BAD clutch problems

[Rdodds033]

i am having some pretty bad problems with the clutch in my 08 DS450. the clutch not only squeaks now and then but now grinds very often. yes i said "GRINDS!" i also am not able to pull in the clutch all the way sometimes. i checked the oil many times and it remains to be full. i also get a vibration in the clutch lever when i put pressure on it. could a clutch plate have broke? what could be causing this? how can i fix it?

My dads theory is that i shift too much. also sometimes in the morning i am not able to let it warm up properly because i am usually late for school. i try to keep a good eye on the oil levels. also these problems have been getting worse ever since i was riding and my clutch needed adjustment very badly. the engagement got looser and looser within one ride until i had to stop and adjust it. i couldnt adjust it from the lever i had to adjust the little golden nut on the line leading up to the lever.

could changing my oil help?

please, any ideas you could provide would be great.

thanks,
Ronnie

[dbkbushwacker]

The same thing happened to my clutch. I took it to my dealer and got the 09' clutch put on. There a thread about this update on this forum.

[fastford]

Same here broke the basket. 09 update seems to be working

[Rdodds033]

i gave the dealer a call and they show 3 recalls as well as the clutch update.

Recalls:
ignition coil recall
flywheel bolt
motor mount

[dbkbushwacker]

I got those 3 recalls done already but the clutch they would'nt fix until it blew up. I talked to another Can Am dealer and they said they would of replaced it before it blew up.

[fastford]

Defiantly replace before it breaks!!!!! It is shared oil with the motor, you dont want that garbage in there.

[Nosspeedca]

well i just rolled the 09 into my garage and was riding around and guess what the clutch squeals...

i would get it into the dealer asap so you dont end up messing other stuff up.

[Rdodds033]

im taking it up to the dealer this weekend. they are going to do all the recalls and when they do the flywheel bolt recall they say that they wont have to charge me much labor for the clutch replacement. im riding my dads DS450 as of now because i dont have a drivers lisence yet and my DS is a daily driver.

[kellymi]

Well I am down to a couple of options. I can not find a dealer that will do the clutch upgrade on my 09 under warranty. I have found that the dealers in my area don't have a clue. I could buy the parts from Can-am myself. Or I can get a really good discount on a Hinson basket. That's the cheaper option for me. I don't know what to do.

[crixal]

i would keep after your dealer, kelly. tell your dealer to call can am and tell them you are complaining about your clutch squealing. you just have to spoon feed the dealer.

[grannysleeper]

If you decide to do it yourself Kelly, let me know. I did it myself, and can give you the part numbers you will need. Cost me about $250 for everything, but you might get away a little cheaper if you reuse some of the seals. I would recommend doing the basket in addition to, but not instead of the '09 update. Some people have had good luck just doing the basket, but I figure the engineers at Rotax probably know better than anyone, so I would make sure to do what is recommended for the update.

[Blizzard24]

Originally posted by kellymi
Well I am down to a couple of options. I can not find a dealer that will do the clutch upgrade on my 09 under warranty. I have found that the dealers in my area don't have a clue. I could buy the parts from Can-am myself. Or I can get a really good discount on a Hinson basket. That's the cheaper option for me. I don't know what to do.

I did the 09 update along with a Hinson Basket. Using Mobil1 Synthetic, I have Zero clutch squeeling. and the clutch engages as smooth as any other bike I have been on.

Prior to the 09 Update, the Hinson basket was installed and it still squeeled.

[Foxstar45]

I have the same problem with my clutch. At first my clutch wouldn't engage as so I lengthened my outer clutch cable. That worked for about 50' till the problem got worse. When i let out the clutch it just made a funny noise well not so much funny as it was horrible. The quad would only creep ahead in first gear. It is getting looked at today and i'm a little worried about what the mechanic will find.
What has everyone else been paying to get this issue sorted out?

[dbkbushwacker]

Originally posted by Foxstar45
I have the same problem with my clutch. At first my clutch wouldn't engage as so I lengthened my outer clutch cable. That worked for about 50' till the problem got worse. When i let out the clutch it just made a funny noise well not so much funny as it was horrible. The quad would only creep ahead in first gear. It is getting looked at today and i'm a little worried about what the mechanic will find.
What has everyone else been paying to get this issue sorted out?

I got all the parts covered under warranty and had to pay $160 in labor. Some people claim they didin't pay a penny.

[Foxstar45]

Mine is past the 6 months warranty though unfortunately.

[crixal]

i think someone got their clutch fixed when they weren't under warranty.

[Nosspeedca]

My dealer said to me that to run it how it is and if it goes not a big deal they will replace it... I am apart of the racer program...

This is only what MY dealer said**

[Foxstar45]

Could someone on here get me the number or name of the dealership that is changing these under warranty? That would be very much appreciated. I have a good dealer up here in canada but they don't sell many of these and hardly anyone is involved in 450 quad racing. So i would just like to talk to someone who has delt with one or two of these at a dealer service level.

[Rdodds033]

i got it into the dealer today and about 2-3 hours later they called and said the clutch basket seazed! the last time i rode it it was fine but somehow it seazed. any idea why or how it would do that without driving it. they quoted me $800 JUST in parts. is that right? i need a new basket plus the 09 update and i guess new plates but im not sure. i need some help soon please.

[Rdodds033]

i called the dealer yesterday and i guess the clutch basket broke and destroyed all of the friction plates and the clutch hub. so i will have a completely new clutch in my DS450.

[fastford]

I would get an after market one not another Can-am clutch.

[Rdodds033]

no aftermarket for me. the updated 2009 clutch is going to be better than any other aftermarket clutch. especially since the bike has only been in production for a year or so. im sure Can-Am has tested and very carefully chosen the design of their clutches to be best suited for that bike. too late to get anything else anyway. and besides, my ds is ridden on the street 75% of the time and is never raced, only trail ridden. the old clutch had to have had 200-300 hours on it. i rode it every day for the past year no matter what the weather was like. i dont have a drivers license yet so i have that to drive around town, to work, ect. i guess im glad we have 2 DS450s :D

[Rdodds033]

Originally posted by Foxstar45
Could someone on here get me the number or name of the dealership that is changing these under warranty? That would be very much appreciated. I have a good dealer up here in canada but they don't sell many of these and hardly anyone is involved in 450 quad racing. So i would just like to talk to someone who has delt with one or two of these at a dealer service level.


looks like you are in the same situation as me. my warrenty expired nearly 6 months ago. normally the clutch update is only covered by warrenty if something breaks. from the sound of your problem you may have to do the same repairs as me. no matter what DO NOT start up your 450. please let me know how things go and how much you have to pay and for what parts so i have something to reference against

[TNT]

Originally posted by Rdodds033
no aftermarket for me. the updated 2009 clutch is going to be better than any other aftermarket clutch. especially since the bike has only been in production for a year or so. im sure Can-Am has tested and very carefully chosen the design of their clutches to be best suited for that bike. :D

Good thinking!

[Foxstar45]

Originally posted by Rdodds033
looks like you are in the same situation as me. my warrenty expired nearly 6 months ago. normally the clutch update is only covered by warrenty if something breaks. from the sound of your problem you may have to do the same repairs as me. no matter what DO NOT start up your 450. please let me know how things go and how much you have to pay and for what parts so i have something to reference against



I bought all new clutch plates + misscelaneous gasgets and seals as they are no good once they are removed for around $400 labour to split the engine and instal the parts is going to be around 8-12 hours total but it isn't finished yet.

[Rdodds033]

i only had to pay 1 hour of labor which was about $80 to install a completely new clutch. if you had the flywheel bolt recall done then you shouldn't have to pay for most of the labor. why did they have to split the engine to install the new clutch?

[Foxstar45]

When you wreck 2 clutch disks you can get almost all of the pieces out by just R&Ring the clutch but the few pieces that remain in your engine can be dangerous. I got a second and third opinion and they all said to split the engine to get all the tiny pieces out of the engine to be safe. i had my flywheel bolt recall done 2 months ago so i wasn't able to kill 2 birds with one stone.

[fastford]

If you blew up a disk or two you HAVE to take it all apart to get the material out of the bearings or your going to wreck your motor. Its shared oil. I dropped the disks and the basket out of my DS and ALL my bearings had material in them.

If you dont I bet in a month you will be crying the blues that your motor is shot and Can-am is a POS. Do it now and save your self more money in the long run.

[shortdogg1980]

i just bought a new 2008 ds 450, and i have a anoying squeel from my clutch while engaging into first gear, and also i have to have high rpms just to take off from first gear, im gonna contact my dealer tomorrow about the service bullinten on new clutch basket, is there any other recall/bullintens i need to inform them about? im racing in gncc in a month or so, so i need to make sure its ready to take that brutal course. thanks

[comander420]

Did you get that from Smith powersports in Hayesville? I got one from them in july and they said that the squeel is normal and the service bulletin doesn't mean anything to them about fixing it under warranty, they told me I would have to pay for all the parts. I called 2 other dealers one in East Moline, Il and they said the same thing as did the one my buddy works at in Colorado Springs area. Let me know if you get your dealer to do anything about it. The other updates are the flywheel bolt and the engine mount. Look at the back of the engine and if you see shavings all over it probably had the mount done. If you give them you VIN they can tall you what was done.

[Foxstar45]

Dealers don't get paid from BRP to do this service bulitin, so if you want it done and trust me you want it done then pay for the parts yourself and if yuo don't know how to do it yourself then pay for the labour as well. Make sure you order new seals and gaskets to or you will see oil leaks from around the clutch cover. Just my 2 cents.

[comander420]

If it fails under warranty it is covered right?

[Foxstar45]

no, clutches are never covered by warranty. They are a wear item.

[ds450racer]

08 clutched are known to be bad and break. i did 7 of them last year! completly shattered them. The clutches squeak because the plates are dry. soak the clutch plates in a bowl of oil for 24 hours. trust me it works. you used to have to do it on some of the older engines. But as for the grinding. take it to the dealer and get the clutch update. something isnt right there, id say you've broken a few plates or a basket.

[comander420]

Wouldn't it be under warranty if the plates broke the basket? Or is it all clutch components are covered under warranty?

[grannysleeper]

From what I've seen and heard, if it breaks, it IS covered under warranty. However, they wiil not do the update just for the squeeling. Believe me though, the update does wonders to eliminate the noise, just make sure they replace both the clutch cover and the hub. I agree with foxstar's comment above, I think it's worth having it done before it breaks, even if it costs you out of pocket. I don't like the idea of having aluminum chunks being tossed around inside of the engine, not to mention how hard it is to clean out every last one of them after it breaks. Did mine myself, parts will run you about $250.