Clutch basket. Another saga in the making.

[johnD]

Right. With everything made good after the indignities mine has suffered, Im starting to nit pick.
I think I mentioned at the start of my journey that the clutch was rattly. Its now the last major item to address. I've had worse sounding Hondas, always due to the clutch shock absorders going loose. No different on this one, the springs are rattling around in their housing.
So, and here Fossie will smirk, I ordered a basket off a 400 Bandit. It took a bit of shoving before I realised that the Bandit primary drive gears are helical, not straight cut. Maybe come in useful some other time so it joins the stack of other maybe usefuls.
Kept a search open on the Bay, a GSXR400R clutch comes up, made enquiries, yes, straight cut gear, all springs solid in the housings.
It arrived, went to fit.... no way!
This is a different design, so nearly the same, but, the primary gear is larger than on my clutch. Only by a few extra teeth, but that miss is as good as ten miles.
So, the search continues for a decent replacement, either that or dissemble the basket and lock or shim the gear/basket interface.
(unless some kind person has a decent basket with good springs).

Mine on the left.

[Smallkat]

Oh John... couldn't you have just pretended it was a dry clutch and enjoyed the rattling?

[fossie]

Sometimes I applaud my tinnitus ....Obliviousness!

[johnD]

i suffer so others don't!
Smallkat, could you post the cutch page of the manual, please, just for clarity.
Cheers

[Smallkat]

gsx400ss clutch.docx

(900.04 KiB) Downloaded 23 times

Hope you can read that.

If you PM me your email, I think I can send the whole file to you.

[johnD]

Thanks Smallkat..... So... The plot thickens.
Given that this is the Katana parts list, it shows the same clutch I bought, that dosn't fit!
Refer to my photos, this parts list shows the five clutch spring unit, and the basket is a different shape, mine has a 'band' around the middle and four pressure plate spring housings. Also, the clutch plates are different, with fewr tangs around the edges. Nothing is compatable.
Its also the same basket as that fitted to the Bandits, except they have a helical primary gear.
My confusion comes from the fact that the crankshaft primary gear is either cut into or shrunk onto the No. 4 crank journal. Why would Suzuki change the design of the crankshaft just for a few Katanas, or, it would seem, just for mine?
I am wondering if this is a 250 2 stroke clutch....? Must dig out a parts diagram for those from wherever.
If you would send me the full parts list, that would be great. How do I send my E mail add. privately Smallkat?
Cheers.

Just found a parts list for the RGV. Not that one, helical cut primary, five spring pressure plate, looks just like the one in the Katana parts list....

[Smallkat]

What is your engine number prefix? Mine is K711. I have a black engine. What engine prefix do other people have?

Suzuki are very lax about engine numbers. Normally they do not match the frame number and Suzuki do not publish a frame/engine number 'as built' list as far as I know.

To send a PM click on 'private messages' top right of the page.

[Uncle Bob]

parts list shows the five clutch spring unit,

The parts list (smallkat attached) shows 4 springs - parts 15 and 16 have quantity of 4.
FYI The full PDF parts list for the 400 is in the Members area...! (or in the Files section of our FB group).

UB

[fossie]

The 400 engine should be K711.

[johnD]

Uncle Bob. Look at the clutch basket, mine has a band around the middle, the one supplied was the same design as this drawing. I extrapolated the five pressure plate springs.

I would be quite happy with the five spring basket, more is better and all that. But the fact that my basket has a smaller primary drive gear means another different crankshaft design. (The Bandits have helical cut gears,five spring pressure plate. GSXR's have straight cut primaries and, it would seem, two different gear ratios and two different clutch baskets).
No doubting that the basket supplied to me came from a GSXR 400, the pocket rocket faired version as per the photo supplied..... I'd love to be able to talk or read Japanese to get to the bottom of this.
Cheers.