Hi everyone! Just picked up a 2000 KDX220R that has been sitting for a while. Last thing left to do is get this clutch replace. I watched all the videos that were recommended on this forum, but i can't seem to figure out why after assembling it, the clutch is near impoossible to pull in. took the cable out and tried to engage the clutch with a adjustable wrench and it won't budge. Any ideas?
Things i've done:
Soaks the frictions disks over night
There's a washer behind the basket, then a washer on the other side where the rest of the clucth assembly slide on.
I checked to make sure i have the flat ring and the judder ring placed correctly.
I made sure when the 2 big piece that comes together, are aligned. There's no gap.
The last friction is on the offset groove
When i tighten the 4 clutch spring bolts down to 80 in pound, it looks like the springs are almost completely compressed. Is that normal? When i have it half way in, i can compress the clutch by hand and see the 2 piece seperate, like how i imagine would happen when you pull the clutch lever in
i have the basket nut with the washer on at 60ft pound. When i button everything up, i still cant pull the clutch lever, it feels like it's stuck.
Any advice would be much appreciated. Here's some photos of the clutch assembled before going into the basket. I don't know how to add photos, so here's the link the my album. https://photos.app.goo.gl/4u4Pbpf5GQFQHxuB7
ss109 wrote: 03:02 pm Jun 11 2026
Something in your stack is wrong. Can you post a pic on the exact order you have it in? Here is how to post a pic: viewtopic.php?t=24128
Here's a picture of the clutch stack.
Clutch Hub.jpg (510.66 KiB) Viewed 1516 times
I also noticed some burrs on the edges of the clutch pack that mesh together with the clutch wheel. I had the clutch pack in the basket and took the 4 spring bolts out and tested pushing and pulling on the clutch wheel by holding on to those 4 towers and it was sliding in and out but not freely. Could those burrs causing it to be stuck when under tension when the springs/bolts are installed?
clutch hub burr.jpg (970.38 KiB) Viewed 1516 times
MeanGreen02 wrote: 08:25 am Jun 12 2026
I also noticed some burrs on the edges of the clutch pack that mesh together with the clutch wheel. I had the clutch pack in the basket and took the 4 spring bolts out and tested pushing and pulling on the clutch wheel by holding on to those 4 towers and it was sliding in and out but not freely. Could those burrs causing it to be stuck when under tension when the springs/bolts are installed?
Anything is possible. I would take a small file to those burrs and dress them. Then check it again for movement. By any chance, did you check your spring length and, if so, what is it?
MeanGreen02 wrote: 08:25 am Jun 12 2026
I also noticed some burrs on the edges of the clutch pack that mesh together with the clutch wheel. I had the clutch pack in the basket and took the 4 spring bolts out and tested pushing and pulling on the clutch wheel by holding on to those 4 towers and it was sliding in and out but not freely. Could those burrs causing it to be stuck when under tension when the springs/bolts are installed?
Anything is possible. I would take a small file to those burrs and dress them. Then check it again for movement. By any chance, did you check your spring length and, if so, what is it?
I should have used a caliper but a quick check with the tape measure was pretty close to 1.5in. My stack is in the right order right?
Any updates on this? What brand are the friction discs and springs that you installed? That might be your problem, they are not quite the right spec and therefore you cannot ever disengage the clutch, as the clutch release mechanism has no travel left.
Chuck78 wrote: 01:25 pm Jun 13 2026
Any updates on this? What brand are the friction discs and springs that you installed? That might be your problem, they are not quite the right spec and therefore you cannot ever disengage the clutch, as the clutch release mechanism has no travel left.
I dont know the brand of the friction or steel disks, or the springs. It was on the bike when I bought it. Guy I got it from had the oil drained out of it and left it in storage for like 5 years. He gave me the old frictions and steel. Odd though, there were 8 frictions and only 6 steels.
Anyway, took the caliper to everything. Springs were between 38.22mm to 38.42mm. Frictions were 3.00 +.02 for some. Steels were all 1.37mm +.02 for some. I measured the older frictions and steel disk and were similar measurements with the newer ones.
I removed the frictions and steel and tested just the hub and springs only and I was able to get movement like I was expecting. So a bit of a head scratcher.
Looked at the photo of the springs. Doesnt look oem as it has more coils. Saw somewhere oem has around 6-7 coils, EBC has around 9. So maybe some new springs will help.
Screenshot_20260613_214617_Gallery.jpg (1.62 MiB) Viewed 764 times
Quick test, on the top friction on the stack, put it in line with the rest of the stack. It doesn't matter anyway, being offset, so give it a shot and see if it moves then.
Chuck78 wrote: 01:25 pm Jun 13 2026
Any updates on this? What brand are the friction discs and springs that you installed? That might be your problem, they are not quite the right spec and therefore you cannot ever disengage the clutch, as the clutch release mechanism has no travel left.
I dont know the brand of the friction or steel disks, or the springs. It was on the bike when I bought it. Guy I got it from had the oil drained out of it and left it in storage for like 5 years. He gave me the old frictions and steel. Odd though, there were 8 frictions and only 6 steels.
Anyway, took the caliper to everything. Springs were between 38.22mm to 38.42mm. Frictions were 3.00 +.02 for some. Steels were all 1.37mm +.02 for some. I measured the older frictions and steel disk and were similar measurements with the newer ones.
I removed the frictions and steel and tested just the hub and springs only and I was able to get movement like I was expecting. So a bit of a head scratcher.
Looked at the photo of the springs. Doesnt look oem as it has more coils. Saw somewhere oem has around 6-7 coils, EBC has around 9. So maybe some new springs will help.
Screenshot_20260613_214617_Gallery.jpg
If those are EBC springs I think there is a problem with them with too many coils or too thick of wire causing coil bind, do you have a original set of springs?
My money would be on those springs being the problem. They seem like they would be all the way compressed by the time you tighten the bolts. Look up a pic of OEM springs on a takeoff ebay clutch for sale. They have much more space to compress.
ss109 wrote: 08:55 am Jun 14 2026
Quick test, on the top friction on the stack, put it in line with the rest of the stack. It doesn't matter anyway, being offset, so give it a shot and see if it moves then.
Same thing. Doesnt move. I ordered some oem springs. Thats the only thing I can think of, everything else is correctly installed. When I tighten them down, they look completely compressed.
Its a hail mary, not sure theres much left to test if the springs doesn't work.
John_S wrote: 03:59 pm Jun 14 2026
My money would be on those springs being the problem. They seem like they would be all the way compressed by the time you tighten the bolts. Look up a pic of OEM springs on a takeoff ebay clutch for sale. They have much more space to compress.
Thats my hunch now. Not a whole lot left. The oem are about 6-7 coils depending on how you count them. These are 9 coils. We'll see when the new springs come in from rocky mountain. I'll update everyone incase they run into the same issue in the future.
Chuck78 wrote: 01:25 pm Jun 13 2026
Any updates on this? What brand are the friction discs and springs that you installed? That might be your problem, they are not quite the right spec and therefore you cannot ever disengage the clutch, as the clutch release mechanism has no travel left.
I dont know the brand of the friction or steel disks, or the springs. It was on the bike when I bought it. Guy I got it from had the oil drained out of it and left it in storage for like 5 years. He gave me the old frictions and steel. Odd though, there were 8 frictions and only 6 steels.
Anyway, took the caliper to everything. Springs were between 38.22mm to 38.42mm. Frictions were 3.00 +.02 for some. Steels were all 1.37mm +.02 for some. I measured the older frictions and steel disk and were similar measurements with the newer ones.
I removed the frictions and steel and tested just the hub and springs only and I was able to get movement like I was expecting. So a bit of a head scratcher.
Looked at the photo of the springs. Doesnt look oem as it has more coils. Saw somewhere oem has around 6-7 coils, EBC has around 9. So maybe some new springs will help.
Screenshot_20260613_214617_Gallery.jpg
If those are EBC springs I think there is a problem with them with too many coils or too thick of wire causing coil bind, do you have a original set of springs?
