Clutch slippage, which tends to occur when riding a motorcycle comfortably, especially when accelerating or shifting up to overtake, is really unpleasant. There must be many riders who have experienced this when they tried to downshift and full throttle to pass a vehicle in front of them, only to have the engine rev up and the motorcycle not accelerate as fast as they wanted or cannot be ridden as strongly as they wanted. I'm sure there are many riders who have experienced this. This is exactly the symptom of a slipping clutch. FCC is in charge of manufacturing many genuine OEM parts for manufacturers. The company's wet clutch parts include all-in-one kit parts that are supported by many high-performance riders. In this report, we will show you how to install the kit part's clutch disc into the first generation Kawasaki air-cooled 4-cylinder engine.
I want my favorite motorcycle to feel good.
In the future, we plan to overhaul the engine of the Kawasaki air-cooled Z, but before we start tuning and disassembling the engine, we decided to overhaul the clutch unit. Here we will be using the F.C.C.I decided to use the clutch kit made by This time I used the F.C.C.Traction control clutch kit. Standard number of discs and plates, with clutch springs, type A.
I also replaced some peripheral parts.
At the same time as replacing the Advantage F.C.C clutch kit, we also installed their clutch release kit. This kit part comes with a set of clutch wires that have excellent operability. This kit is not intended to lighten the clutch lever feel, but to smooth out the clutch release operation. Before installing, apply engine oil to the spiral part of the release.
Just remove the clutch cover like a lid!
Removing the large clutch cover from the rear right side of the engine reveals a large clutch unit for this era. The size of the unit is surprising. This capacity is a decisive difference from the CB750K series, which was released earlier and was not popular for clutch slippage. To remove the disc and plate, we used a bicycle spoke that was no longer needed.
Pay attention to wear and rattling of sliding parts.
When replacing the clutch friction disc & plate (steel plate), check for significant dents on the clutch hub and the uneven part of the outer. If the inner side of the outer groove is severely worn and the disc operation is severely impaired, the clutch cannot be disengaged smoothly, then the outer must be replaced, but in that case, engine disassembly is necessary.
Disc replacement because of the wet clutch
When installing new friction discs and plates, thoroughly apply engine oil to both sides of each disc. It is also a good idea to soak the clutch parts in engine oil by filling the tray with oil beforehand. This time, we restored the clutch spring with red color, which is the genuine part for Kawasaki Z2. The white one is genuine parts for Z1, and the right one is spring for FCC kit parts.
Unit intermittent with clutch release
The mounting position of the clutch release body is laid out on the backside of the drive sprocket cover. After replacing the body, connect the clutch cable to the arm and tighten the stopper bolt at the cable end to prevent it from coming loose. Once the cover is restored, adjust the clutch release adjuster to ensure clearance with the pushrod. This release kit does not make the clutch operation much lighter, but it ensures smooth operation.
Adjust lever play with the adjuster
Let's check the operation of the clutch lever. The procedure when assembling is to set the lever holder side adjuster to the middle position. Next, loosen the lock nut on the clutch release, and then loosen the push rod completely. Next, tighten the push rod slowly and lightly, and when it is no longer moving heavily, back off the push rod 1/8 to 1/4 turn to fix the lock nut. In this state, restore the release cover, and adjust the adjuster on the clutch lever holder to the desired play.
In cooperation with: advantage
- Point 1・Overhaul the clutch unit before the slippage becomes severe and the symptoms worsen.
- Point 2・The clutch outer itself will be rattled in the engine that has been ridden, and it will not be able to disengage the clutch correctly. In such a case, it should be recovered by engine overhaul.
- Point 3・Let's apply engine oil thoroughly when incorporating the friction disk and plate!
- Point 4・If the clutch lever has too much or too little free play, be sure to adjust the release!
Whether it is a manual clutch operated by holding the clutch lever or an automatic centrifugal clutch like the Super Cub, if there is slippage between the "friction disc" called the clutch plate and the "clutch plate (steel plate)", the motorcycle will not ride comfortably. If the clutch is slipping between the friction disc and the clutch plate, the motorcycle will not be able to drive comfortably. If the motorcycle is slow to start, or if the throttle is turned quickly when accelerating to overtake, the engine speed will only increase and the rear tires will not kick the road strongly. There are times when this happens. Clutch plates are consumable parts that need to be replaced on a regular basis, so the slipping symptom will occur after a certain mileage. In addition, even if you have not traveled a great distance, if you use the so-called half clutch too much, or if the clutch lever has almost no play and you continue to drive with the lever taut, the friction disc will wear without you noticing it, and when you try to accelerate fully, you may find that you cannot accelerate comfortably due to clutch slippage. When you try to accelerate fully, the clutch slips and you may not be able to accelerate comfortably.
As mentioned above, in the case of a manual clutch, always try to maintain proper clutch lever play, and in the case of an automatic centrifugal clutch, be sure to adjust the clutch release (push rod function) properly in the case of a clutch.
Here, we practiced replacing the clutch parts on a Kawasaki air-cooled Z. The workability was extremely good because the parts could be replaced by simply removing the clutch cover only. When doing maintenance work such as removing the engine cover, it is normal to drain the engine oil before starting work. However, since the clutch unit is located on the right side of the engine, it is possible to work without draining the engine oil by working on the side stand. However, the clutch unit is located on the right side of the engine. If the side stand is strong and the oil level is high and the oil seems to flow out, put a piece of wood or a block under the rear tire and make the body of the motorcycle more oblique, and the engine oil will not flow out.
However, when working under these conditions, it is dangerous to fall over if the vehicle body shakes. Therefore, if a brake lever lock that can be held and fixed while holding the brake lever is used, and if a wheel stopper is used together with the front wheel, work can proceed under more stable conditions.
When replacing the clutch friction disc and clutch plate with new parts, thoroughly apply engine oil to both sides of the disc and plate before assembly. If the wet clutch is installed in a dry condition, the sliding surface of the friction disc and plate will be burned and the clutch may not be able to function. Be sure to apply plenty of engine oil before installation.
The "Advantage FCC Traction Control Clutch Kit" installed here uses a high performance material that has different sliding characteristics from the stock friction disc, and the clutch plate has a different surface treatment to increase the friction capacity even with the same number of clutches as stock. Therefore, clutch slippage is unlikely to occur even if the stock springs are used without the reinforced clutch springs. This product is the best clutch kit for tuning engines with increased bore.
