Patmac6075

So, as I while away the hours here in sub-zero Wisconsin, I thought I’d put together a tutorial on rebuilding the clutch hydraulics on my 1984 Venture Royale. My symptoms started last July while stuck in stop & go traffic for more than an hour, at first I noticed my clutch was engaging later and later, it progressively got worse, until it became difficult to drop it into first, and change gears….finding neutral was nearly impossible. Fortunately, the highway eventually cleared up and I was able to get home by pumping up the clutch lever. Once I got home and posted my situation here, it basically came down to two answers…#1 might just need to be bled, or #2 some or all components may need to be replaced/rebuilt. So course I choose the “Quick Fix”…and just bleed out the system…..which worked……. for a while. Near the end of the season I could see in the master sight glass I had lost about half of the fluid….and while I was preparing the bike for storage I could see fluid all over my left exhaust and plenty on the shop floor….Time for a rebuild! This job is not too difficult, and can be done with a very basic tool kit….here’s what I used: http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz131/Patmac6075/New%20Picture%2011.png http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz131/Patmac6075/New%20Picture%2010.png Tools - #2 Phillips Head, an internal Master Cylinder snap ring pliers (I’ve used two picks for this job, but found I also needed a third hand, I’ve also used a standard snap ring pliers but found they are just a tad too short, These pliers are about $25, and make the job immensely easier!), a 17mm open end wrench, a 10mm open end wrench or preferably a flare wrench, an 8mm combo wrench, a ratchet and various extensions, 10mm & 12mm sockets, and a 5mm long reach Allen key (a 5mm Allen socket and extension works too). Supplies – Clutch Master Cylinder rebuild kit, Slave Cylinder rebuild kit, two new stainless steel hoses, fresh copper crush washers, a quart of clean fresh DOT3 brake fluid, some silicone/dielectric grease, brake cleaner, 2000 grit wet dry sand paper, and plenty of paper towels I first started by removing the middle gear cover using the 5mm Allen key (pay special mind to the bottom most Allen bolt as it has a copper washer/spacer…if this gets misplaced you’ll have an oil leak). Once that’s removed, loosen the slave bleed nipple with the 8mm wrench and crack the banjo bolt on the slave cylinder with the 12mm socket and let it bleed out…..then remove that hose with the 17mm wrench and 10mm flare wrench. Once the hose is completely removed, remove two bolts securing the slave cylinder to the block using the long reach 5mm Allen key. Now remove the slave cylinder from the bike which is easier said than done! Suffice it to say, stick with it, wiggle it around, curse profusely, and eventually it’ll come out….took me about 25-40 minutes. To remove the Clutch Master cylinder first remove the clutch safety switch (located near the end of the clutch lever) by simply inserting a small screw driver or the end of a ¼” extension pushing on the switch tab and pulling the switch free of the Master (it’s a good idea to clean this switch with some contact cleaner). At this point make sure you have plenty of heavy towels covering any exposed plastic or painted surface…brake fluid will ruin those parts in very short order (or you can do as I did and remove all the plastics, it’ll be easier to reach the upper clutch hose union later). Crack the banjo bolt on the Master (if you’re lucky most of the brake fluid will drain out the bottom). Now you can remove the Master from the bike by removing the two 10mm bolts at the handle bars. To remove the upper clutch hose you must first remove the two Phillips screws from the access panel on the handle bar, the follow the hose down to it’s union just below and forward of the battery, again using the 17mm wrench and the 10mm wrench, disconnect the hose and remove it. Rebuilding Master Cylinder: I like to work inside an old 10 x 14 cake pan lined with paper towels, it keeps most parts contained and helps keep my work bench clean and disassembly organized. http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz131/Patmac6075/New%20Picture%2014.png Disassembly is pretty straight forward…remove the two screws holding the lid on the Master and drain the residual fluid, remove the lever taking note of the actuators orientation (at this point I like to take pictures or make drawing so I can remember how it all goes together). Now this’ll be where that specialty snap ring pliers comes in handy. There is a snap ring down the main cylinder bore http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz131/Patmac6075/New%20Picture%2013.png It’s easiest to press down slightly on the plunger while trying to remove the snap ring…be careful, because this is spring loaded…so make sure you’re prepared in case things go flying! Again, I like to lay everything out in the order in which they came out and take detailed pictures so I can put it all back in the way it came out. http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz131/Patmac6075/New%20Picture%206.png http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz131/Patmac6075/New%20Picture%207.png Clean everything up real well with some brake cleaner…inspect the cylinder bore by shining a light down the bore, if it’s not too scored up, you can wrap a pencil with that 2000 grit paper dipped in brake fluid and hone the cylinder, in my case it was pretty clean. Now if you look into the brake fluid reservoir you’ll see two small holes (you may need to get the magnifying glass out to see the smaller of the two!) these both need to be clear of any crud…a squirt of brake cleaner usually clears the larger hole, but for the smaller hole I use a single bristle from a nylon parts cleaning brush…you don’t want to use anything which will enlarge this hole at all, and it is very important that it be cleaned out! http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz131/Patmac6075/New%20Picture%209.png http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz131/Patmac6075/New%20Picture%208.png At this point I like to soak the rubber parts in brake fluid under a high intensity light (to gently warm the parts)….hopefully your rebuild kit comes with a new plunger, just slide the seals over the plunger taking care to make sure you put them on correctly (those pictures really help here). Using plenty of brake fluid as a lubricant just reassemble in the order it came out….this where that snap ring pliers comes in handy again! I like to smear the plunger/actuator cover with some dielectric grease and the brake pivot with some lithium grease…reassemble everything and Viola….you’re mostly done! Rebuilding Slave cylinder: For me, I’ve always found it easier to use a grease gun to remove the Slave piston (just open the brake bleed nipple, put a bolt it the banjo hole and pump grease in…make sure the piston isn’t cock-eyed and it should just float out…just make certain you clean every trace of grease out YOU MUST GET EVERY LITTLE BIT OUT OF EVERYWHERE!). My Slave cylinder was in pretty sorry condition http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz131/Patmac6075/ZZ%20Parts8.png http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz131/Patmac6075/ZZ%20Parts10.png Also, the bore had a bunch of crud caked in it! I used 2000 grit soaked in brake fluid to polish the crud out and got rid of all the tiny score marks. It really is key to clean up every little bit of crud both inside and outside and all around the lip where the outer seal goes….you cannot clean this area too much! http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz131/Patmac6075/New%20Picture%203.png Again soak those rubber bits in brake fluid heated under a lamp and they should go back on fairly easily, just make sure you have the orientation correct! Put it all back together the way it came out and you’re done! Put the Slave back on the bike (it’s even harder putting it back in than it was taking it out, so, good luck with that), put the Master back on, connect the hoses and bleed the system….Total cost about $75 ($100 if you include the special snap ring pliers) and 6 hours labor…. Now in my opinion, I could have just replaced the slave cylinder and been done with it. My problem would have been solved and my cost would have been about $30…..BUT, my bike is nearly 33 years old…if the slave is toast, chances are the master is the next weak link….if I just did those two, then the hoses are the next area to fail….why not get all done at the same time, do it once, and do it right? Next up…..Brakes

So, as I while away the hours here in sub-zero Wisconsin, I thought I’d put together a tutorial on rebuilding the clutch hydraulics on my 1984 Venture Royale. My symptoms started last July while stuck in stop & go traffic for more than an hour, at first I noticed my clutch was engaging later and later, it progressively got worse, until it became difficult to drop it into first, and change gears….finding neutral was nearly impossible. Fortunately, the highway eventually cleared up and I was able to get home by pumping up the clutch lever. Once I got home and posted my situation here, it basically came down to two answers…#1 might just need to be bled, or #2 some or all components may need to be replaced/rebuilt. So course I choose the “Quick Fix”…and just bleed out the system…..which worked……. for a while. Near the end of the season I could see in the master sight glass I had lost about half of the fluid….and while I was preparing the bike for storage I could see fluid all over my left exhaust and plenty on the shop floor….Time for a rebuild! This job is not too difficult, and can be done with a very basic tool kit….here’s what I used: http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz131/Patmac6075/New%20Picture%2011.png http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz131/Patmac6075/New%20Picture%2010.png Tools - #2 Phillips Head, an internal Master Cylinder snap ring pliers (I’ve used two picks for this job, but found I also needed a third hand, I’ve also used a standard snap ring pliers but found they are just a tad too short, These pliers are about $25, and make the job immensely easier!), a 17mm open end wrench, a 10mm open end wrench or preferably a flare wrench, an 8mm combo wrench, a ratchet and various extensions, 10mm & 12mm sockets, and a 5mm long reach Allen key (a 5mm Allen socket and extension works too). Supplies – Clutch Master Cylinder rebuild kit, Slave Cylinder rebuild kit, two new stainless steel hoses, fresh copper crush washers, a quart of clean fresh DOT3 brake fluid, some silicone/dielectric grease, brake cleaner, 2000 grit wet dry sand paper, and plenty of paper towels I first started by removing the middle gear cover using the 5mm Allen key (pay special mind to the bottom most Allen bolt as it has a copper washer/spacer…if this gets misplaced you’ll have an oil leak). Once that’s removed, loosen the slave bleed nipple with the 8mm wrench and crack the banjo bolt on the slave cylinder with the 12mm socket and let it bleed out…..then remove that hose with the 17mm wrench and 10mm flare wrench. Once the hose is completely removed, remove two bolts securing the slave cylinder to the block using the long reach 5mm Allen key. Now remove the slave cylinder from the bike which is easier said than done! Suffice it to say, stick with it, wiggle it around, curse profusely, and eventually it’ll come out….took me about 25-40 minutes. To remove the Clutch Master cylinder first remove the clutch safety switch (located near the end of the clutch lever) by simply inserting a small screw driver or the end of a ¼” extension pushing on the switch tab and pulling the switch free of the Master (it’s a good idea to clean this switch with some contact cleaner). At this point make sure you have plenty of heavy towels covering any exposed plastic or painted surface…brake fluid will ruin those parts in very short order (or you can do as I did and remove all the plastics, it’ll be easier to reach the upper clutch hose union later). Crack the banjo bolt on the Master (if you’re lucky most of the brake fluid will drain out the bottom). Now you can remove the Master from the bike by removing the two 10mm bolts at the handle bars. To remove the upper clutch hose you must first remove the two Phillips screws from the access panel on the handle bar, the follow the hose down to it’s union just below and forward of the battery, again using the 17mm wrench and the 10mm wrench, disconnect the hose and remove it. Rebuilding Master Cylinder: I like to work inside an old 10 x 14 cake pan lined with paper towels, it keeps most parts contained and helps keep my work bench clean and disassembly organized. http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz131/Patmac6075/New%20Picture%2014.png Disassembly is pretty straight forward…remove the two screws holding the lid on the Master and drain the residual fluid, remove the lever taking note of the actuators orientation (at this point I like to take pictures or make drawing so I can remember how it all goes together). Now this’ll be where that specialty snap ring pliers comes in handy. There is a snap ring down the main cylinder bore http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz131/Patmac6075/New%20Picture%2013.png It’s easiest to press down slightly on the plunger while trying to remove the snap ring…be careful, because this is spring loaded…so make sure you’re prepared in case things go flying! Again, I like to lay everything out in the order in which they came out and take detailed pictures so I can put it all back in the way it came out. http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz131/Patmac6075/New%20Picture%206.png http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz131/Patmac6075/New%20Picture%207.png Clean everything up real well with some brake cleaner…inspect the cylinder bore by shining a light down the bore, if it’s not too scored up, you can wrap a pencil with that 2000 grit paper dipped in brake fluid and hone the cylinder, in my case it was pretty clean. Now if you look into the brake fluid reservoir you’ll see two small holes (you may need to get the magnifying glass out to see the smaller of the two!) these both need to be clear of any crud…a squirt of brake cleaner usually clears the larger hole, but for the smaller hole I use a single bristle from a nylon parts cleaning brush…you don’t want to use anything which will enlarge this hole at all, and it is very important that it be cleaned out! http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz131/Patmac6075/New%20Picture%209.png http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz131/Patmac6075/New%20Picture%208.png At this point I like to soak the rubber parts in brake fluid under a high intensity light (to gently warm the parts)….hopefully your rebuild kit comes with a new plunger, just slide the seals over the plunger taking care to make sure you put them on correctly (those pictures really help here). Using plenty of brake fluid as a lubricant just reassemble in the order it came out….this where that snap ring pliers comes in handy again! I like to smear the plunger/actuator cover with some dielectric grease and the brake pivot with some lithium grease…reassemble everything and Viola….you’re mostly done! Rebuilding Slave cylinder: For me, I’ve always found it easier to use a grease gun to remove the Slave piston (just open the brake bleed nipple, put a bolt it the banjo hole and pump grease in…make sure the piston isn’t cock-eyed and it should just float out…just make certain you clean every trace of grease out YOU MUST GET EVERY LITTLE BIT OUT OF EVERYWHERE!). My Slave cylinder was in pretty sorry condition http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz131/Patmac6075/ZZ%20Parts8.png http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz131/Patmac6075/ZZ%20Parts10.png Also, the bore had a bunch of crud caked in it! I used 2000 grit soaked in brake fluid to polish the crud out and got rid of all the tiny score marks. It really is key to clean up every little bit of crud both inside and outside and all around the lip where the outer seal goes….you cannot clean this area too much! http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz131/Patmac6075/New%20Picture%203.png Again soak those rubber bits in brake fluid heated under a lamp and they should go back on fairly easily, just make sure you have the orientation correct! Put it all back together the way it came out and you’re done! Put the Slave back on the bike (it’s even harder putting it back in than it was taking it out, so, good luck with that), put the Master back on, connect the hoses and bleed the system….Total cost about $75 ($100 if you include the special snap ring pliers) and 6 hours labor…. Now in my opinion, I could have just replaced the slave cylinder and been done with it. My problem would have been solved and my cost would have been about $30…..BUT, my bike is nearly 33 years old…if the slave is toast, chances are the master is the next weak link….if I just did those two, then the hoses are the next area to fail….why not get all done at the same time, do it once, and do it right? Next up…..Brakes

Watching this thread with much anticipation Trader as I'm going down the same road.....complete overhaul of the clutch and brake hydraulics, new pads, springs, and tires. Kevin, would you care to elaborate on the greasing of those splines? Is there a write up?

Ok, so I just went to look at the particulars of my order...turns out you do not need to spend the $100 (or more) at a single vendor, as long as you spend the money...ebay gives the refund. So essentially I could have bought something from a different vendor (rather than the EBC brake pads, which I technically didn't need right now but it was the only other thing that vendor had that I wanted) and applied the CMOTORS216 code to and I still would gotten the discount. It's really weird the way it works though...my PayPal account shows I spent $77 for the Progressive springs, but $63 was taken from my funds and $14 was applied from eBay...same ratio from the pads...I guess it all comes out in the wash....I got both parts ans only paid the $87. Any way....I'm happy!

Just thought of this....it's tire season fella's....save yourself $20!

Am I the only one getting these coupon deals? I just got a coupon code from eBay; Coupon Code: CMOTORS216 Expires 2/12/16 Spend $100 or more get $20 off I used it to get a set of Progressive Springs ($77) and one set of EBC Pads ($30) paid $87 total after coupon code! Not sure of all the rules, but I believe you must spent all of the $100 (or more) with the same vendor, and it's a one time only coupon. Worked for me.

My question is; when pushing on the clutch pushrod (from the slave cylinder side), how much force should it take to overcome the clutch spring? The reason I ask is I've just replaced the seal for the pushrod and I've put the pushrod back in (ball bearing looking end in first, just as it had come out), I've tried to push the clutch open with my thumb....no movement, then I used a 1/2" extension and pushed as hard as I could....nothing! I believe I put it in straight as there is almost no wiggle room to get it in cock-eyed....Is there that much clamping force? Im just worried that if I put it all back together....geez, I'd hate to have to go back in there!

Just received a blast email from Motorcycle Superstore (http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com) FREE SHIPPING No Minimum Promo Code: FS-FEB16 Exp - 02/03/16 Kind of a drag that it only lasts until tomorrow, but if anybody was planning on a purchase.....free shipping is always good. Enjoy

Paysaw, did you check inside your master cylinder? There is a very tiny hole (right next to the tiny hole) in the brake fluid well leading into the bore...if that very tiny hole gets clogged it sometimes presents itself as you are describing. Short of doing a complete master cylinder rebuild, you can get some guitar wire and try to clear the orifice.

Just the way I'd been taught....I suggest each to do as they see fit. Would take quite a bit of scrubbing to get these bores out of round if using 2000 grit. It really should be considered a polishing.

Ok, so last summer I started having issues with my clutch cutting out….well I think I found the problem. <!--url{0}-->[/img]</p><p> </p><p> <img src=[/img] I’m rebuilding both my clutch and brake hydraulic systems while I wait for warmer weather, figured I’d snap some pic’s, maybe some of our more knowledgeable members can add some insight on this type of maintenance. I didn’t take any pic’s of removing the slave (there is plenty of info on this if you do a search), suffice it to say, just wiggle it around and just about the time you’re ready give up…stick with it another 45 minutes and it’ll finally kind of back-flip out…helps if you take the bleed nipple off. This is everything laid out once I got it disassembled ( I just noticed the spring is backwards but I'm too lazy to retake pic's ) <!--url{2}-->[/img]</p><p> FYI, I used the grease gun method to separate the piston from the body…hence all the grease on the parts….For those unfamiliar with this method, just use a proper sized bolt to block the banjo opening, open the bleed nipple fully and put a grease gun over the nipple (it’s almost the same size as a standard zirk fitting) start pumping full of grease and slowly let the hydraulic pressure lift the piston out. Just make sure you clean every bit of residual grease out of every nook and cranny, and every passage way!!</p><p> </p><p> There was a lot of caked on crud that I had to clean off, especially where the dust seal attaches…if you’ve gone to all this hassle, don’t short cut here…I used a lot of brake cleaner and a tooth brush (used a small pick on the really tough stuff) to clean off everything I could…</p><p> I also used some 2000 grit wet/dry and some brake fluid to clean up the bore, the important thing here is to go in the same direction as the piston…ie, from top to bottom, NOT AROUND the bore to clean up any caked on crud or any score marks…</p><p> </p><p> <img src=[/img] <a href=http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz131/Patmac6075/ZZ%20Parts12.png' alt='ZZ%20Parts12.png'> That’s it…just reassemble with new seals and liberal amounts of clean brake fluid…reattach everything to your bike and bleed out the system…easy-peasy! At this point, I’d like to get up on my high horse (somebody please catch me when I inevitably fall)…there is absolutely no reason to go through all this effort and not rebuild your master cylinder at the same time (that write up to follow in a week or so) and replace those worn out rubber hoses with some stainless steel hoses….end of rant!

As the title suggests, I'm preparing to order parts for a complete brake system rebuild. It looks as if I need two front caliper rebuild kits and they are the identical parts numbers, and one rear caliper rebuild kit which will be a different part number, but both front and rear use the same brake pad? Somehow I thought I read somewhere that one front and the rear calipers where identical, and the other front caliper (controlled by the hand lever) had its own part number.....? I'm so confused.... BTW, this is for my XVZ1200 Royale. Definitely more questions to come....thanks

Please don't replace really really old brake lines with really old brake lines! Yamaha gave brake lines a 4 year service life....even though every 4 years might be a tad on the conservative side, brake lines that are 4,5 or 6 times their service life is dangerous!

Ok, so I've decided to rebuild my clutch system. I've purchased the K&L rebuild kits for both the slave and master cylinders, my first question is, Is the piston for the slave cylinder available? Does anyone know the part number? I was just on Partzilla and their exploded drawing does not show the piston nor does it reference it...I've got to believe Yamaha used this setup in more than just the XVZ's, so it should be available...Next question, when I remove the master...it looks as if there is an electrical connector (obviously for the cruise,starter, kickstand lockout systems), can I remove that at the master itself, or do I need to search the handle bars for the bullet connector? Third and last question, if I'm replacing the old rubber hose with stainless, do I also replace the pigtail hose down by the slave? Inquiring Minds want to know. Thank, in advance

Wow...so sorry to hear guys....I actually received mine yesterday. Date codes are mid 2014, not 2015 as I was told. i guess I must have snuck in under the wire.

This is the gift that keeps on giving! Since I used PayPal, they are running a promotion, if you spent $150 or more before 1/31/16 they're giving a $15 cash rebate! Plus MotoSPORT gave me $10 off towards my next purchase...how can I lose? Just wish that dang lottery was this week....

I asked before I bought, only 2015 dates.

Just a heads up to all...I just bought a set of Dunlop Elite 3's (MR90-18 & MU90-16) from a company called MotoSPORT for less than $80 per tire and that includes shipping! Lowest I was seeing anywhere was in the $130 per tire range...I just got two tires for $158. like I said...heads up.

EBC pads....which to buy for my '84 Royale Sintered, Organic, HH, or V-Pads? im finally getting around to doing a complete brake job...rebuilding master and calipers plus adding stainless hoses...just need to figure out which pads. any input will be appreciated

Engine and most any other part is available....most stuff is pretty cheap, but he wants an arm and leg for the carbs ($350)

I found a guy with a complete '94 VMax engine....of course I bought the starter, but what other parts should I be looking at? At this moment I'm not in a position to rip my engine apart and soup it up, but at some point I might want to...so what should I be looking for? Cams? Heads? Carbs? How about the electrical harness? What is the V-Boost? I thought I read somewhere that the V-Max heads cannot use the Venture exhaust, he has a Kerker but not the stock exhaust.....Can I use the Kerker? Is it better to just grab the entire engine? He says the bike had been rat-rodded before he bought it and that the engine was running when he got the bike.

Very interested in your post Jason, and thank you for doing the research & results. Three things I'd like to know, 1. What size are you? I'm 5'9" and just over 200...I'm looking for a starting point 2. Are you measuring down from the top of the chrome fork tube? 3. Back in the day we just used plain motor oil...is that still acceptable? 10w/40 20w/50...ect, BTW, I rarely test the limits of my bike...so foaming would very unlikely. Looking at ordering spring in a couple days.

Good luck to you Clayton, you're living my dream!

I for one will only speak for myself and the way I use the site..... This site has been a Godsend for the resurrection of my '84 VR, without the collective knowledge and advise I've received by fellow members there would have been no way I could have made my bike road-ready, safe, or reliable. It would be a mistake, and I believe it would create a knowledge vacuum if this site were to convert to and "All Bikes" forum....In my opinion this should remain a Yamaha Venture site...if it's a matter of resources, I'd rather see the site consolidated into "Tech & Talk" for each generation of bike....and lose some of the less visited section. My $0.02+

First off I am not an employee of SeaFoam, but I have worked with their R&D department and with numerous reps.....SeaFoam makes 5 products and 4 of them are basically the same thing only in different concentrations SeaFoam, SeaFoam aerosol, TransTune, and DeepCreep (BugsBgone is not related to the other products in any way). 1. SeaFoam and the aerosol version are exactly the same stuff except one is liquid and one is an aerosol. 2. TransTune is about 4X the concentration of normal SeaFoam with the addition of some detergents and a red dye. TransTune is fine to run through your engine just as SeaFoam, just use less... 3. DeepCreep, is the same make up as regular SeaFoam only at about 10X the concentration....DeepCreep is one of the best penetrating fluids you can buy...it also has the added benefit of not "flashing" on hot surfaces, you can heat a bolt until it's cherry red, hit it with DeepCreep and it will not flame...it actually helps the product creep into the seized areas. One difference between SeaFoam and Sta-bil is Sta-bil creates a paraffin barrier on top of you gas to keep it from evaporating......once that barrier is disturbed (say if you move your mower or bump your bike), Sta-bil losses it effectiveness. Finally, think of SeaFoam as kind of like Windex....if your window just need a normal cleaning Windex does a great job....but if your window is shattered, it won't matter how much Windex you use, the window needs repair. And one last thing, SeaFoam is great for use with diesels, just don't use TransTune in your diesel fuel...the red color will make your diesel fuel the same color as the "not for highway" diesel.