I just bought a butchered Honda CBR 600 F3 about 2 months ago. It had a slipping clutch which I replaced the friction plates, plane plates, and the clutch springs. Now I can't seem to get the clutch to disengage when I pull the clutch in. I'm worried it's related to the clutch springs because I can't find much info about torquing them down or how the spings should look in the clutch basket. I've snapped at least 1 bolt torquing to the 9ftlbs. mentioned in the forums documents page. Any help would be appreciated as I'm about ready to light a match and drop it into the fuel tank with howed screwed up this thing is.

 

Are you sure your torque wrench is good? I double checked the factory service manual and 9 lbs is indeed the correct value.

 

We checked it as best we could, and it seemed accurate enough. The bolts found on the clutch when I first started digging into it were 4.8 grade and the new ones I put in were 8.8. I got some 10.9 grade screws so if those snap when I install them I'll just get the OEM bolts. I'm hoping issue with the clutch is just that it was torqued unevenly because we tested it when only 3 of the bolts were torqued to spec. Otherwise I'm still at square 1 with this thing.

 

That was going to be my next comment, making sure you have the proper grade of bolts. If the bikes in as bad of shape as you say, the previous owner probably just grabbed whatever was in a coffee can or something.
I know fixing other people's crap is frustrating. But, if you stick with it and get everything straightened out, these are great bikes.

 

Yeah, new bolts didn't break this time, but I'm still having issue with the clutch. It feels like there is no tension in the arm that gets pulled by the clutch cable. When the bolts are torqued down all the way for the clutch springs I can easily pull the lever with my hands. (Sorry, I don't know the part name and I don't a have the manual immediately on hand at the moment.) I'm out of ideas. Me and my dad can't make sense of how this thing is supposed to operate. Are the clutch springs supposed to be bottomed out or did I get a bad set from Barnett?

Also I don't have oil in it right now because I don't want to drain fresh oil all over again. Would that cause problems? Sorry if any of this sounds dumb. I've worked on my other 2 motorcycles, but most of those problems have been easy mechanical or electrical fixes.

 

Added a GIF of the clutch arm I'm talking about.

 

Here is a link to a .pdf version of the f3 manual.

Do you see the arm (down by the clutch) moving at all when we squeeze the clutch lever? Page 3-21 of the manual goes through the adjustment process of the lever.

 

Oh yeah, I can see the clutch arm move when I pull the handle bar lever. I'm adjusted all the way out at bothe the bottom and top adjustments. I absolutely should be slipping the clutch if not completely disengaged.

 

This is the end of travel at the clutch arm with the clutch lever pulled.

 

You shouldn't be able to move that arm with your thumb like that. Check the manual to ensure everything is installed correctly. There should be a spring for each of the bolts you installed. Do you have those?