runninn Posted May 13, 2016 Share Posted May 13, 2016 I was going ahead and changing the fluid to take care of the 'air' problem....it's not happening today! After I pulled the reservoir cap it was virtually empty! The sight glass appeared full but was actually covered in grey sludge. The bottom fourth of the reservoir had sludge....where in the world did it come from? I am almost fanatic about maintenance but this hit me like a brick. Loss of almost all of the clutch, sludge & no fluid. I am thinking a leak allowed dirt into the system & built up over time. This weekend I plan to pull the clutch slave & replace the seal, clean the reservoir & replace the clutch line. Suggestions? Anyone ever seen this reservoir sludge buildup before? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero Knievel Posted May 13, 2016 Share Posted May 13, 2016 I can't say I've had "sludge" that bad, BUT early on, when I first serviced my XX, I drained the reservoir with an old syringe, and then I noticed this gunk in the corners. It was fairly built up. I used brake parts cleaner and Q-Tips (moistened with the cleaner) to swab out every speck of gunk I could get. I trusted the fresh fluid to purge any gunk in the line. I don't know how much sludge you have, so I don't know if you really need to tear down the unit or just give it a good flushing/cleaning and reattaching the clutch line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackhawkxx Posted May 13, 2016 Share Posted May 13, 2016 The fluid had to go somewhere, he can look for the leak or just replace everything like he plans to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redxxrdr Posted May 13, 2016 Share Posted May 13, 2016 Very old brake fluid can leave a yellow brown to black goop. Thats why it's rocommended to flush and fill. i haven't done this, BUT....... I would pull my left lower fairing, then the clutch slave cylinder. This is a good time to clean the clutch pushrod ,countershaft sprocket and chain. After cleaning everything, you should be able to put a C clamp over the slave cylinder to keep it pushed it. Since it is not moving, the lever should feel firm like a brake lever when properly bled. And, since the slave is not moving, you should also be able to put plenty of force on the lever and look for leaks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Krypt Keeper Posted May 14, 2016 Share Posted May 14, 2016 I had some built up at my last change. Never seen it before and change fluid often enough. I cleaned it all out and flushed system. Was using Honda dot 4 fluid. Got full synthetic dot 4 compatible in now. No goop in it yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superhawk996 Posted May 14, 2016 Share Posted May 14, 2016 If none of the visible parts are wet then it's likely the slave leaking. All masters accumulate dark gunk. I believe it's wear material off the piston seals and the cylinder. Old fluid can leave gunk as well. Water accumulation, even if the water is in suspension with the fluid and not visible water, can cause gunk/discoloration as well. If you have a way of sucking the gunk out do so before flushing. Using Q-tips or rags or anything that can leave lint is a bad idea, but if you're careful to not leave any stuff behind q-tips can get it really clean. When dealing with brake fluid around any painted parts, plastic, or rubber cover the fuck out of everything. Every time I think 'there's no way any will spill' it does and always on the worst parts to get it on. Use rags or towels to create a thick large covered area around the master and bundle it tightly to the master to protect stuff. If fluid spills on anything you don't want damaged immediately wash it off, try not to get any water into the master but if it does just suck it out or flush it through after you're done washing. It won't kill anything to have water in there for a little while but there's no spare time when fluid is on paint or other sensitive parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runninn Posted May 15, 2016 Author Share Posted May 15, 2016 It ended up being the slave piston seal. Now if I can find a rebuild kit....thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superhawk996 Posted May 16, 2016 Share Posted May 16, 2016 It could just be build-up of junk keeping it from sealing. I've repaired several leaking masters and slaves just by cleaning, might be worth a try. If you can't find a seal through dealers see if it has a number on it and google it. In many cases I've found seals for stuff after being told they weren't available. Unless Honda made a seal for it they're using an existing seal that's used for other stuff and probably available elsewhere. In some cases polishing out scratches & pits from the cylinder as needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superhawk996 Posted May 16, 2016 Share Posted May 16, 2016 Just took a glance, they're on eBay and probably elsewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runninn Posted May 31, 2016 Author Share Posted May 31, 2016 Follow-up to my follow-up. It was cheaper to go with a used slave cylinder found on ebay. I had ordered the seals...yet they turned out to be the wrong size (I will take the blame for trusting the vendor). Anyways, for half the price of the seals I replaced the entire slave cylinder. Clutch works perfect now... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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