Leaking clutch fluid from cable on 2004 Firebolt....

[MBolt04]

I have a 2004 Firebolt I purchased in Germany, I have been deployed multiple times. The bike sat in my house in Germany the first deployment and I have had it out back in TX for this last one. The fluid came out and ran down the clutch cable on the left side as you are sitting on it. Is this a major issue??? I do have a warrenty left on the bike... What should I do? I don't want to over tighten and snap it.

 

[Stevenc150]

I take it you're talking about you're primary fluid leaking along the clutch cable. I'd drain it & replace with synthetic of you're choice. Hopefully you're clutch cable just loosened up from your primary. I'd drain the bike and gently try tightening the clutch cable. You can try unscrewing it all the way out, cleaning the threads, and putting thread sealant on it. Then filling it back up with syn.

 

[typeone]

if you inspect the area where the clutch cable threads into the primary cover, its best to remove the entire upper portion of the cable then keep it PERFECTLY STRAIGHT as you unscrew it. the threads are known to be VERY delicate on the cover. because of the bend in the cable, i don't understand how it would loosen up on its own.

if it were my bike, i would not just 'snug up the cable', the risk is too great to strip those threads in the cover. then you're looking at a much bigger job.

since its an '04, you could grab a new clutch cable (they are better quality now) which will come with a new o-ring and install it per the manual. never hurts to have fresh, upgraded cables on a bike.

hoping it has nothing to do with the fragile threads and is just a dry o-ring or something.

 

[ophawk]

The o-rings do get brittle as they age, I had the threaded part of my Cable crack at the o-ring seat and start leaking, so I tried to tighten it and it broke in the cover, which of course necessitated the removal of the cover to get the rest of the cable out of the cover.
Later