Clutch Question?

[Cadiilac]

I bought a 03 400ex from this dude and the clutch is really hard to pull to the point that you dont want to ride it the dude i bought it from says it has a barnett racing clutch in it but i dont think it does the cover doesnt look it has been removed.. now i know what a clutch does but i know nothing on how it works.. I guess what im looking for here is some trouble shooting steps to find this issue without making anything worse... lol i dont know of anything inside the clutch housing that would make it harder to pull?? could it be jus the clutch cable or what thanks in advance for the help

[Scro]

If the clutch cable is worn, it will make it hard to pull. You should lube the cable every few rides anyway. A grooved clutch basket will cause a little harder pull as well. It's not hard to check, just pull the cover, the pressure plate, and the fibers/steels. You will be looking for little grooves in the "ears" of the basket, where the fibers are putting pressure.

If you check all that and it's good, you can try an easy pull clutch lever. A good quality lever like ASV can make a world of difference.

[4reeds]

probably has heavy duty clutch springs in i

[Cadiilac]

ok i will check the basket tomorrow i dont think its disengaging all the way either i cant get it into neutral while its running and i feel a slight pull not enough to move the quad but a little.

i hope its just the cable as i dont have the funds at the moment to get a new basket... thanks for the advice and i will check it out 2morrow and give an update

[wilkin250r]

Most of the likely causes have already been discussed, the cable being the first place to look, as you already know.

Heavy duty springs would make it more difficult, but it shouldn't be so difficult that it's not fun to ride.

The only one thing not already mentioned is spacers. It's a common fix for a slipping clutch, because it's so cheap, many people will put extra washers on the clutch springs to compress them further.

And there's always the possibility of a combination of things, a slightly binding cable, with a grooved basket, and HD springs all combined together to give a really tough clutch pull.

There's also the possibility of the clutch pushrod and other mechanisms binding up, but honestly, that's not very likely.

[Cadiilac]

thanks for the input i havent had a chance yet to tear it apart and check it out. i did order a new cable to try it though... it dont look like the side cover has ever been off but you never know hopefully its just the cable easy cheap and quick thats how i like it lol

[wilkin250r]

One of my little requests, when you find the answer, LET US KNOW. Post it up here.

This website is about finding answers. We help lots of people, but only about 30% of them actually post up the end result if their findings.

[Cadiilac]

oh i will.... I just have my son this week and i spend all the time i can with him but as soon as i get the answer i will post it should be able to get it done this weekend!

[Trxman300]

Originally posted by Cadiilac
ok i will check the basket tomorrow i dont think its disengaging all the way either i cant get it into neutral while its running and i feel a slight pull not enough to move the quad but a little.

i hope its just the cable as i dont have the funds at the moment to get a new basket... thanks for the advice and i will check it out 2morrow and give an update
im having that same problem, my clutch isnt disengauging (sorry for spelling) all the way on my 300ex and it pulls. the only way to get it into neutral while its running is to rev it up.... what do i do to stop this, new plates? springs?

[fmftrx300ex]

go to rocky mountain atv get the tusk clutch kit and a clutch cable for your 300ex its like 50 bucks for both and will make a world of difference my 300ex used to have the same issue and one day the clutch quit on me nothing like limping home in 1st but the tusk kit comes withalittle heavier springs and steel plates mineslasted quite a while considering how beaten tht quad is u can always lube and ajust ur cable tht will prolly end the problem too