Well it seems i have surpassed myself. The rebuild is pootling along, the budget a distant memory and the clutch has gone. Can't get it into neutral and it drags like hell when trying to move it in gear. I wish i had waited to put the chain on. No problem think I and pick up a nice new EBC kit from a bloke on fleabay for £30 (friction plates and springs). Start stripping the old one out and hit the staked nut. Hmmmmmm. A few goes later and some destroyed jeweller's screwdrivers i leap onto google. Try dremmeling it out? No thanks. Drill it, again....i'll only cock it up. Spin it off with an impact wrench. That sounds more like it!! I bought a 12v one ages ago and haven't used it. 3 quick spins and off it comes. Brilliant, last time it took 3 of us to keep the bike still and i have done it in 10 secs!

New plates soaked, plain plates cleaned up and it's all back in. I know i'll just buzz the nut back on and finish early for a change! It took some doing but on it went. A quick test, early tea and a few beers for me! Nope.......

After finding that i still had no clutch i stripped it out again and found i had done this....



Not entirely sure what happened but it does go to show that you should have to take some kind of idiot test before you are allowed to buy anything like this.

So after 3 or 4 goes at a rebuild i cannot work out why it just won't go back together. The cover won't go back on. The push rod is fouling on the bearing in the spring plate. I have an idea but would appreciate someone with more sense than me having a look to confirm it....

Freshly uninstalled: The output shaft has a tiny recess.



Since my stupidity: It now has a much deeper recess



I am thinking that i have drawn the shaft towards the clutch cover. I have no idea how to put it back. I am hoping that someone says "drift it back in gently"...........

The vibration from the running engine is beyond funny, i just hope i haven't knackered it beyond my capability to fix it.

When i put my 29 clutch back together i had a bugger of a time getting all the plates onto the splines right at the back of the clutch. It all seemed to go on but when i put the nut back on there seemed to be too many plates.
Took ages to get them all lined up properly so that the nut etc would go back on.
I'd start again and jiggle the centre to make sure all the plates are seated !

Does the cover fit back on without the clutch plates in?

When you fitted the clutch, did you fit the spacers the right way round?

I think it would help if you showed us the inner basket and plates assembled too. Then we can see if it's put together right. Something I will add is: the original clutch kit has a different outer friction plate to accommodate the clutch anti-judder spring (and spring seat), newer kits usually have identical friction plates and so the clutch spring and its seat should be removed from the installation.

Also have you got a Haynes manual?

Where are you mate? I'm sure someone from here would come and give you a hand....

First of all, cheers to everyone for replying with advice and offers of help. Me, the Haynes and google seem to have got as far as we can. Always nice to have a bit of previous experience to draw on.

So, an update:

I have wiggled and jiggled like a wiggly jiggly thing-no better.

The cover fits without the plates in but seems to be fouling as soon as i install the spring retaining plate-it has around a 5 mm gap between the back of the bearing and the shaft.

I still cannot get near neutral. It pings back in to gear as soon as I turn the back wheel by turning the splined output shaft (should i really be able to do that with just fingers?)

As for the spacers-didn't know there was a difference so took it all out again and started from scratch:

Everything out-the plain bearing offered up for comparison:


Oil pump sprocket and chain back on:


Roller bearing installed:


Outer clutch installed, teeth aligned:



Basket reassembled with anti judder spring and seat included:

I checked the sizing and the new plates have the outer plate with a larger internal diameter to accomodate the spring so though it best to leave it in.

All tightened down without the new clutch nut:


I have now had a brew and a roll up that didn't taste of 10W40 so break time is officially over. I will go and install the springs and plate and get back to you!

Well that went well....

Spring plate installed:


Still got a gap of around 11mm:


The cover still stands proud but will shove into place as it did last time.

Looking at the last couple of pictures, it seems as though the cover is fouling on the spring bolts. What length are the springs and bolts compared to the originals? I assume you replaced the bolts with the springs?

Thanks for the interest Thunderace, the bolts were the originals. The springs are 41mm which i know is over tolerance.They are the EBC "10% stronger" version and compress fully. I checked the bolt head clearance laying a straight edge over the side of the crank case and seem to have 6 mm of clearance.

I've also had a little peek in the gap and it's definately the push rod hitting the bearing. I just can't understand why there is such a gap between the bearing and the shaft.