[rolling thunder]

Hello to all riders who have a plastic oil pump gear ,would anyone know the % of failures for this gear problem ?, Apparently the reason it fails is the CLUTCH SPRING TABS extend through the bottom of the clutch basket ... and make contact with the plastic gear , keeping it from rotating ,, causing it to strip the teeth ..... Anyone know if the tabs extend through the clutch basket from clutch wear ? maybe some preventive maintenance will safe the trouble of splitting the motor to change gear to metal

 

[RichLockyer]

That is not correct.
The clutch spring is on the opposite side of the basket.
The clutch plates extend slightly, but are on the perimeter... the POG is completely behind the basket.
The only thing that extends out the back of the outer housing are the actual coil springs that make up the slipper part of the assembly.

If what you are saying were true, then there would also be problems with the factory metal oil gear, those that had the POG and were repaired by the dealer, or those that have done the JOG (Judge's Oil Gear) mod as a preventative repair before the POG fails (and I highly advise doing that).
The JOG mod can be done without splitting the case.

 

[BigJohn]

Wha Rich said. The POG has been a known issue for years. Kawasaki switched to metal oil gears in 2000. The POGs were changed out by the dealers when the failed for free.

 

[rolling thunder]

Thanks for the info , is kawasaki still repairing this problem ,(only after it happens) ? and how do i get a hold of this gear kit (jog)

 

[Classic]

I believe it is still being handled by Kawasaki after failure but I'd not wait for that to happen. For the Judges Steel Oil Gear check over on the main VROC site at VROC :: Vulcan Riders and Owners Club in their archived data area.

 

[RichLockyer]

+1
It is not QUITE being treated as a recall campaign, but it's going further than a TSB (which would not be free out of warranty), and they are doing the modification for free after failure.
The problem is, if you have any additional damage (which is likely) they will not repair that for free, so immediate shutdown on failure is imperative.
These are all carb'd bikes, so there's no ECU to kill the system on an "oil light"... if you're watching, listening when it happens, you'll be fine, if not, $$$$.

The JOG can be done with the engine in the frame, bike on the sidestand... it's just a few steps further than a clutch replacement (maybe not a bad idea to change 'em while you're in there, the Barnett kit is "only" about $120 and BTK will ship you a Meanstreak spring for around $30).

The factory/dealer mod requires splitting the case, either before or after failure.

 

[v2stix]

Thanks for the info , is kawasaki still repairing this problem ,(only after it happens) ? and how do i get a hold of this gear kit (jog)

If you let me have an aemail addy I will send you Judges mail addy so you can get in touch direct
Done 4 of these mods now and it can as said be done on the side stand in about 2 hours,don't even have to drain the oil,it really is an easy and worthwhile job.


Stix

 

[Dudester]

A good friend of mine has had his second gear disappear on him recently on his 1500 Classic. Perhaps it's the POG that caused this. Dealer says it'll cost him about $2000.00 to repair. I am going to forward him this thread in hopes that he will look into getting it repaired, at Kawi's expense as he just assumes that seeing the warranty is over, it will have to be at his expense. He purchased his Classic new in 2003.

 

[bross]

Wha Rich said. The POG has been a known issue for years. Kawasaki switched to metal oil gears in 2000. The POGs were changed out by the dealers when the failed for free.

A good friend of mine has had his second gear disappear on him recently on his 1500 Classic. Perhaps it's the POG that caused this. Dealer says it'll cost him about $2000.00 to repair. I am going to forward him this thread in hopes that he will look into getting it repaired, at Kawi's expense as he just assumes that seeing the warranty is over, it will have to be at his expense. He purchased his Classic new in 2003.

If it's a 2003, then he doesn't have a POG.

 

[Deeppurple52]

Dude.... The 2003 dosn't have a POG. They disappeared in 1999. Not all POG's fail. In fact it is a relatively rare occurrance. That doesn't help if it is yours! The dealer here (Kelly's) will replace your POG under warranty if you ask them right.
The second gear issue was probably caused by dropping the bike on the left side and jamming in the shift linkage. Yes, it is expensive to repair, but not related to the oil gear.

 

[RichLockyer]

On getting in touch with Judge, be patient. He spends a lot of time on the road and is very slow at returning emails.

Sadly, a partner who machined parts for the oil gear and clutch washers was killed in a house fire almost a year ago, but he was not the only source... just the one that was easiest to get in touch with.