RD 7 plate clutch upgrade and other info

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So after a lot of confusing posts lately with RD/R5/DS7  6 and 7 plate clutches I went and pulled some stuff down from upstairs to document better.
I define them by the # of fiber plates, 6 or 7 fibers.
Here is a DS7 250cc far left, R5 350cc center and on the right a mid '74 and later RD 350cc. (Same as the RD250 other than primary gearing changes)




Let's start with the DS7 / R5 / mid '74 and earlier RD350  6 plate clutch setup... 
This 6 plate clutch has what I call a spider inner hub and flat pressure plate. Outer baskets are the same other than the DS7 (one type of gear) and the RD250 (another type of gear) (with the 250's using a lower primary gear ratio than the 350's and 400's) and all off the rest RD350's and 400's (3rd gear type) I need to do more measuring on ratios for them later...

Spider early inner hub in 6 plate clutch.
In this pic I have the thick backing plate on it, but not pushed to the back against spider fingers.




Pushed back here.





This inner hub has some broken off spring bolt bosses/posts and is junk...but still will show type.

This plate is the thickest of the steels in a 6 plate clutch setup that uses 6 fibers and 7 steels.
The thick plate measures about 2.22mm thick. (might be 2.20mm as this one has a little rust)






On the early DS's and R5's and some 6 plate RD350's didn't use a input bearing 3 bolt retainer bolted in the cases right where the 1st thrust
clutch washer goes in.






RD late 350's and 400's with 7 plate clutches used the 3 bolt retainer shown here...

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The 6 plate early setups without the retainer plate used a stepped first thrust washer that is 3.00 mm thick and a O.D. of 49.75mm.
The stepped side faces the input bearing as once installed you don't see the step.





Step is to the inside...






Next is the clutch bushing and outer basket.
Now comes the 2nd thrust washer between the outer basket  inner hub and is a thinner one and little larger O.D. and has no step.
DS7's, R5's and early model RD350's all use the 2.00mm washer with the spider inner hub.





Most of these use the conical washer and jam nut torqued to 62-65 ft/lbs using the EBC hub holder tool CT008.

Once inner hub is in with the thick back plate, you put in a fiber plate and the next steel, next fiber, next steel etc...
ending in a steel.



Now these next 6 plate steels are 1.50 mm thick.









Then finish with the early flat pressure plate, 6 stepped bolts and springs.












Some blue loctite and big phillips screw driver is sufficient to hold them with the added spring tension. 

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Now onto the 7 plate clutch install to any of the 6 plate models.
Whether you have the 3 bolt retainer models or not... you start with the late model thrust washers @3.00mm thick and 43.80mm O.D. and use 2 of the same.
No stepped or thin large ones are used.
Use any 7 plate RD washers or any year of the RD400's

Pic here for all three in one pic to see differences.



This one to use for both...




Add bushing and outer basket with a 2nd thrust washer of the same as the first. Other than gearing changes for the DS 250's, RS250's and R5 thicker gears, all the aluminum baskets are the same.





You now will use a late model mid '74 and up RD350 inner hub for the 7 plate clutch
This later model has a bolted back plate on the inner hub and is aluminum and will start with a fiber as the 1st plate to go in
and end in a fiber using 6 steels. I forgot to take a pic of the steels as they are thinner than the 6 plate steels!
These 6 steel plates are 1.15mm thick
Note: Writing was for me to determine mounting height I'll cover in a bit.












Special Note:Tthe late model 7 plate clutch inner and outer pressure plate are clocked units and must have the arrows or slash marking lined up when installing.
You have 6 bolt bosses, only 3 of the 6 ways it goes on is correct and 3 are wrong. If installed wrong the clutch will not fully seat against the fiber plates and you'll have no clutch engagement!!













Chuck

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I missed some picture taking...I'll try to return and update.
C

[suey1958]

Expertly done Chuck, Clear, Concise info on the different models. 

[Czakky]

 

[m in sc]

thats the best explanation ive ever seen of this. 

[rodneya]

Does anybody know if the RZ or banshee inner and outer clutch baskets or pressure plate are the same as the 7 plate RD ones?

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I'm going to do more with that...
But to jump ahead, the Banshee/RZ outer basket would fit RD350 7 plate (matched gearing)(not any 250's) and all 400's
The inner will work on a 400 and Banshee/RZ, they use a wider 6 spline on the input shaft, but not work on a 350 due to the 12 spline input shaft the 350 has.

The pressure plate for a 400 (1A0) will work on a RD350 LC and the 400 only.
The Banshee and RZ use their own pressures plate with an adjuster in the center of the hub.
The Banshee/ RZ use a incase clutch rod pusher, not in the side cover as the RD's and LC use.


Chuck

[quocle603]

Knowledge is power! 

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Adding some RD350LC, RZ350 and all RD400's info here.

All of these models will use this setup...

You use 2 of the late thrust washers 3mm thick X 43.80mm O.D. washers.
First one goes on the bare shaft first, against the input bearing, then the basket bushing, then outer basket, then 2nd late washer, then RD400 type inner hub that uses 6mm clutch spring bolts, (see 1st 2 pics) Torque the inner hub nut to 65 FT-LBS, I oil the threads, use  EBC CT008 clutch hub tool to hold while torquing nut. then starting with a fiber use 7 fibers and 6) 1.15mm steels in between fibers, ending in fiber, then pressure plate, be sure its clocked and seating against the last fiber.

Install clutch springs and 6mm X 1.00 bolts torqued to 62-64 inch-lbs, also just oiled threads. (no loctite needed on RD350LC's  RZ350's and all 400's when using these hex head bolts when properly torqued in inch-lbs.)






This is the outer pressure plate for RD350LC's and all RD400's. BUT NOT RZ350's as I need to get a pic of that one.



RD350LC-RZ350- RD400 clutch springs and bolts







EBC CT-008 clutch tool here on Ebay.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/EBC-CT008-Clutch-Removal-Tool/311374041157?epid=171213820&hash=item487f56d045:g:ThYAAOSwrcxbgsqr



I'll get some pics of the RZ pressure plate next...

Chuck