84/85 VF500F Clutch Installation

I have started reassembly after replacing my leaking clutch pushrod oil seal, and I have a question on clutch installation. The engine has a 1985 serial number, but the clutch is assembled the same as the 1984 diagram in the Honda and Clymer manuals

• 1984: clutch center, judder spring/seat, narrow friction disc, clutch plates/friction discs, pressure plate;
• 1985: clutch center, clutch plates/friction discs, judder spring/seat, narrow friction disc, pressure plate;

I will likely install it the way that it came out, but I'm just curious what the reasoning behind these two variations is.

 

Interesting. My 85 was the same. I put it back the way I found it.

 

I'm slowly getting this back together. It runs, and I bled the clutch before attempting to ride it. After bleeding the clutch, the clutch lever will not depress all the way. I took the clutch cover off and it did the same thing. Does this point to something wrong with the slave cylinder? Is there a way I can determine this for sure?

 

I looked at this a little closer. When I back the bolts out of the pressure plate a little, the clutch acts as it should. Aren't they supposed to be tightened all the way down though?

 

Another source saying they should be snug: http://vfrworld.com/forums/showthread.php/28026-clutch-spring-torque-specs
Everything looks fine installation-wise, so I'm unsure what to do next.

 

#9 and #10 in the parts diagram are typically inserted in the one fiber plate with the large inner diameter first. #9 is a spring and if you look at the steel plates with a sharp eye you will see wear marks on one of them. Guessing you got them oot of order and that is easy to do the first time. Take it apart and reassemble with caution, it is easy to damage the pressure plate with bottomed oot hydraulic pressure from the lever if that is what is going on. As stated in the other thread, the bolts are very fragile and just past snug will do.

 

A google search for "judder spring" in images may help.

 

You were correct - I took the clutch assembly apart and reassembled it correctly.

Finally took it for a ride. It runs decent, but after giving it a little throttle it likes to hang around 2-3k - sometimes it drops and sometimes it doesn't. It does this between gears as well. Does this point to a vacuum leak? Also, it smokes more than it should. It comes out around the exhaust joints and out of the pipes. It's not really white - more of a blue-ish tint. Is this just assembly lube burning off or is it more likely to be oil? It probably has nearly an hour of run time since reassembly.

 

It's been a while since I've done anything to the bike, but I got back to it today. I adjusted the idle so it sits around 1300, but I'm still have an issue where the RPMs stay up around 2500-3000 after hitting the throttle.

 

Don't mean to ressurect an old thread but I have a diagram from the Factory Service Manual which shows a friction disk up against the clutch plate instead of a steel? Take it for what you will but this is from honda rather than clymer's. I don't claim to be an expert by any stretch of the imagination, this is my first bike that I bought for cheap not running but through the help of people on here and both the clymer's manual and the FSM I've nursed it almost completely back to health. This clutch is the last piece that I'm hoping to have sorted out tonight. But in anycase, here's the diagram I have.