I typically change my oil every 20-30 hours of riding. Went to the store and they didn't have my usual Valvoline 10w40 Motorcycle/ATv oil. So I was under the impression that Mobil 1 0w30 would be safe.

So , I changed the oil and filter and put Mobil 1 in and just warmed it up and shut it off. Then a couple days later I started to worry about it, so I went across town and bought my usual 10w40 motorcycle/atv oil and changed it again before riding it.

Now the clutch is slipping, in lower gears I am revving it up but not going anywhere. Thought it was my tires spinning at first, but they weren't. Did I ruin the clutch or can this be worked out? I am guessing maybe this is from the oil I put in it?

Here's a catch though... at the same time I did my Predator 500 the same way. Put 0w30 in it then swapped it out before riding it. It isn't slipping at all.

2006 LTZ440(Big Bore kit)
2006 Predator 500

Thoughts?

 

Look at the label on the front of the Mobil 1 bottle, if it says "energy conserving", you have added oil with friction modifiers to make the oil more "slippery", which coats the clutch faces, and causes them to slip. This usually does not happen immediately, but car oil in an ATV usually will cause this problem, unless it is the straight weight stuff, or does not have the energy conserving on the label. Even so, ATV/motorcycle oil is formulated for wet clutch/transmission/engine use, and should always be used if specified by the manufacturer. You could try flushing it out with a few oil changes, put in correct ATV oil, get it warm, run it around a little bit, drain and repeat, and see if it improves. If not, you may have to pull the clutch plates out, a soak in some Isopropyl Alcohol may "degrease" your clutch material, then soak them in ATV oil for a few hours before reinstalling, this MAY work, no guarantees. Worst case, you will be replacing your clutch discs with new ones.

 

Sounds about right. For the first few hours it ran fine, but started to slip more and more. Probably ran it for about a total of 12 hours... hopefully I can just flush it out.

But I wonder why the Predator 500 isn't slipping though?

It's a 2006, maybe it's time to replace the clutch in it anyway? Not sure how long these things last in the LTZ's.

 

I cant remeber, but is the Predator a "dry sump" set up, where the oil is held in a seperate area and pumped into engine/tranny? if so, then the clutch plates would not have soaked in oil all the time, minimizing damage? I dont know if the Z400 is as well, so I could be way off base.

 

4 years on an atv clutch is a long time, it was probably ready to give up the ghost anyway, the oil just helped finish it off. If it has been slipping like that, replace the fiber and steel plates(in case of warpage.) Often, if you replace the fibers before it starts to slip, you can reuse the steels.

 

Yea, was thinking the same thing. Just was unsure how long ATV clutches typically lasts. I heard that the stock LTZ400 clutches are great, so I wll maybe look into buying that.

I am going to take it apart tonight. This is my first time doing this, so how can I tell if I need to replace the springs and basket as well?
Anything I should be careful about when doing this repair?

Thanks!

 

Springs can be had cheap, just replace them if you have any question. As for the basket, check for any grooving/wear and replace as needed.

 

[QUOTE=Soulphire;2942610]I typically change my oil every 20-30 hours of riding. Went to the store and they didn't have my usual Valvoline 10w40 Motorcycle/ATv oil. So I was under the impression that Mobil 1 0w30 would be safe.

So , I changed the oil and filter and put Mobil 1 in and just warmed it up and shut it off. Then a couple days later I started to worry about it, so I went across town and bought my usual 10w40 motorcycle/atv oil and changed it again before riding it.

Now the clutch is slipping, in lower gears I am revving it up but not going anywhere. Thought it was my tires spinning at first, but they weren't. Did I ruin the clutch or can this be worked out? I am guessing maybe this is from the oil I put in it?

Here's a catch though... at the same time I did my Predator 500 the same way. Put 0w30 in it then s32wapped it out before riding it. It isn't slipping at all.

2006 LTZ440(Big Bore kit)
2006 Predator 500

Thoughts?[........

Oil may have been the culprit running a wet clutch adds a whole new angle to the dangle always use ATV stuff and you run a better chance of staying out of trouble good luck

 

I bought a Tusk clutch kit that includes the plates and heavy duty springs. I figure I would go ahead and replace them since the machine is 4 years old.

Other than soaking the plates in oil overnight, any other tips I should know about before tearing this apart?

Thanks for all the input!

 

You will need a fresh gasket for the side cover most likely. Usually the manufacturer has an order recommendation for removing the springs and such so as not to warp anything. Make sure you know the proper torque specs and use a torque wrench for putting her back together. I use a magnet to help pull the metal plates out. Most machines you can just tip it up on about a 45 degree angle or so on it's side, and avoid draining the oil/coolant.