer]

LD- you grave digger!! ha ha

its not near as old as it is "off topic" - maybe I should take my donkey to the oil thread

[Nightbiker07]

if you try to use something like AMSOIL crankcase oil used for cars, it will make a clutch slip because ithas friction modifiers.
some synthetic oils do have friction modifiers, and cause these kinds of problems.

try a oil flush, see if that helps :)

[Rustytinhorn]

Use a high quality detergent motor oil with an API classification of SE or SF.
Do not use any friction reducing additives as they will cause clutch slippage. Also do not use an engine oil with graphite added. Use the the same brand of oil at each oil change and use the correct oil viscosity. Do this and you should be good to go.

[Dirtcrasher]

Old post and I'll repost the same thing I did before (been riding and wrenching for 20years). Plain old Valvoline from Walmart has never let me down, never cooked a clutch, broke a gearbox, lost a rod, scored a journal ruined a cam, seized a piston...... Ya get the idea anyhow.

10$ for 5 quarts............................................ .................

[jason 32]

the oil was probably no good for motorcycles. you can't run car oil in a motorcylce, it contains moly and will make the cluth slip. on the newer 4 strokes you can use car oil for the top end as long as the top end and tranny oil is seperate IE: crf450r, trx450r, yfz.

dont youknow what hondas have in them from the factory?
sae 30 wt
it will not make them slip- some synthetics might

[jason 32]

10 for 5 quarts?? where? hell here even the cheep arse oil is 1.69-2.00 a quart

id say definately springs ,and fibers- just rough up the metals ,to get the burnt glaze off