Shriker

Well this is my first post....I have lurked extensively and utilized the search feature as well.

I purchased a 1997 SuperHawk for a great price . She has almost 10K miles on her and is in excellent condition. Two Bros carbon high mount cans, steel braided brake lines and apparently a different FRONT sprocket for shorter gearing.....

When you pull in the clutch put her in gear and wait a few seconds , she will just let the clutch out by her self. After researching clutch issues I guessed that when previous owner changed the sprocket they got air in clutch lines and it needed bleeding.....sooo I bled the system. I went through an entire can of DOT 4 fluid and it still has major bubbles coming out. Because of this I am assuming air is getting in somewhere. There are NO obvious leaks anywhere so I am not sure where to go from here.

I am assuming either the master cylinder OR the slave cylinder are allowing air in .

Is there a good way to test the system or something else I could try in order to isolate the problem? Thanks

Wicky

When you bleed the clutch you need to keep topping up the fluid constantly as compared to the brake side the reservoir has less capacity, and if the fluid dips too low when pumping the lever you'll introduce air into the system.

If you do have a leak then fluid must be coming out somewhere - check around and beneath the sprocket cover. Then check the slave seals, and the slave cylinder bore as grit can scratch it up. Also up top on the clutch lever master seals. You can purchase replacement seal kits.

CruxGNZ

Sounds like the master cylinder needs to be rebuilt, since "she will just let the clutch out by herself".

Also, double check that your bleeder and all connections are tight.

smokinjoe73

Maybe it was fitted with the honda dual/auto clutch system. Just enjoy it. (lol)

Wow, first I've heard of this. After it lets out, you can squeeze the lever and it works again, or you have to wait awhile? Seems odd that pressure can rebuild.

You need to check for obvious fluid leaks, but how are you going about the bleeding?

supermarto

You could simply have air coming in at the bleed nipple itself, the seal for the bleeder hose or my-t-vac connector could be possibly the culprit...

Assuming you know all of that, it's not an expensive or laborious effort to rebuild the suckers... And they DEFINITELY don't need a full container, there's no way. It's not that large a system.

Shriker

Thanks all...I was very careful Not to let the level in the res. go dry or let air in the system. I think everything is tight ....a lot of large bubbles...I will pull the sprocket cover and check , I have a sneaky suspicion that is where the prob will be ( slave) given the sprocket was changed.

Again it will let out clutch on its own I can repull and its Nola again for a few seconds....very odd.

E.Marquez

If you do not have a leak of fluid, then a Master cylinder rebuild is in order..
While at it and the line off, rebuild the slave cylinder..

ascothawk

Try bleeding up at the banjo bolt on the master cylinder . Wrap a rag around it and protect the fairing with rags. Air gets trapped at the top. Pull the lever about half way in and just crack open the banjo bolt slowly until you see fluid and probably the air start to seep out, close it quickly before the lever goes to the bar. You may have to repeat a few times.

Shriker

Ascothawk.... I had read about this but there seems to be way too much air in the system for that. Thanks tho...

E.marquez.... Think this is possibly the best route.

E.Marquez

Absolutely try correctly bleeding the system before replacing parts.

We can only take what a poster writes and respond to that.. you said you bled the system, so I moved on to other likely suspects based on what you wrote.

If you have not yet fully bled the system to purge all air... and for me that means taking the master off the clipons or bars..so you can move it to different angles.. getting the port in the reservoir to the highest spot in order to bleed air from there, as well as move trapped air at the banjo to to port or make it the highest spot and crack open the fitting to bleed.

Many times on the SH I have found a black putrid gunk in the slave cylinder and in the master cylinder in the pistons cavity.

No amount of bleeding will rid them of this stuff.. and it is compressible so causes wonky issues with the clutch.

If you have the tools required and feel comfortable taking the MC and SC apart.. I would not waste new fluid bleeding until you have at least disassembled and cleaned the MC and SC.

And I would not disassemble them, wasting the time and fluid, then not replace the seals...

So.. Yes, always first.. start with a proper bleed.. think of the parts and were air can be trapped.. move the parts around to get a good path for that air to move to an exit point.

If you still have issues...

Remove, disassemble, clean, replace seals and components as required. Reassemble, bled.... ride.