bad clutch

I'm working on my 83 V45 Magna (it's been off the road for 5 years) and
finally got it running but the clutch is all bad. The lever pumps with
little resistance and the clutch doesn't engage. I bled the system fully -
no air. Could this be a seized slave cylinder? If that was the case,
wouldn't I feel more resistance when I pump the lever?

Thanks,
Jon

 

I bled the system fully -no air.

I bled it for about 15 minutes with not even one tiny little bubble,
although the symptons match having a lot of air in there. Good idea about
the slave cylinder - I'll give it a try!

 

That is a >very< common problem with this bike. An air bubble gets
trapped at the banjo fitting on the master cylinder (the fitting being
the highest point in the system) and no amount of pumping will dislodge
it. One way to fix it is to loosen the banjo bolt while holding pressure
on the lever, and tightening before releasing. It's a little messy, so
be careful. Position the handlebars so the fitting is higher than the
body of the MC as much as possible.

My preferred method is to remove the MC from the bars and mount it onto
an old handlebar C-clamped to something like a work light stand or a
wall stud in the garage, higher than the bikes handlebars, and angled
downward. The MC can then be positioned higher than the banjo fitting
and the brake line. Bleed normally, put the MC back on the bike, and go
ride.

Then, get back online and check out SABMAG.org, or search for SABMAG or
V4 Honda. There you'll find an answer to just about any question or
problem concerning early Honda V4's.

 

That is a >very< common problem with this bike. An air bubble gets

ah, the banjo bolt. Sweet! I bled it at the banjo bolt (not so much of a
mess) and then bled normally for about half-an-hour (at night with a
flashlight - darkness fell and I couldn't stop working) and it's all fine
now! Thanks!