TE 630-Leaking Clutch Master Cylinder

[capt42104]

Hey all,

Got a little issue with the 630……

It appears the clutch master cylinder is leaking again from the piston/plunger. The original one leaked from the date I rode it home from the dealership and it was replaced under warranty. Now, 6 months later, it is starting to show signs of leakage at the piston/plunger again, just wet, no drips yet. What frustrates me is the unit is the same as the newer KTM 535s I ride with and theirs don’t leak at all! What the heck? Did Magura sell Husky their factory seconds?

Anyways, I really don’t have the time to truck the bike up to the dealership and leave it there for a week or two. I am looking for some feedback in regards to if anyone of you rebuilt these yet and is it difficult. It looks rather simple from the parts diagram. Also, what is the piston size? I see two different ones on the on some parts lists (9.5mm and 10.5mm). I will probably call Halls for the parts this week.

Thanks!

 

[EricV]

Jtemple went through this...not sure how his rebuild is holding up:

http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/630-clutch-master-cylinder-leak-again.20520/#post-179434

 

[KLOC]

Piston size is 9.5mm. Part# 8000 A0914 - Gruppo Pistone Compl.

I too had the leaking master warrantied, but also picked up the rebuild kit to avoid downtime.
Also dropped the fluid level in the reservoir a little.

 

[jtemple]

I went through your exact problem. The rebuild is easy. So far, mine has held up. I haven't ridden much since the rebuild, though. YMMV

 

[capt42104]

Man I missed that previous post. Thanks for the replies. Looks like i will call Halls tomarrow for a rebuild kit. Jtemple-PM sent. Thanks again.

 

[CJBROWN]

Just found oil drops on the garage floor...WTF??? MC is leaking a bit. I guess it won't fix itself will it? Will it get worse?
I thought I would check the fluid level but once I loosened the camp screws it started overflowing so I just buttoned 'er back up. Watch and wait...

 

[bpowa]

as i said before seems to be a lot of issues with this bike. as much as i like mines i feel the build quality is crummy. i have a bit of moisture/ dirt around the mc so i guess ill head home and double check things

 

[Fast1]

both 630s I own exhibited a bit of clutch fluid leak after a 1000 or so miles.. simply just removed some fluid and everything has been fine..

 

[CJBROWN]

as i said before seems to be a lot of issues with this bike. as much as i like mines i feel the build quality is crummy. i have a bit of moisture/ dirt around the mc so i guess ill head home and double check things

I don't think that's fair really. Specifically we're talking about a Magura master cylinder, the same part you find on any number of euro motorcycles. It's not like there are massive failures of this part throughout the industry. KTM is now the largest manufacturer of offroad motorcycles in the world and guess what's on the handlebar of every KTM motorcycle? That's right, a Magura hydraulic clutch actuator.

Husqvarna does not make all of the parts that go into making the bike. I know you know that, I'm just sayin'. The parts they use are the tops in the biz. You have Brembo brakes, Excel rims, Twin-Air filter, Polisport bodywork, Magura bars, and the list goes on and on. The parts that Husky makes themselves are not sub-par either. The motors are solid, they last, they shift good, they don't have catastrophic failures, the frames don't break, nice hubs, again the list goes on and on.

What can you buy from a jap bike company that compares to the 630? A DR650? A DRZ400? A KLR? Honda has nothing, neither does Suzuki (edit - oops, suzi are the DR's). A WRR?

I've put over a hundred hours on my KTM 250, and about 60 on the TE. Both are solid bikes IMHO. If I have to do a little fixit shit here or there I really don't mind. Again, IMO these are not beginner bikes. The experienced riders buy them because of the better performance they offer. By now in your riding career knowing how to fix stuff and wrench on your own machine should be a given.

 

[jtemple]

Just found oil drops on the garage floor...WTF??? MC is leaking a bit. I guess it won't fix itself will it? Will it get worse?
I thought I would check the fluid level but once I loosened the camp screws it started overflowing so I just buttoned 'er back up. Watch and wait...

What you may have is too much fluid in your reservoir. Open it up and siphon some out. See if that doesn't fix your problem. That reservoir cap has a vent hole in it to let fluid out in the event you have too much. I keep my reservoir about half full.

 

[bpowa]

trust me i love the bike. i dont plan on selling it. but the little tidbits add up. yes i wrench on all my cars and bikes. and grew up wrenching in shops. but i dont anymore and i dont care to do it unless i have to. i dont care to drop it off at a dealer 1.5 hours away and leave it there for warranty.

its one thing if i get warranty parts shipped to me and instal it. and from working in auto shops warranty does not happen that way.

people say the same about jeep wranglers due to bias opinion. its easy to wrench on. but things do break. and i sold mines due to it. so just because people feel comfortable wrenching does not mean its reliable. its also the manufactures responsibility to r and d parts they add on to the bike. you cant blame china for steel quality for the bike.. agree?

i dont know about dirt. but my jap ss bikes all had many miles on them without issues. so thats what im comparing it to. and the price difference between this 630 and jap ss bikes are not much different

btw i have about 3k in 3 months. oil changes are 300. 600. 1.5k and i plan on doing another lof and valve check. i take good care of the bike. i hope it takes care of me

 

[CJBROWN]

BP- Well then you know the drill. With so much experience I guess I don't understand why you say 'crummy build quality'. What exactly have you found to be so crummy?

Currently in the garage there's a yamaha, a kawasaki, a KTM, and the husky. Of all of them the Kawasaki is probably built the cheapest. But then it has the same brakes as all jap bikes, nissin, and as far as build quality they all seem pretty similar. The KTM is the easiest to work on. You can't hardly get to the carb on the yamaha to change a jet. Same carb on the KTM but it's easy to access. Design engineering wise I'd say the KTM is the simplest. The yamaha has a cool aluminum frame. The kawi has cheap components, like damping in only one leg of the fork and a shock that's just a POS. The husky doesn't seem any worse or better than the others, but then I haven't torn down a motor or anything like that. I have on the KTM and they have their own little quirks, like cam bearing journals that are undersized so the bearing binds if you torque it to spec. So you have to either radius it out or back off the bolts. Oh boy, have they had their problems over the years.

The recent Honda I had was one of those built in brazil. Talk about a chincy POS. Heavier than sin too.

Ever had experience with an RV? Talk about assembly by monkies.

Oh, and I've had a couple of jeeps too, never had any problems with them. Super simple, basic components. Of all the domestics dodge is probably the worst. But they've all had some boners over the years, and are all better today than yesteryear.

Anyway, there will always be differences of opinion based on owner experience. I just don't think it's fair to state categorically that Husqvarna has crummy build quality.

PS. JTEMPLE - thanks for the tip on the clutch mc. I'll try that for sure.

 

[jtemple]

its one thing if i get warranty parts shipped to me and instal it. and from working in auto shops warranty does not happen that way.

I have had several 630 warranty parts shipped to me by my dealer. I have done all of my own work. Your dealer is 1.5 hours away. Mine is 8 hours away. Taking it to a shop for warranty work just isn't going to happen for me, and I knew that going into the deal.

i dont know about dirt. but my jap ss bikes all had many miles on them without issues. so thats what im comparing it to. and the price difference between this 630 and jap ss bikes are not much different

I'm in the same boat here. I have owned nothing but Japanese sportbikes until the 630. No bike I have ever owned has given me so many problems in so few miles. I'm still glad I bought it.

 

[jtemple]

PS. JTEMPLE - thanks for the tip on the clutch mc. I'll try that for sure.

YMMV. Mine still leaked after all that. If your leak is coming from around the reservoir cap, it's probably too much fluid. If it's coming from around the plunger, it's time for a rebuild kit. Kit runs about $40.

 

[SilverBullet]

I'm in the same boat here. I have owned nothing but Japanese sportbikes until the 630. No bike I have ever owned has given me so many problems in so few miles. I'm still glad I bought it.

Funny how some owner's experience with this bike can be so different. I can make the polar opposite statement to yours above...No bike I have ever owned has given me so few problems in so many miles. Currently I have 6,100 miles and not a single problem or repair thus far (big knock on wood). Only issue was bike had a fogged up display before delivery at dealer, display dried out in two days but I still made them replace it. I have owned a couple new bikes that have equaled my TE630's record (1979 Suzuki GS750 and 2006 Honda VTX1300) but none that have bettered it. And considering that my bike has seen plenty of off road miles that is incredible. And not only dirt roads either, plenty of single track and beach sand riding. Even took it to the local park and ran the GNCC and MX tracks one day for hours.

Oil changes done at 500, 2,500 and 5,000 miles.
Checked valves at 2,500 miles, required next size up for one shim.
Replaced the clutch pushrod but only because of Husky bulletin. Wasn't having any issue with it and didn't really notice improvement either.
and thats all folks!

Currently on my second front and fourth rear tire so that should tell you a little about how the bike gets rode.

Not doubting anyone else's experience but just giving my positive personal experience. Internet forums are wonderful for sharing information but all too often it is only the negative that gets reported.

_

 

[bpowa]

cj. from what im reading there are many people reporting minor issues. for me its the rear sprocket wearing eventhough. i aligned the real wheel a couple different ways. dont forget about people losing rear sprocket nuts. due to it not being nylon nuts. which all my bikes came with. my front wheel has a slight bend on the lip of the rim. it doesent surprise me the bend is where they welded the rim together. with all the oul changes i did there are more metal than i ever seen come out of a car or bike. this is within 3k miles half of which is break in period. i ride the bike hard. but thats what bikes are ment for.

btw. my shifting was smooth as butter in the beginning now it feels a bit notchy.

maybe its a different riding style from a te to an sm. your using the bike for a different riding style my bike gets revved after the breakin period in all the gears. 1 through 6. no i do not redline its shifs after the powerband after 6 to 7k.

not to make this an argument. but im just sharing my experience so far. i cant say how much i enjoy riding the bike. i wish i have nothing bad to say like you do. i plan on putting tons of miles i just hope it lasts. keep in mind that parts may not be available in the near future. would i tell by buddies to buy? yes i would. would i say the build quality is surperb. no. its fair. but i want great. especially since its still new. please ignore spelling and such. i am using my phone to type.

 

[CJBROWN]

LOL. All good. Yes, you're probably wringing yours out and mine is loafing. I rarely run it past 5K or so. Maybe it will last a long time. That is my hope.

BTW, my clutch mc has not leaked any more. See what it looks like after a few hundred miles.

 

[CJBROWN]

So I pulled off the reservoir cap and the oil had milky looking fuzzy stuff in it so I drew it all out with a syringe. Ran down to my indy for some oil and no gots. He says it's mineral oil and you can get it at a pharmacy. WTF? Sure enough, CVS has 99.1% pure mineral oil, $6 a pint. Refilled and set the level, re-capped it and pulled the lever 50 times in two days and not a drop coming out of it. I think it got a little moisture in it. Maybe the fluid got thinned out.

Anyway, problem solved for now. May bleed out/flush the slave too.

Now I have all new fluids in brakes and clutch. The rear brake fluid was pretty dirty.

Kinda nice to know you could stop anywhere on a trip and get clutch fluid if it did start leaking for some reason.

 

[Kenneth Webb]

I found it odd too that my rear brake fluid was very dirty while the front was clean. This was just after I bought the bike with 1500 miles on the clock. What would cause that? I flushed the rear and left the front alone as the fluid was clear as can be. So far the rear fluid is holding up fine.

As for the clutch, I wonder how hard it is to bleed. I had a big bill when my BMW clutch slave went out at the top of Antelope Peak (MTN?) in CA a couple of years ago. Left me stranded for a while up there. Long story..... The Husky slave is right out there, as opposed to burried on the BMW. Like that.

 

[CJBROWN]

I found it odd too that my rear brake fluid was very dirty while the front was clean. This was just after I bought the bike with 1500 miles on the clock. What would cause that? I flushed the rear and left the front alone as the fluid was clear as can be. So far the rear fluid is holding up fine.

As for the clutch, I wonder how hard it is to bleed. I had a big bill when my BMW clutch slave went out at the top of Antelope Peak (MTN?) in CA a couple of years ago. Left me stranded for a while up there. Long story..... The Husky slave is right out there, as opposed to burried on the BMW. Like that.

I'm assuming you could just put a tube on the bleed nipple on the slave and open it up, gravity bleed it. I'd have to look in the shop manual to know for sure. Sometimes they specify a pressure bleeder that pushes up from the slave but I've found you don't have to do it that way. Can't remember what I did on my ktm. I think it uses brake fluid.