748 Clutch Problem - Fixed (hopefully)

Before the clutch slave cylinder blew and also afterwards I was experiencing the following symptoms after bleeding the system:

• Fluctuating clutch pressure at the lever / master
• Pressure gradually reducing to zero (eventually stalling at a stop sign)
• Lots of bubbles appearing in the system soon after bleed
• Slave cylinder very very hot (untouchable)
• Push Rod Control Pin was spinning (viewed in the centre of the Pressure Plate)

What was the root cause?

Seized pressure plate bearing (costing EUR5.00)

The pushrod was spinning in the slave cylinder causing excess heat and any water would boil creating steam...effectively... air.

You don't need to order from Ducati.  Order from any good bearing outlet.

This is what a happy Bearing looks like.. the push rod should NOT be spinning.

Clutch Slave Cylinder - Blew up

Ahhh.  The clutch was playing up.  When the engine got hot, the clutch would not disengage (no pressure).  I had to pump it to get some pressure.  I kept saying I would bleed the clutch.. But that never came...

After 5 days of this, I was riding on Friday evening to Rabat and all of a sudden, the clutch went firm.  I was forcing the lever while riding.  It finally gave way and the lever was moving but no action in the clutch.  Hindsight says I was stupid not to realise I was actually pumping the fluid out of the reservoirs.

Finally I came to a halt at the stop sign and parked her up.  Fluid all over the place.

I ordered my new slave cylinder from Ebay.  This weekend I will be attaching and bleeding the system  :)

The Slave Cylinder