Vstrom 1000 Clutch pushrod protector

thingiverse

I made a simple device to shield the clutch pushrod from chain grime. Chain grime often ends up on the polished shaft due to road salt and other contaminants, which can lead to corrosion of the shaft. This corrosion causes damage to the seal when the rod is pushed in to release the clutch, resulting in an oil leak.\r\nThis small spool-shaped device is secured to the face of the seal with a tiny amount of RTV silicone, and I cleaned the seal face with acetone before applying it for a good bond. After testing the fit, I removed it to ensure there was no silicone residue on the shaft, then reapplied it to let it cure overnight.\r\nThe top has an extra groove to allow the seal face to move freely and keep the silicone away from the shaft, using too much silicone can be a problem, so use it sparingly.\r\nThis design is for early DL1000 models only, I don't know if it will fit the newer Gen bikes, my bike is a 2006 model.\r\nI would suggest adding multiple walls to this device to prevent any hard debris from the chain from damaging it. \r\nAs some people have pointed out, the clutch piston might push against the spool and force the seal into the engine, but that doesn't happen in reality. This device sits between the seal face and the sprocket cover, while the slave cylinder is located outside of the sprocket cover; to confirm that there was no movement I used an endoscope, and found zero movement against the seal.