transmission/clutch again

[kuhlka]

Guys, I'll take some photos tomorrow and show visually how to adjust your clutch play and engagement.

From what you said, it sounds like you're set right if your gears don't engage until you've got 1/4"-1"2 left to go on the lever. I set mine to engage at around 1/4" so I can slip the clutch for wheelies.

The harder part of adjusting the clutch is getting the play and adjustment down at the trans set just right. Keep in mind your cables for both your throttle and clutch will stretch a bit over time and you'll inevitably have to adjust both. The throttle is a bit easier as it has a single adjuster covered by a rubber sleeve between the throttle and ignition switch.

Anyway, I'll post up pics with a step-by-step description if you don't get this sorted.

Between upshifts, are you sure you are releasing the lever and letting it self-center before going for the next upshift? It is easy to keep your foot in a position to do otherwise-concentrating on traffic, road conditions, etc. Give this a try. Just before you disengage the clutch for upshifting, preload the lever. Pull up on it until it stops. This will make shifting faster and more positive. The transmission will not change gears until you disengage the clutch OR back off the throttle. Just be sure to let the lever self-center before going for the next gear. Hope this helps.

Oops, those Buds from my daughters graduation party are blurring my senses, just reread your post--sitting still.
I can get some seriously funky noises from the trans if I am coasting in high gear, pull in the clutch lever and keep punching the lever to get to neutral. It can be scary. Sounds like two gears just barely touching for a second or two, then WHAM. I have experinced a similar thing when upshifting like a granny. I now have 8K showing on the speedo. My oil level and clutch adjustment are correct. I questioned my dealer about this last year. He said it gets better with milage. My fuel economy has (39-40mpg), hope the tranny is the same.

[crashmasterd]

On 2006-05-01 20:11, kuhlka wrote:
The throttle is a bit easier as it has a single adjuster covered by a rubber sleeve between the throttle and ignition switch.

Note: on the 05/06 it is a dual cable throttle, one pull - one return. Not sure about other years.

To accurately take the slack out of the throttle you need to do it from the throttle body end under the airbox.

I don't have any advice about Cap'n Morgan's issue. I think there may be either more trouble here than most of us think, or he's worried over nothing.

Dunno.

[ This message was edited by: crashmasterd on 2006-05-13 20:35 ]

[cooks7]

not to drag this up again, but i was putting my pazzo's on this weekend and trying to adjust my clutch lever and had a question. everyone here is saying to adjust to 2-3mm of freeplay, in my manual it says .4-.8 mm of freeplay in the lever, it that way too tight or what, my clutch starts engaging right off my fingers, about an inch from the bars, so that seems fine, i just want to make sure it's fully engaged with the lever all the way out, i am pretty sure i got the adjusted back pretty close to where it was with the stock lever and everything seems fine, but i just want to make sure i got it right

[Spendthrift]

Had same thing last week,my clutch was engaging as soon as it left the grip.Lever was adjusted and noe doesn't clunk when engaging 1st.

[odium]

Where are the step-by-step pictures posted? I would like to see them.

[kuhlka]

Spendy, if your clutch is engaging as soon as the lever leaves the grip, it isn't quite adjusted right now is it? Mine was set piss-poor from the dealership and I've set it since so that it disengages about 1/4"-1/2" from fully out. Makes shifting quick and easy with no clunkies.

I'll take some pics tomorrow as I'm installing a new set of pazzos and installing a radial MC for the front end swap. I think I'll also clean up my pic hosting into neat tidy categories which'll make it easier to host on my website in HTML with all my how-to's. Gonna have a complete how-to for carbon fiber as well as my GSXR1k5 front end swap.

Ever read your manuals, boys? Cheeky bastards.

[Geof3]

I'm with Kuhlka on the clutch engagement. What is interesting is how sensitive the S3 is to minor adjustments of both the clutch and throttle adjustors. I had to fully adjust my clutch at both ends about 2000-2500 miles in. Since then it's been golden.

The first gear clunk is normal... just the way it is. The rest sounds like either a badly adjusted clutch, or maybe just not great shifting/timing technique...

The S3 DOES NOT like to be shifted into gear if coasting for a bit at most speeds. You need to seriously feather the clutch to get in smoothly. Otherwise is sounds like your dropping the bottom end out of the thing...

Also, I have noticed the S3 isn't great at shifting through the gear box standing still at all. Idling or not...

If you are not experiencing any clunks while moving, I wouldn't worry. 1st and 2nd are notchy to say the least. My gear box was hell for the first 3k or so. With LSL reasets and 6.5k my box is buttery smooth now.

Another thought is your oil. If you've got the break-in stuff in there, get some synth going that will help a lot too.

[Speed3]

Ideally, you want the clutch to engage at the farthest point without slipping under acceleration. 3mm gap between the lever and the pivot is good, but go by feel.