Rebuilding kits -Clutch reservouir & slave cylinder

Friends, After putting a bunch of miles on my 2006 FJR ,I was thinking that maybe it would be a good idea to rebuild these components-because a lot of the riding is in the city.So with all the shifting & clutch useage it seemed that there might be some bypass leaking in the system because ,first gear has been a little rough getting in it.

Is there kits available out there to do this ? Who has them ? Thanks in advance ! Sliick

Ps. I have already bled the clutch- no air

I haven't heard of the clutch master cylinder needing rebuild. You say you bled the clutch, however did you bleed enough to do a full fluid charge change? Broken down fluid or moisture can cause the clutch to seem to not operate properly.

First, I would remove the slave cylinder, disassemble and clean

thoroughly. You'd be amazed at how much crud

accumulates there.

Next, flush out master cylinder. Make certain the pinhole

return is clear. This can become clogged and cause a

multitude of symptoms.

Reassemble and reinstall everything and then bleed system.

Check for proper clutch operation.

Let us know if problem persists.

With the engine stopped, I would pull the clutch in and tie it off. Leave it for (say) 10 minutes. Start the engine (on the centre stand), select first gear and check if you have any significant wheel drag.

If you have a lot of drag, confirm by applying the rear brake.

If the slave was leaking, you would have a loss of fluid in the reservoir. If the master cylinder wasn't sealing, it could leak back into the reservoir........ agree with Bob, rebuild isn't likely required...... but I'll bet you're just experiencing the old clutch release point issue that's been often talked about. Assuming no air and fresh fluid in the system, ensure the lever is set so it gives you full disengagement at or before the point of hitting the handlebar, and ensure you're fully squeezing it to the bar every time, especially when cold. Some switch out to Pazzo levers....

Also check the lever pivot bushing, plunger & area for wear or damage. Re & re as necessary. Clean and then lube with LS grease, silicon grease, or a tiny dab of moly

Guys,excellant info as always ! I'm sure,armed with this I will be able to come to a successful conclusion . Thanks so much ! Sliick

So my clutch was feeling a little soft so about a week or so ago I bled/flushed the line. Was working fine but got home today and saw fluid splashed on the inner rear fender and pipes. Sure enough the level in the master was down.

Is there no seal kit available for a slave rebuild? For my FJ1200, Yammie has a seal kit on the parts diagram you can order for a rebuild. It appears the FJR only has the option to replace the entire slave. I'm heading out on a trip for work monday (not on the bike) and have a full weekend ahead. May try to pull the slave on sunday to see if there is gunk, but will probably order a new slave (~$150 ugh) just to be sure I have a backup plan. I rely on the bike to get me to work every day.

Seals do wear, particularly if the system isn't flushed as often as it should be (and how many do that? Not me...) I find a seal kit for the master, no sweat, but the slave does appear to be more difficult.

Dunno if'n this helps, butt I had sum of them cheap Chinese levers, 'n never could get a proper bleed frum brakes or clutch. Went back ta stock levers 'n all is good in the world again.

Was up in Canukistan for a week, so didn't get back to the bike until yesterday. I assumed cause and effect. I had changed the clutch fluid and assumed I screwed something up and the slave was leaking. This was reinforced by what appeared to be an empty sight glass. Turned out that there was a little old dirty fluid at the bottom of the sight glass and the new clean fluid was harder to see. Pulled the reservoir cover to find it full.

Light went on, checked the front lower fairing behind the front wheel to find the same oil stains that were on the pipes. I must have ridden through something on the ride home from work.

Hopefully that explains it. But if you still find it leaking later, read on:

My slave on my high mileage 07 was confirmed leaking and because it's an odd seal, it's unlikely I could find one anywhere other than from Yamaha. And Yamaha doesn't sell just the seal. Searching on the forum yielded no results for an aftermarket seal. So this was an excuse to upgrade to the Gen I slave cylinder, which is what I did to fix the leak. The lighter clutch pull is appreciated when stuck in traffic.

Despite changing the fluid at least annually, mine clunks hard into first (2014, 58k miles). Does tying the lever back for a while really help a clutch that's in otherwise good repair? Is there any downside to doing so? Making notes on seal availability for down the road.

Bill Lumberg said:

Despite changing the fluid at least annually, mine clunks hard into first (2014, 58k miles). Does tying the lever back for a while really help a clutch that's in otherwise good repair? Is there any downside to doing so? Making notes on seal availability for down the road.

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My '07 after 103,xxx miles still clunks hard into first like it has since day one. I've discovered there's really no getting around it tho cycling the clutch lever a few times before shifting helps a little. Warming up to 3 bars doesn't help. Changing oil, bleeding/replacing clutch fluid, tying back clutch lever? Nope. In all this time nothing ever really made any difference at all.

Tying back the clutch lever would keep the fluid pressurized and theoretically force any air bubbles up to the master cylinder. I've had some luck doing it on brake lines, but have never tried the clutch line.

The FJR first gear clunk is better on my 07 if I pull the clutch lever in AND THEN quickly rev the engine. This breaks free the clutch plates so there's less shock to the drivetrain when the trani goes into first. There's still a clunk, but not as bad. YMMV.

Under the entirely reasonable assumption that the clutch, being fairly new and In good condition, would function properly at any stock lever setting, I set mine to 3 about 56,000 miles ago. Put them at max extension today. Will see if I can tell a difference tomorrow.