Question/Sanity Checking on Upcoming clutch job.

VMAX  Forum

Help Support VMAX Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
This is crucial to not stripping out the threads in the case and not having a leak imo.
Not sure if it was mentioned but it is a good idea to trace the new gasket on card board and as the cover screws come out, put them in the proper spot on your newly made template. There are different length screws and this will keep them in order, assuring they go back in the proper hole.
Taking lots of pictures as each piece comes off. This will help everything go back the way it came out. Like this.....

The carboard method is helpful - no doubt, for any covers. In my case, some years ago, I kicked it by accident and the bolts went flying. So I resorted to sorting the bolts by length and bagging, along with a simple drawing of where goes what. But I gave up on that as well - too many same size bolts so it seemed like a waste of time. Especially when doing a big job with everything off. They sell these Chinese, I think, made bamboo skewers at a dollar store. 125 pieces of 6" for a $1. They have different sizes as well, useful for many things. I check the depth of the hole and mark it with a magic marker. You can even feel how far the thread goes if sliding it along the thread, and check all the holes one by one very quickly. No pun intended. That's it! Bullet proof.
 
Last edited:
Hey everyone, new to the forum but long time lurker. I got the max about a year ago, had a huge amount of work done to it, and all is right in the world, minus the clutch.
Somewhere amidst a lengthy stop and go beach cruise it stopped putting any significant power to the ground, so I think it's due for some new plates. This only happens when hot, engine kind of spins up without catching traction.

I'm writing this mostly to aggregate the parts in one place and see if I'm doing anything way wrong. I have never cracked it, idk what's in it. If the DD mod is present because my clutch sucks I'm removing it. If anyone wants mt to video it for youtube in a way that isn't really old, I can do that.

If the wire is there I will yank it and replace the last friction half plate with a full one.

Using this for reference:
2002 Yamaha V-MAX (VMX1200P) Clutch | Yamaha Sports Plaza

Plate seat (5) and spring cushion seat (6) stay with this wire removal and full plate insertion right?
7 is the half plate to be yoinked along with (4)
Does (8) stay in there? 26H-16324-10-00 or is it removed with the new plate addition (I assume it stays). Should I get a new one?

Parts list otherwise
Gasket, Crankcase Cover part number: 3JP-15462-01-00
from:
2002 Yamaha V-MAX (VMX1200P) Crankcase Cover 1 | Yamaha Sports Plaza

Quantity 2-3 lets be honest.

Plate, Friction 3 (quantity 7+1=8): part number
26H-16307-00-00
From: 2002 Yamaha V-MAX (VMX1200P) Clutch | Yamaha Sports Plaza
Plate, Clutch 1 (quantity 6): Part number 26H-16324-10-00
from:
2002 Yamaha V-MAX (VMX1200P) Clutch | Yamaha Sports Plaza

1. Open it up without warping, yank em. Scuff the new steels and soak with new friction plates.
2. Remove piano wire thing, remove clutch plate (8) and remove half steel.
3. Reinsert full width disc (if not replacing spring and cushion) then plate 8, then alternate friction and steels until complete.
4. Use torque wrench to torque to spec properly with star pattern.
5. Apply super thin layer of gasket sealant to gasket and put it back together.
6. Profit

Is this all fair? I was thinking about replacing clutch fluid after this, but maybe not, see how it goes for a bit.
Thank ya'll so much.
Ken
Hey everyone I made a video of the job, not that I've made one before so it probably sucks. Everything was alright but the gasket was really caked on so I used a heat gun on the cover because aluminum heats evenly like that and a soldering iron with a copper alloy tip on the engine side.

It leaks one drop per 12 hours. Why? Because surface tension pulled oil between gasket and surface and cavitation and stuff. I will drain more oil this weekend (enough that me rocking it gently makes nothing come out), apply a thin bead of tack on the gasket centerline with an 18 ga flat needle and reinstall.
The douche prior used sealant become gasket and gasket, so it was like flashlight tweezer day to pick all that crap out, Hence the needle.

If using your finger like I've always done with gasket helpers this one doesn't slide it straight up spidermans immediately.

It was fun.

Here's the video
 
Last edited:
A good first effort, it may help someone who hasn't done a VMax before. Thanks for making the video.
 
A good first effort, it may help someone who hasn't done a VMax before. Thanks for making the video.
First effort on a vmax, 1000%. I must say for making the clutch a weak point they did make it very accessible. Harleys I've done need like special tools to remove bearings etc, less fun.

Is yamabond really a common thing for this?
 
Back
Top