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Maintenance

Replacing Clutch Cable on Yamaha Fazer FZS600

A common job on any bike with a cable clutch that’s done a few thousand miles or worse has had a snapped cable. As time progresses cutch cables will stretch, requiring adjustment to bring in the slack, but eventually, they will need replacing. Similarly, if they have frayed or kinked preventing easy movement a replacement is the best course of action. Here I’ll walk you through step by step how to replace a clutch cable on a Yamaha Fazer FZS 600 (1999-2003), but other bikes will be fairly similar, tending to vary only on how the bottom end of the cable connects to the clutch.

Tools needed:

  1. Metric socket set
  2. Metric hexagon/Allan keys/socket set
  3. Crosshead screwdriver
  4. 12mm deep angle spanner
  5. Light grease (e.g. GT85)

Firstly, we need to remove the sprocket cover on the lower left side of the bike. To do this we need to remove the gear selector. Undo the bolt, then slide it off. Note the position of the dimple on the shaft compared to the gap on the selector, you will want to replace it in this position later.

Remove gear selector

With the gear selector out of the way, the sprocket cover is held by 5 bolts (shown below). Note the one on the right nearest frame is slightly longer than the others.

Removing sprocket cover, 5 bolts

The cover should then just slide off, but it often stiff and gummed up with crud. Note, the cover has two guide pins and the gear selector shaft has a Teflon spacer that often comes off at the same time. The cover is supposed to have a gasket too, but this only extends halfway around the cover and is not 100% essential.

There is usually a tonne of thick black oily greasy gritty gunk behind here, accumulated crap the chain has picked up and flung behind. Give it a good clean with WD40 or similar and brush.

Sprocket cover removed

Whilst in here, do also check that sprocket nut – original nuts were slimmer (9mm), often coming loose causing the front sprocket to pop off and resulting in much havoc. A trashed output shaft is pretty much an engine write off. You should have a 12mm 90179-18006 nut on there.

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Next, we’re going to detach the clutch cable from the spring mechanism inside the sprocket cover. There’s a little folding tab that retains the cable in position, which just needs a gentle bend with a flat screwdriver. Then the cable simply slides out sideways, and then out from the cover.

Detach the clutch cable from sprocket cover

Now we move to the lever side, where you’ll notice the adjustment nuts have a groove in them. By lining these up, you can prise the cable forward and out.

Line up clutch lever adjustment nuts

Now the cable can slide downwards and out of the lever.

Detaching clutch cable from the lever

Before fitting the new cable, it’s a good plan to squirt a good dose of light grease down inside it and ensure it moves freely. Now you can slide the cable out and replace it with your new one. Take note of the route the old cable takes and copy this. You may need to pop open some of the cable tidy clips to slot the new cable in. I find it easiest to slide the cable in from the top and feed it down. Then just refit the cable at each end in the reverse manner of above. To finish, you now just need to adjust your clutch free play.

Tighten sprocket cover bolts to 10Nm

Adjusting Clutch Free Play

Free play is the measure of how far the clutch lever can move before it hits resistance and starts to apply the clutch. It should move no more than 10-15mm at end of the lever. Too little and the clutch won’t fully disengage causing slip, too much and the clutch won’t engage enough causing difficult gear changes or crunching.

Start by screwing in the adjustment nuts at the lever until they’re a couple of millimetres away from fully tightened. Next, remove the rubber cover on the sprocket cover that hides the lower clutch adjustment nut.

Uncover lower clutch adjustment locknut and screw on the sprocket cover

Inside here is a locknut and adjustment screw in its centre. Loosen the locknut – it will be tight and clunk loose. Next, loosen the crosshead screw, then tighten it until you feel resistance, then loosen it a quarter turn. Finally, tighten the locknut up again whilst holding the screw still. To do this you will need a 12mm deep angle spanner, see picture below.

Adjusting lower clutch nut

Now you can fine-tune free play at the lever end. Turn the smaller nut, in for more free play, out for less. Finish by locking it with the large thin locking nut.

Note, that free play may change as the bike warms up, so tweak the adjustment at the lever. The bike will spend more time hot than cold, so go with an adjustment that works hot.

Fine-tuning clutch free play at the lever

Replacing Clutch Lever

I recently noticed my clutch lever had a load of excessive free play in it, which I pinpointed to the hole on the lever having worn oval causing slack and reducing leverage. With the clutch cable removed from the lever as per above, it’s simply a case of undoing the top bolt and swapping a new lever in with some grease.

If you’ve just busted the lever and your cable is fine, you should be able to do the above steps to remove the cable at the lever end alone by screwing in the adjustment nuts as much as possible to give you enough cable slack. If you need more slack, then you’ll need to loosen off at the lower adjustment nut.

There you have it. Job done!

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By Arthur

Seasoned London commuter, doing my best to stay rubber side down and never stop moving forward.

6 replies on “Replacing Clutch Cable on Yamaha Fazer FZS600”

Did you replace the gasket on the sprocket cover as I am unable to find one unless I buy the upper engine gasket kit, and at over £100 for the kit seems rather pricey for one gasket.

Sprocket case cover gasket is part: GASKET, CRANKCASE COVER 1 (3HE-15451-10)
£18 from Fowler’s, new genuine.
The clutch case cover gasket is part: GASKET, CRANKCASE COVER 3 (4TV-15462-00)
£17
https://www.fowlersparts.co.uk/parts/4181554/fzs600-fazer-5rt4-2003-070-a/crankcase-cover-1

That said, the sprocket case cover gasket is less critical, it’s doesn’t form a seal (it’s open one side anyway for chain!) Some have noted issues with the thickness of the gasket affecting the clutch push rod going though. It’s small however, probably be taken up by adjusting clutch cable slack. If I recall, I did replace it once, but when servicing in later year went without it. You could always get some generic gasket card cheap and cut out your own gasket to fit here.

Hello just trying to adjust clutch on fzs600 following instructions bike on centre stand after adjustment pull in lever put into first dont release lever and rear wheel spins is this right thanks

When on the centre stand the rear wheel may rotate a little with clutch lever fully engaged, but not with much force. I.e. you should be able to stop it with a light press of your boot. When off the centre stand, do you feel the bike trying to creep forward when the clutch lever is fully pulled in? Is it worse when it warms up? Do you struggle to find neutral OK with clutch in and engine warm? If so, you’ve got clutch stick. This can be incorrectly adjusted clutch cable or incorrect specification clutch springs or plates fitted.

I tried some ‘heavy duty EBC springs on the clutch once, they were terrible, springs far to strong such that once warm I couldnt keep the bike stationary with the clutch fully engaged, to the extent I needed front brake fully on and it would either stall or do a burn out! I was resorting to kill switch at every jucntion I stopped at! read more here: https://www.beginnerbiker.com/2017/06/fazer-clutch-service/

If however, when warmed up you can pull the lever in and the remains bike stationary with no effort/brakes, you’re OK. Your clutch lever should freely move 10-15mm (measured at end of lever), before you feel resistance on pulling it in. No free play here could lead to clutch slip when accelerating hard, giving you a sudden surge in revs whilst not going anywhere.

Hope that helps!

Hi,
Just wondering where can I buy right clutch for Yamaha fazer 600 /2005 fzs
Thank you
Kind regards
M. Yekta

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