Clutch Props - Help needed

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Olig7475 · #16 Post by **Olig7475** » Tue Mar 31, 2009 6:44 pm

Ok so it looks like the slipping clutch problem is sorted......drained all that shite oil out and changed the filter. Took the clutch plates out cleaned them and ran the steels over some emery paper, soaked the fiction plates in the new Rock oil and put it all back together. filled her with the new oil and went out for a quick blast and from what I could tell no slipping!!!!

So the lesson learnt here is that 'Hi-Rev' oil, although it's 15-50 Semi synth is not for our birds!

Thanks again for all the help.

Oli

Fausto · #17 Post by **Fausto** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 2:37 pm

Glad you got it sorted. So did you use Putoline or Rock Oil in the end?

Olig7475 · #18 Post by **Olig7475** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 3:40 pm

went with the Rock Oil, Demon Tweaks didn't have any of the semi synth Putoline (they tried to fob me off with the putoline fully synth stuff, they reckoned I shouldn't put anything else in an Aprilia engine) Stuck to me guns and got the Rock Oil Guardian Sigma 15-50w, it works like a treat.

Oli

fastasfcuk · #19 Post by **fastasfcuk** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 5:28 pm

Olig7475 wrote:went with the Rock Oil, Demon Tweaks didn't have any of the semi synth Putoline (they tried to fob me off with the putoline fully synth stuff, they reckoned I shouldn't put anything else in an Aprilia engine) Stuck to me guns and got the Rock Oil Guardian Sigma 15-50w, it works like a treat.

Oli

you would have been ok with the fully synth thats what i,ve got in mine.

Aladinsaneuk · #20 Post by **Aladinsaneuk** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 9:16 pm

possibly disagree there mate - it would depend on the year of the engine i think!

I know that my falco clutch slips with fully synth oil - damned expensive as well - thank christ i was able to use it to top up the wifes car!

I think the magic year is 2003 - before that go for semi - after that, it may be ok - seems as if most have been able to run full synth after 2003 at any rate

HowardQ · #21 Post by **HowardQ** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 9:47 pm

Sorry Ian, but my only problems were with Putoline Syntech fully synthetic in my 2001 bike. Fitted my by local Aprilia Dealer who said it was what they always used and wouldn't use anything else. Slipped bad on the way home from the 10K service and just got worse. Drained off a week later and changed to Castrol semi synth and have done almost 16K miles since. Still use Castrol, never had the same problems since, all still fine at almost 26K. It doesn't seem to have caused any engine wear using this oil, as it stll uses no oil and all seems fine mechanically.
Perhaps later bikes are better with synthetic, but mine will always be run on semi synth now.

D-Rider · #22 Post by **D-Rider** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 10:22 pm

Aladinsaneuk wrote: I think the magic year is 2003 - before that go for semi - after that, it may be ok - seems as if most have been able to run full synth after 2003 at any rate

Think it's earlier than that Pete - the perceived wisdom is it's from the point they uprated the clutch ... I can't remember for sure when that was supposed to be but I think it's somewhere around 2001 ..... probably part way through a year too ........

Aladinsaneuk · #23 Post by **Aladinsaneuk** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 10:34 pm

could well be andy - problem is that some bikes were not registered till later - perhaps a colour guide may be better - certainly i can say that the black falcos are definitly semi synth only

Falcopops · #24 Post by **Falcopops** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 2:07 am

Blue ones work fine with fully synthetic oil.

My simplified theory is related to the side panels.

Black ones and red ones with the colour matched side panels seem to have the problem with fully synth.

Later years didn't get painted side panels, but got better clutches and sprags.

I'm prepared to be corrected on this though.

fastasfcuk · #25 Post by **fastasfcuk** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 7:42 am

hi howard, i've noticed in some of your previous post that you've had problems with putoline.i'm not sure what year your's is, perhaps there is a difference in the clutch i don't know.is there a different part no on years. or am i just lucky not to have clutch slip.

or though it was slipping last weekend when i thaught i knew it all and did'nt bother reading the instrutcions to fit my pazzo levers.

my heads a brick,if i'd read your post properly i'd have seen it's a 2001.

Falken · #26 Post by **Falken** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 10:43 am

Hi Ian WHAT INSTRUCTIONS??????????

HowardQ · #27 Post by **HowardQ** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 12:36 pm

It is very difficult talking about upgrades on a Falco as other than the forks, which were changed for "Financial Reasons" more than anything else back around 2004, when Aprilia almost went bust, there was only ever one time when changes were made. This was in late 2000, and the later models became known by Aprilia dealers as the 2000.5 bikes. This was when a number of fairly minor changes were supposed to have taken place, but there has never been total agreement.
The most obvious one was the Blue Spring shock. Early units used to cook because of the proximity to the exhaust pipe, and quickly lose their damping. Then insulation was supposedly improved and they were then significantly better. This didn't turn them into an Ohlins over night but they were an improvement and did not deteriate anything like as badly.
Mine is a Black 2000.5 model first registered in 2001, (I have had the frame number checked by a dealer and mine was one of the "improved models).
I have ridden a 2000 a Falco and mine, both with Blue Spring shocks and mine was certainly better, (since junked for a White Spring).
Having said that, it should also mean that my clutch should be OK and happy with synthetic oils, but it certainly isn't. Another change around the same time was the plastic pin on the side stand switch being replaced by a metal pin, but mine still had the plastic unit, (although it did last 7 years).
Perhaps it was just the earliest ones that got a mixture of older and revised bits?

What the hell, it's still the best and most reliable bike I've ever owned, so I'll just have to live with all these issues.

D-Rider · #28 Post by **D-Rider** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 1:33 pm

I'm not surprised if the change over of various parts is a bit hazy.

In the automotive industry, many things tend to get changed according to model years - particularly new features and bits and pieces you see. These are the bits that let manufacturers advertise new and improved models and sometimes charge you more for it. Aprilia may not have made much of feature improvements but significant model years were certainly marked by new colour schemes.

Other changes to improve reliability etc (normally keeping warranty bills down) are also made and are often targetted at model years. However OEMs and suppliers really do not want to be left with dead stock of the previous component - so unless the change is safety-related or causing a massive warranty bill, the old parts will continue to be used to run out old stock and the switch to the new part made as a running change.
Someone, somewhere, will know the VIN at which the change was made (assuming it happened cleanly and nobody found a batch of old stock at a later date that needed using up). Even so, Aprilia will have a record somewhere .... but you or I will never see it.

Fausto · #29 Post by **Fausto** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 3:48 pm

Some of this is fascinating information and news to me.

Perhaps we should have a sticky re the Falco and it's history?

P.S. Sorry if we already have one and I missed it

Aladinsaneuk · #30 Post by **Aladinsaneuk** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 4:01 pm

makes a lot of sense that Paul

andy, as the resident mod, can you change/edit/copy peoples posts?

if you can then we could have a team effort on the falco history, along with images

suggest that we do not refer to just years though - perhaps colours with approximate years?

perhaps a seperate thread for each colour? might not be a bad idea to try and list what decals are where etc while we are at it