zimmerdj said:
i will try bleeding the clutch a few times and changing the oil before tearing it apart. in the manual it mentions a universal clutch holder - is this tool needed or just nice to have?
I have my clutch apart now. You don't need the universal clutch holder if you're just pulling the plates out. The last two are retained on the Clutch Boss by a spring retainer, so don't worry about those, just leave them in.
The Universal Clutch Tool is to hold the clutch basket in place while you break the 30mm nut loose, (or torque it down), which is necessary if you are pulling the clutch basket, but not if you just want to inspect and remove the plates. If you want to pull the basket, an impact wrench works fine w/o the Universal Clutch Tool. Torquing may be another story. ???
FWIW, the 'fingers', (where the six bolts go in), on the clutch boss are just cast and not that strong.
And despite the service manual's 14 bolts reference, there are actually two more that are inside the perimeter of the clutch cover that also need to be removed before the cover comes off. It does come off easily when all the bolts are out. You don't need to remove the inspection cover.