Article [13] ST1300 - Clutch Slave Cylinder Replacement

Thanks Mike! I was delighted to make a contribution to such a terrific group of people. As you say - the whole clutch space cylinder issue seems to be much more common than people had thought.

The other thing that has recently come up is the slave cylinder lifter rod seal (not part of the cylinder - the clutch push rod passes through it into the engine).

When we changed my CSC, we looked at the push (lifter) rod seal and it was OK - but I know that least one forum member (NT650Hawk) is working on that issue right now - and I’ve been scanning each day to see how he is coming along with it.

Cheers,

Pete
 
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Hey Pete, this last year I purchased a Yamaha FJR1300ES, (THE ONE WITH THE AUTO CLUTCH) with my arthritis getting worse over time thought it was time to see if no clutch would extend my riding years. Any way after putting a good few miles on it this last year I decided it’s for me, not quite as comfortable as the ST but very close, so time to put up the old ST for sale. I’ll be sad to see it go i’v Enjoyed it and it’s been the best bike to date I’ve owned or ridden and there’s been many over the years. I’ll be reign it down south to my son’s place in South Carolina in April and list it down there.
Keep in touch maybe our paths will cross out on one of those byways and byways
Mike S.
 
Hi Mike: well, I’m glad that you’re going to keep riding.

The FJR is a very fine machine and (if Honda had a functioning marketing department that was listening to the voice of the customer and paying attention to the competition), a crystal clear example of what the 2018 ST should be.

Despite how good the new Gold Wing undoubtedly is, it isn’t a sport touring machine and thus, I cannot escape the feeling that Honda has somehow lost its way. The other companies all have a full range of dirt bikes, cruisers, tiny tiddlers, sport bikes, all-out nut-bar racers and full-dress tourers, but somehow, only Yamaha, BMW and Kawasaki have a big comfy sport tourer - but not Honda - which is a bigger company than the rest combined.

Anyhow, happy trails, ride safely and we’ll see you on the flip-flop. Please stay a member of the ST forum!

Pete
 
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Thanks Pete for this great how to article. I was about to start the riding season this week but I lost all resistance in my clutch lever while the bike was siting in my garage. I checked the fluid level and it was 1/2 empty... Checked the master cylinder and didn't spotted any leaks. My guess is the CSC at this point. Just ordered the parts and will do the job this long weekend.

Will keep you posted.

Cheers
 
Good - well, as I’ve said, it’s not a fun job, but it’s not that bad. Don’t forget the Vaseline!

Soooo....put on some nice garage music, get yourself a cushy pad and a good trouble light and go for it! Waaay better than handing the dealer $15-1800 and having them scratch the he!! out of your plastic parts.

Cheers,

Pete
 
Stimi said:
Thanks Pete for this great how to article. I was about to start the riding season this week but I lost all resistance in my clutch lever while the bike was siting in my garage. I checked the fluid level and it was 1/2 empty... Checked the master cylinder and didn't spotted any leaks. My guess is the CSC at this point. Just ordered the parts and will do the job this long weekend.

Will keep you posted.

Cheers
Click to expand...

Don't for get the clutch shaft seal! ST1300-clutch-push-rod-lifter-rod-seal-replacement
 
Stimi said:
I haven't order this one... Do you really have to replace it?
Click to expand...


well, if yours looks like mine....... it is your decision... i only knew when i removed the CSC. then I had to wait another 2 days for the $3+seal
 
Good point Gino, I will order one just in case.

So I open the clutch housing today which is equipped with a ball mount on top (longer screws not the OEM one) and I noticed that the membrane inside the housing was not looking good and I found some liquid on top of it however, the level of brake fluid inside was a the top level.

So I decided to purge it with my Mityvac (lot of air came off) and I was able to get a firm lever again. So now, I don't know if the problem comes from the membrane being in bad shape or still the CSC...

Anyway, I will go by Honda tomorrow and get a new membrane along with a new set of OEM screws (don't need the mounting ball) and some fresh Dot 4. Then I will do a full fluid replacement and we will see. In the end, I really hope that I just bought this CSC for nothing.
 
Leaning more and more towards the CSC on my '02 having gone west.
Out on a ride the other day I suddenly lost all resistance at the clutch lever, further inspection revealed not a lot of fluid in the reservoir. I limped it home with the clutch disengaging with the lever nearly back to the bar.
Bought some DOT4 and bled the clutch the old fashioned way with a one man bleeding kit. Bingo ... Lots of resistance back at the lever.
Rode the bike into and back from work, about 50 miles round trip 50/50 mix motorway and A roads - No problems.
Out the next day, did a 10 mile ride out/back for some bits .... Nearly home and the clutch lever lost all resistance again .. NO fluid loss from the reservoir. After the bike had cooled there was full resistance again. Thought it might be air still in the system so I bled it through again, no bubbles seen coming out.
Not been able to ride it since to check if it happens again - That's another issue, Hole in the Rad! Waiting now to get it welded up.
Any thoughts?
Cheers
 
Hi kevhatch:

It sure sounds like your clutch slave cylinder has failed.

If you refill the master cylinder a couple more times, you will likely start to see clutch fluid (really it’s brake fluid of course) seeping out of the bottom of the slave cylinder body through the weep hole. The reason for this is covered in one of my early posts in this thread - basically, there is a little chamber between the CSC and the front end of the pocket in which it is mounted in the rear case of the engine - and that chamber can hold a fair bit of fluid before it is full and the fluid leaks out through the weep hole.

Anyhow - it sure sounds like you’re one of the lucky ducks who is going to save well over $1300 USD by doing your own CSC replacement.

Please keep us posted.

Pete
 
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Thanks for the reply Pete.
After doing some Googling and reading through the thread I was 99% sure it was the CSC given up the plot.
Priced up a new CSC from my local Honda shop GBP 103, bit pricier for parts over here in the UK I think.
I'll post back after the job is done, unless it goes pear shaped and I need help!!!!!
Kev
 
Just read carefully and go along methodically. I tried to be very thorough in my write up. It reallly isn’t that bad a task and it doesn’t take that long (I’d say 2-4 hours all-in). You only need to remove the black belly fairing pieces. Several people have noted that it is easier if you remove the speed sensor as well as the gearshift linkage as well.

One key thing - be sure to have some Vaseline on-hand (the petroleum jelly / gooey stuff you put on baby’s bums).

It is handy for keep track of the multitude of copper crush washers you need in between the two hydraulic fittings and the banjo bolt for the inlet to the CSC. The beauty of Vaseline is that it doesn’t matter if it gets into the hydraulic system. It won’t hurt anything and in any event, you will flush it out when you bleed the system after replacing the CSC.

Also - be sure to grease the end of the clutch push rod when you are buttoning up the CSC - it will likely be the last time you ever see that component.

Cheers,

Pete
 
Not as daunting as I imagined removing the CSC, I found it quite an easy job.
Difficult jobs -
Getting the 8mm socket onto the inboard bolt and then only having a couple of turns before the wrench fouled, easy enough to undo the rest of the way with fingers.
Removing the old CSC, I had to use a "Persuader" as it hasn't been touched since new in '02.

Now to install the new one.

2018-05-31 13.12.35.jpg


Job's a good 'un .. All went back together easy enough, no leaks (yet), just need to get my Rad back from the fixers and then I can run it up the road.
 
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kevhatch said:
Not as daunting as I imagined removing the CSC, I found it quite an easy job.
Difficult jobs -
Getting the 8mm socket onto the inboard bolt and then only having a couple of turns before the wrench fouled, easy enough to undo the rest of the way with fingers.
Removing the old CSC, I had to use a "Persuader" as it hasn't been touched since new in '02.

Now to install the new one.

2018-05-31 13.12.35.jpg
Click to expand...

Yeah, they come out pretty grungy! :eek:4:

Just think what most at this point look like since most have not been touched!
 
My wife's 05 may have the issue as the reservoir got low and got air in the system but I refilled and bled it and it's still full after close to 200 miles commuting to work. Her master cylinder is not operating smoothly though, so first I'm going to rebuild that and keep monitoring the level. Great write up though. I plan to refer to it should I have to fix the slave.
 
Hi Sloan:

You may have a problem with the master cylinder - but the fluid from reservoir went somewhere. If you cannot see a leak around the master or under the bike, then it is likely that your slave cylinder is leaking.

As noted in the write-up, it can take some time before the chamber in front of the CSC fills up and fluid starts to come out of the weep hole.

When my CSC started to fail, I rode more than 500 km (300+ miles) before I saw a leak on the floor under the bike. It just depends on traffic and how much you use the clutch.

Anyhow, you know what to do.

Pete
 
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+1 fluid went somewhere. it is usually the CSC.

My winter maint. will include pulling out the CSC to perform a disassembly with through cleaning and installation w/new DOT. It actually pretty easy to do so why not do this on a snowy night.
 
I discovered an excellent video on YouTube by fellow forum member JasonB that illustrates the whole process of replacing the clutch slave cylinder on the ST 1300. The video is mentioned in this article here in our forum: ST1300 - Replacing the Clutch Slave Cylinder seals-Video

Just in case the above link ever gets broken, here's a direct link to the video on YouTube: Step by Step - Motorcycle Clutch Slave Cylinder: Full Repair

The video is 32 minutes long, so, go get a coffee first before you settle in to watch it.

Michael
 
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