Clutch Slave - advice please

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DavShill · #1 Post by **DavShill** » Mon Jun 22, 2015 7:13 am

So my clutch is drinking fluid and I'm told it's time to invest in some performance bling and change the slave cylinder. I cannot remember any of the advice I was given on the campsite at the weekend so please tell me it all over again on here.

Oh.... and a list of the associated parts I will need too, if it is necessary to renew bleed nipples, washers, gaskets etc.

This will be the first time I've done anything other than routine servicing.

Firestarter · #2 Post by **Firestarter** » Mon Jun 22, 2015 8:38 am

If all you plan is to replace the whole slave, this is straghtforward, if you're wanting to sort the seals in the existing slave then ignore everything I'm writing below!

Parts:

New cluth slave cylinder - there's a list somewhere else on the site, but Oberon, MPL, Factory Pro? Or jsut a stock one if you wanted
Fancy sprocket cover/slave cylinder cover, to flash the new bling (optional)
Fresh clutch fluid - DOT 4 or DOT 5.1 (NOT 5.0!!!)
Tubing for bleeding, along with a suitable syringe if planning to reverse-bleed a la nursey

Seriously, that's it, I didn't need anything else. I did mine in about 1/2 hour, including bleeding it up (I didn't reverse bleed). I filled the new slave up with fluid prior to fitting the banjo, I think this helped expel the air rather than just bleeding from the clutch resevoir on the bars. I also left it overnight with the clutch lever pulled in after bleeding, to let any air bubbles travel up through the system, although I don't know if this actually did anything.

Before doing it though, pop your sprocket cover off and see if you can see any leaks, just to make sure this is the source of the problem, not a leak somewhere else.

D-Rider · #3 Post by **D-Rider** » Mon Jun 22, 2015 8:39 am

Changing the slave is the easiest fix but you could always change the seal in the one you've got - it's not that much more complicated but brings less bling and is cheaper.

DavShill · #4 Post by **DavShill** » Mon Jun 22, 2015 9:12 am

Thank you gents, I will consider the bling dimension.

Dalemac · #5 Post by **Dalemac** » Mon Jun 22, 2015 10:41 am

A performance slave will bring much lighter clutch action, it is a massive difference over standard and is well worth it especially if you do any kind of commuting or often get such at traffic lights and are unable to get it into neutral.

You'll need one of the smaller clutch covers from the tuono/mille.

Replace the original hose for a braided one while you are at it.

I'd also highly recommend installing a banjo bolt with a bleed nipple at the clutch master cylinder, this makes it infinitely easier to bleed up the clutch and for the sake of a couple of quid will save you hours of faffing around trying to bleed the system properly (if it isn't bled up properly, it will be even more difficult to get neutral).

Firestarter · #6 Post by **Firestarter** » Mon Jun 22, 2015 1:28 pm

Dalemac wrote:A performance slave will bring much lighter clutch action, it is a massive difference over standard and is well worth it especially if you do any kind of commuting or often get such at traffic lights and are unable to get it into neutral.

You'll need one of the smaller clutch covers from the tuono/mille.

Replace the original hose for a braided one while you are at it.

I'd also highly recommend installing a banjo bolt with a bleed nipple at the clutch master cylinder, this makes it infinitely easier to bleed up the clutch and for the sake of a couple of quid will save you hours of faffing around trying to bleed the system properly (if it isn't bled up properly, it will be even more difficult to get neutral).

Sorry to disagree, but you don't need a different clutch cover, the stock will fit just fine but doesn't show off the new blingy slave cylinder. Agree with the suggestion re: banjo with a bleed nipple, but again I didn't find it necessary and have bled by clutch up just fine without it, in minutes not hours.

Not convinced that a different slave will make it any easier to find neutral, just makes it easier to pull the lever in. If you had problems finding neutral before, I would have thought you would continue afterwards (unless the change also removes air from the system) - but I'm happy to be corrected on that one.

Dalemac · #7 Post by **Dalemac** » Mon Jun 22, 2015 2:48 pm

Firestarter wrote:
Dalemac wrote:A performance slave will bring much lighter clutch action, it is a massive difference over standard and is well worth it especially if you do any kind of commuting or often get such at traffic lights and are unable to get it into neutral.

You'll need one of the smaller clutch covers from the tuono/mille.

Replace the original hose for a braided one while you are at it.

I'd also highly recommend installing a banjo bolt with a bleed nipple at the clutch master cylinder, this makes it infinitely easier to bleed up the clutch and for the sake of a couple of quid will save you hours of faffing around trying to bleed the system properly (if it isn't bled up properly, it will be even more difficult to get neutral).
Sorry to disagree, but you don't need a different clutch cover, the stock will fit just fine but doesn't show off the new blingy slave cylinder. Agree with the suggestion re: banjo with a bleed nipple, but again I didn't find it necessary and have bled by clutch up just fine without it, in minutes not hours.

Not convinced that a different slave will make it any easier to find neutral, just makes it easier to pull the lever in. If you had problems finding neutral before, I would have thought you would continue afterwards (unless the change also removes air from the system) - but I'm happy to be corrected on that one.

Sorry, i think you misunderstood - the comment regarding getting stuck at lights and unable to get it into neutral was supposed to describe how the lighter clutch action can be beneficial. As in pull up, unable to find neutral, but because the clutch action is lighter it is less pain in the hand to hold the clutch lever in.

With the standard slave (and without the clutch jet mod) if I couldn't get into neutral i would have to switch off the engine, find neutral and then turn it back on again if i was stationary for anything more than a minute. With the uprated slave, this is not necessary, you could hold it for hours if you wanted to.

True, you don't have to have the tuono cover but for an extra 12 quid why would you want to keep it hidden? http://www.motopike.com/index.php?route ... uct_id=439

Banjo with bleed nipple - the air rises to the top quite quickly. For the sake of a couple of quid, its easy to add a bleed point at the top of the system and make the job simpler and quicker. You might have not had issues, but plenty of people have.

Dalemac · #8 Post by **Dalemac** » Mon Jun 22, 2015 3:15 pm

Dave, if i had known you could have had a go on mine at the BBQ, could have seen the difference then.

Here is the MotoPike (Factory Racing) slave: http://www.motopike.com/index.php?route ... uct_id=558

If you would like a hand or anything then let me know.

fatboy · #9 Post by **fatboy** » Mon Jun 22, 2015 6:19 pm

I finally got round to fitting my MPL slave a few weeks ago, the difference between that and the stock item is like the difference between night and day.
Took me about 30 mins in total using a bleed tube with a one way valve, bleeding only from the slave.
Performance items are around 25% larger than stock so you will notice a far lighter action

DavShill · #10 Post by **DavShill** » Mon Jun 22, 2015 6:24 pm

Thanks Dale appreciate the offer. I've ordered the factory Pro and a braided hose. Seems easy enough and I have done brakes before. For some reason I was a little apprehensive about the clutch slave but having had a look this evening I'm good to go when the parts arrive.

There is a lot of oily gunge in the sprocket cover but I cannot be sure that its the slave that leaking. I'll proceed with the job anyway and we'll see.

Thanks everyone.

blinkey501 · #11 Post by **blinkey501** » Mon Jun 22, 2015 6:59 pm

DavShill wrote:Thanks Dale appreciate the offer. I've ordered the factory Pro and a braided hose. Seems easy enough and I have done brakes before. For some reason I was a little apprehensive about the clutch slave but having had a look this evening I'm good to go when the parts arrive.

There is a lot of oily gunge in the sprocket cover but I cannot be sure that its the slave that leaking. I'll proceed with the job anyway and we'll see.

Thanks everyone.

The gunge is from the slave mate.

If at any time you feel that you don't fancy taking the task, I will help you if required.

Aladinsaneuk · #12 Post by **Aladinsaneuk** » Tue Jun 23, 2015 7:08 am

the tuono cover is necessary to fit the MPL and motopike slaves - the oberon does fit under the standard sprocket cover iirc

definitely add the bleed nipple at the top of the system

remember to re read the clutch bleeding guide!

DavShill · #13 Post by **DavShill** » Sun Jun 28, 2015 6:33 pm

Thanks All, started the job this evening even though the new braided hose hasn't arrived yet I couldn't resist seeing the new slave cylinder in place, its lurvley.

Jay, you were right. As soon as I took he old slave off the pool of escaped fluid poured out!

All good so far.

DavShill · #14 Post by **DavShill** » Thu Jul 02, 2015 12:38 pm

Job done

Decided to go for the silver Factory Racing Slave plus the Motorpike sprocket cover and Hel braided line. All done and very pleased with the result. Thanks everyone.

Dalemac · #15 Post by **Dalemac** » Thu Jul 02, 2015 1:51 pm

DavShill wrote:Job done
Decided to go for the silver Factory Racing Slave plus the Motorpike sprocket cover and Hel braided line. All done and very pleased with the result. Thanks everyone.

Glad you have it all sorted out Dave. Enjoying the lighter clutch action then?