[Johnny]

Over the 16.5 years of ownership I must have tried the quiet clutch mod 4 times with no success. Clutch does not operate. It does not help that;

• Each poster has a different method
• The final process is to remove the last two plates (drive or friction??)
• Ducati Workshop shows 10 drive plates, parts diagram show 6 and I have 9
• Ducati workshop revers to A- drive plates and B - drive plates !

What I did was two old plates in remove last two drive plates…not even close !!
I think I am going to go ahead and have a noisy clutch, but I thought there could be some ware savings

I am not having a good day ! I just managed to sign back in after being frozen out of this account for 2/3 months. I finally got back in by ignoring the reset and going straight to edit profile.
I am losing my patients in general with the Internet so may just bail…rant over

 

[duc96cr]

I believe there are two thicknesses of drive plates I believe, for stack height adjustment purposes. That probably the A and B . Some clutch kits include a wavy plate, neither A or B , for quieter operation. When doing the quiet clutch mod you must adapt the instructions for you own specific stack height, otherwise you won’t have the correct clearance at the clutch rod. If I remember correctly only one extra plate is involved. I don’t remember ever seeing any instructions specifying two extra plates. Pick one set of instructions and go with it, don’t try to invent some hybrid method for doing the quiet clutch mod. You’re obviously confusing yourself. You sound like someone who is not comfortable doing this type of mechanical work.

 

[Sheff928]

John,
I successfully carried out the quiet clutch mod on my own 2002 ST4S. I should get a chance later to have a look and see exactly what I did.

 

[Sheff928]

I used this procedure
(See attachment)

 

[Johnny]

I believe there are two thicknesses of drive plates I believe, for stack height adjustment purposes. That probably the A and B . Some clutch kits include a wavy plate, neither A or B , for quieter operation. When doing the quiet clutch mod you must adapt the instructions for you own specific stack height, otherwise you won’t have the correct clearance at the clutch rod. If I remember correctly only one extra plate is involved. I don’t remember ever seeing any instructions specifying two extra plates. Pick one set of instructions and go with it, don’t try to invent some hybrid method for doing the quiet clutch mod. You’re obviously confusing yourself. You sound like someone who is not comfortable doing this type of mechanical work.

Thanks for the tech advice. I have re read everything, main issue is knowing the difference between a drive plate and driven plate which i think I have sussed now. I shall check my set for a wavy.

No Thanks for the analysis of my spanner abilities I have done a lot of work on this bike and others with great success, my temperament may be different to yours.

 

[Johnny]

Shef, Thanks I shall take a look but at the moment I have a non movable clutch lever. I bled it once but it keeps returning. Strip and start again I think.

 

[Turbomart]

At the bottom of the clutch basket, closest to the engine, there is an extra thick steel plate that is splined to the inner hub. You remove this and fit one or two old friction plates then refit the thick steel plate. Then refit the rest of the clutch pack as per normal using normal stack height. The aim of the one or two old friction discs sitting under the thick plate is to force it to sit slightly proud so as to apply slight load to the thick plate when installed. You only want the thick plate to be held 0.5mm from the bottom of the hub when installed. More than 0.5 will give problems with clutch disengagement, much less will not preload plate enough and won't stop rattle.

 

[Johnny]

It was Shef's instructions that I originally followed. In my stack I have 7 friction plates and 9 smooth plates. Of that 9 one is 1.5mm the rest 2 mm. No coned or other plates exist. Interestingly my after market friction plates came with 8 friction plates so maybe I can try one 2 mm smooth plate for 1 3mm friction

I did get the clutch to work yesterday as standard as the issue appeared to be either the adjustment screw at the lever was too far in or that the small semi circular lips on the smooth plates needed to line up...or both. I also bled the system top and bottom several times and replaced my aftermarket slave for the OEM.

 

[SS904]

I've done this two ways. First was to remove one of the two steels that are at the inner-most position of the clutch pack. Worked on the ST4s, but eventually I was having problems related to the pack being below stack height spec. When you think about what this mod does, you realize that maybe you should just leave the the clutch pack as it is and just add in the old friction. The old friction fits OVER the hub and gets jammed into the bottom of the basket. It should not require you to adjust stack height. The way I have it now, on both bikes, is the full normally constructed clutch at the proper stack height installed with the one old friction jammed in to the bottom of the basket. No problems at all. Works completely normal, but much less noise at idle with the clutch lever out, and therefore pretty much zero basket and finger wear.

This is with OEM (aluminum friction plate) clutch and OEM newer aluminum basket. Very important. There is no telling how aftermarket baskets will effect the spacing. They might have the cut between the fingers deeper or more shallow compared to OEM and that WILL effect the operation of this mod.

I spent a day or so going back and forth with a guy a few years ago who was never able to get it to work. I think we figured out why. His clutch basket was not OEM and the space between the fingers was cut square. This will only work if the basket you're using has a rounded cut between the fingers like OEM. If it's a squared cut, the old friction plate you stuff in there will have nothing for its tabs to be jammed against in order to keep the rest of the pack from hammering back and forth at idle.

If the cut between the fingers of your aftermarket basket is deeper than OEM, adding two old frictions might work. If it's more shallow, you may not get this to work well at all.

 

[Johnny]

I've done this two ways. First was to remove one of the two steels that are at the inner-most position of the clutch pack. Worked on the ST4s, but eventually I was having problems related to the pack being below stack height spec. When you think about what this mod does, you realize that maybe you should just leave the the clutch pack as it is and just add in the old friction. The old friction fits OVER the hub and gets jammed into the bottom of the basket. It should not require you to adjust stack height. The way I have it now, on both bikes, is the full normally constructed clutch at the proper stack height installed with the one old friction jammed in to the bottom of the basket. No problems at all. Works completely normal, but much less noise at idle with the clutch lever out, and therefore pretty much zero basket and finger wear.

This is with OEM (aluminum friction plate) clutch and OEM newer aluminum basket. Very important. There is no telling how aftermarket baskets will effect the spacing. They might have the cut between the fingers deeper or more shallow compared to OEM and that WILL effect the operation of this mod.

I spent a day or so going back and forth with a guy a few years ago who was never able to get it to work. I think we figured out why. His clutch basket was not OEM and the space between the fingers was cut square. This will only work if the basket you're using has a rounded cut between the fingers like OEM. If it's a squared cut, the old friction plate you stuff in there will have nothing for its tabs to be jammed against in order to keep the rest of the pack from hammering back and forth at idle.

If the cut between the fingers of your aftermarket basket is deeper than OEM, adding two old frictions might work. If it's more shallow, you may not get this to work well at all.

Cheers, I shall have a go at adding the new fresh plate as I have a spare, maybe if it does not fit drop one of the smooth plates

 

[Johnny]

Well I am up and running, I put back the aftermarket Slave and bled again.
Checked the pressure plate and it just clears the basket so decided to top there with a standard config again !
With the aftermarket friction plates and basket the clutch makes virtually no noise. I think swapping in my spare plate for a worn one when it has some mike on it may help

 

[Sheff928]

Glad you've got it sorted.
Just in time to take it over to Clay Cross Motorcycles for 'Italian Sunday', followed with Matlock Bath and then home!
See this
https://www.ducatiforum.co.uk/threa...2nd-september-2018.61369/page-11#post-1187701
Post back here if you decide to go and I'll come on my ST4S too.

 

[Johnny]

Threw my leg over the bike Saturday morning selected a gear let the clutch out and nothing happened. Primary needed adjusting (the one everyone say don't touch!)

Cheers Sheff, will not make the Clay Cross meet as had some poor experiences with them trying to buy two bikes

 

[Turbomart]

You did align the arrow on the pressure plate with the marked spring post ?

 

[Johnny]

You did align the arrow on the pressure plate with the marked spring post ?

Yes but I only checked it 5 times !