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[deerman]

I was wondering if anyone else has had the clutch go out on their 2010 Black CVO Electra Glide.  I have only 700 miles on the bike, and the dealership here in Michigan is telling me the master cylinder needs to be replaced?  Very disappointed thus far.  The foot brakes are very spongy as well but Harley is saying there is no problem.  This is my 4th CVO and had no problems with the other 3.  I would appreciate it if anyone else has had the same experience. JD

[Bandit_3]

Well what do we expect wI have a 2010 UCSE5 and have the same sound coming from my primary from 1050 miles. I now have 2650 miles and it has been to Harley 5 times . They replaced the trans, clutch, basket, hub, race gear and bearing, compensator and lifters, and i still have the same sound except its getting louder and now i have a whine in 1st gear that i didnt have before. Today i was told by the Manager of Harley customer care in Milwaukii that they know i have a bad sounds but since they tried and cant repair it , now get this. IM GOING TO HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT....so now i have a $38,000.00 bike that sounds like a bucket of bolts and Harley isnt doing anything about it. They wont even look at it anymore. Anybody want to buy a really expensive anchor for a big boat.what do we expect when 75-80% of the parts are made in other countries and mostly assembled here.

[LRebel]

I was wondering if anyone else has had the clutch go out on their 2010 Black CVO Electra Glide.  I have only 700 miles on the bike, and the dealership here in Michigan is telling me the master cylinder needs to be replaced?  Very disappointed thus far.  The foot brakes are very spongy as well but Harley is saying there is no problem.  This is my 4th CVO and had no problems with the other 3.  I would appreciate it if anyone else has had the same experience. JD

Ok, you may have just solved my clutch issue.

I have an 08 SEUC.  The clutch started slipping a few weeks ago.  I took it to the dealer and they said that the clutch plates were worn below minimum specs (very hard to believe when the bike only had 14K miles).
They replaced the clutch plates (wearable parts are not covered by warranty) and charged $300.  Clutch plates did not fix the problem.
Then someone here mentioned that the clutch reservoir could be too full.  I checked it and it was over-filled.  Removed all the fluid - flushed out the reservoir and line - new fluid and bled the air.  It seemed to be fine for a week... even took a 500+ mile trip with no problems.
This past weekend was on a 700+ mile trip and the clutch starts slipping again.
I have determined that it is heat related.  When the bike is all cooled down and the outside temp is cool there are no problems.  When the bike is at normal operating temp and the outside temp is 90+ degrees, the clutch starts slipping.
Took the bike back to the dealer yesterday morning and told them that the $300 they charged me did nothing for the clutch problem.  the service writer said that he would call as soon as the tech diagnosed the problem.  They have had it two days now, and no call yet.
When the bike is hot, the air temp is hot, and the clutch is slipping, it is like a cable actuated clutch that is out of adjustment.... the clutch does not engage until the clutch lever is almost completely released.  When everything is cooled down, the clutch lever feels normal.
I kinda wondered if maybe the spring could be weak, but a failing master cylinder makes more sense... maybe?

[Twolanerider]

When the bike is hot, the air temp is hot, and the clutch is slipping, it is like a cable actuated clutch that is out of adjustment....

Not likely but is the clutch line routing or the side cover too close the exhaust?  Maybe you're boiling the fluid on the extreme ends of hot days?

[FR8TRN]

Not likely but is the clutch line routing or the side cover too close the exhaust?  Maybe you're boiling the fluid on the extreme ends of hot days?

If it boils you get the opposite of slipping.....you can't disengage it....my Suzuki Intruder did this in DC Traffic.....barrels of fun....

[FR8TRN]

Then someone here mentioned that the clutch reservoir could be too full.  I checked it and it was over-filled.  Removed all the fluid - flushed out the reservoir and line - new fluid and bled the air.  It seemed to be fine for a week... even took a 500+ mile trip with no problems.
This past weekend was on a 700+ mile trip and the clutch starts slipping again.

The reservoir probably isn't venting, poor design or clogged vent.  When the fluid gets hot it expands, if the reservoir isn't venting then it pushes on the clutch just like you slightly pulling on the lever, run it like that and it will eat up the clutch plates.

[Twolanerider]

If it boils you get the opposite of slipping.....you can't disengage it....my Suzuki Intruder did this in DC Traffic.....barrels of fun....

During the expansion, if it's bad enough, for sure.  Right after, however, the feel can be for chit.  From the potentially hot pads or discs.  Then they can cool off and you start the whole process over again (until the discs or pads are dead).

[kraut]

don't argue around - just have the whole assembly exchanged. Clutch issues are a real hazard known to the MoCo.

[FR8TRN]

Something else to think about here....not sure what HD uses for fluid but a good Synthetic Brake Fluid will go a long way to dealing with heat related issues.  I used Valvoline I think it was.

[Twolanerider]

Something else to think about here....not sure what HD uses for fluid but a good Synthetic Brake Fluid will go a long way to dealing with heat related issues.  I used Valvoline I think it was.

That's true.  If memory serves plain jane DOT 3 or 4 fluids have estimated six month in service boiling points of well under 400 degrees for either.  A good synthetic DOT 4 can be close to 500.  The relatively new Castrol SRF stuff is close to 600 when new.  Truly impressive stuff.

Even for day to day use products like Wagner Or Valvoline that you can easily find over the counter at a parts store or even at Wal Mart are good stuff.  Different brands of the synthetics often have a slightly different color tint too.  Makes it nice when flushing just to know you've pushed enough fluid.

[grc]

It's doubtful that this problem is strictly due to heat expansion of the fluid.  If that was the case, I imagine that we would have heard about a huge number of these failures ever since the MoCo put a catalytic converter directly below the trans side cover.  Much more likely to be wrong or defective parts.


Jerry

[DESERTBEAR54]

I got BLUU 2010 SEUC back the other day with a new motor and a re-built Tranny and it is running awesome except when I got home from a 300 mile(HOT RIDE) trip to break in new motor I pulled into my garage and put the bike in neutral and I hear this clacking noise as it idles. I pull in the clutch handle and it goes away. Release handle it starts clacking again. I know it was hotter than Hatties yesterday but what would cause it to clack when the bike is hot and you pull in the clutch and it goes away? I just had the bike in the dealer for a month and I hear this clacking again??

[FR8TRN]

I got BLUU 2010 SEUC back the other day with a new motor and a re-built Tranny and it is running awesome except when I got home from a 300 mile(HOT RIDE) trip to break in new motor I pulled into my garage and put the bike in neutral and I hear this clacking noise as it idles. I pull in the clutch handle and it goes away. Release handle it starts clacking again. I know it was hotter than Hatties yesterday but what would cause it to clack when the bike is hot and you pull in the clutch and it goes away? I just had the bike in the dealer for a month and I hear this clacking again??

Well, when ya pull the clutch in the only moving thing that should stop would be the tranny.....I'd start there....does it have oil in it??

[DESERTBEAR54]

It does(Full) Syn 3 that they put in it from the re-build. This noise was there before the Eng Change and Tranny overhaul. Im just wondering if it is Heat related because this morning coming into work when temps were cool it didn't make the clacking sound. If that is the way it is and what happens when the powerplant gets extremly hot then I guess I will live with it.

[Dan_Lockwood]

Ok, you may have just solved my clutch issue.

I have an 08 SEUC.  The clutch started slipping a few weeks ago.  I took it to the dealer and they said that the clutch plates were worn below minimum specs (very hard to believe when the bike only had 14K miles).
They replaced the clutch plates (wearable parts are not covered by warranty) and charged $300.  Clutch plates did not fix the problem.
Then someone here mentioned that the clutch reservoir could be too full.  I checked it and it was over-filled.  Removed all the fluid - flushed out the reservoir and line - new fluid and bled the air.  It seemed to be fine for a week... even took a 500+ mile trip with no problems.
This past weekend was on a 700+ mile trip and the clutch starts slipping again.
I have determined that it is heat related.  When the bike is all cooled down and the outside temp is cool there are no problems.  When the bike is at normal operating temp and the outside temp is 90+ degrees, the clutch starts slipping.
Took the bike back to the dealer yesterday morning and told them that the $300 they charged me did nothing for the clutch problem.  the service writer said that he would call as soon as the tech diagnosed the problem.  They have had it two days now, and no call yet.
When the bike is hot, the air temp is hot, and the clutch is slipping, it is like a cable actuated clutch that is out of adjustment.... the clutch does not engage until the clutch lever is almost completely released.  When everything is cooled down, the clutch lever feels normal.
I kinda wondered if maybe the spring could be weak, but a failing master cylinder makes more sense... maybe?

LRebel, I have a couple questions for you.

Over the past 14k miles, before the new clutch plates, did you add fluid to the clutch master cylinder?

Let's assume that you have added a bit here and there.

Just like brake pads, when you put new ones in they push the caliper pistons back into the body.  This pushes fluid back into the master cylinder.

If in your case you did add fluid over time, the overfilled master cylinder would be a result of the new clutch plates being thicker and pushing the clutch slave piston back into the bore and over filling the master cylinder.

Also when the clutch does slip, have you pulled on the clutch lever to see if you've lost your free play in the handle?  If the handle free play has not changed then you have something inside the clutch giving you fits.  If the free play is gone and the bike thinks you have the lever pulled ever so slightly, fluid expansion could be the issue.

One last observation from the old VW days as well as my '76 FLH rearbrake issues.

Let's just say that you have a car with the brake pedal not returning all the way to the out position, like in the old Beetle days when the brake pedal would rust and bind up a bit.  If the pedal does NOT return to open the ports in the master cylinder, the pressure will continue to build up and the brakes will start to drag until they lock up.  I had the same issue with the rear master on my old '76 FLH.  I didn't pay that much attention to the brake pedal only that I had brakes.  Until I finally rebuilt the rear master cylinder, the rear caliper would just start to bind up until it was smoking.  I'd have to stop and play with the pedal to get the piston back out and then the caliper would release.  My front master cylinder piston stuck in a bit too.  It didn't feel bad because there is no direct hook up between the lever and the piston, only a push rod.  There is still a small spring that returns the lever back out, but the pistion could stop 1/8" short and cover my return port in the cylinder.

This may not be your issue, but it only takes a minute to check it out.

Good luck with your issue with the clutch.