just finished putting bike back together after clutch spline lube. first time I put it in it was hard tightening bolts. pulled it back out and the clutch plate must have slid down and needed to align again to get transmission back in. I think  I must have damaged something by pushing the transmission input shaft against the clutch plate. the clutch will not disengage when I pull in the clutch lever. what kind of damage could cause this? Can I replace just the damaged parts or do I need to replace the entire clutch assembly?

Hi Ray,
Sounds like you have pushed the clutch plate "fingers" through their travel. This could be caused by the disc not being centred or hanging on the splines. Removal and inspection would be more prudent action.
I had to do something similar.
Cheers,
Rob

thanks Rob, does that mean that I only need to replace the clutch disc?

I'm not one of the K gurus here, just a shade-tree mechanic, so I don't stock the factory numbers or nomenclature but what I found is that if you look at the clutch pressure plate it's movement (release) is actuated by the push rod that goes through the transmission.
The stroke of this rod is limited by the clutch arm. However if you were to continue pushing this rod the fingers will over extend and invert themselves.
Hopefully by removing and re-installing the pressure plate all will come back into order.
Someone may have a proper diagram that is the beauty of this site as there is always help.
Good luck

I guess I just need to pull everything back out and look. I f what you say is true would be great otherwise it looks like a new clutch could get very expensive, just trying to save a little cash. It seems my GPI switch gave up on me with my recent service and a new switvh is $115.

Remove the rubber boot and spring from the rear of the gearbox then remove the bearing and cup it runs on then the pushrod should come out the rear of the box. I have seen once the steel end turning in the pushrod and worn away till there was not enough length. Also the bearing may have collapsed or the adjustment bolt come loose.
It is also possible the plates are bonded together if the bike has been sitting for a long time or as Rob said the diaphragm may have failed which means the gearbox needs to come out.

The GPI rarely actually fail but are prone to water ingress. You can get them apart but care is needed so do it inside a plastic bag to catch the tiny springs, it will likely need drying and cleaning. once that is done I use Sicaflex (a polyurethane glue similar to silicone but much tougher) to seal the unit.

Have you double checked the clutch cable adjustments?  I would do that before pulling the transmission again.  Also, the advice about checking the clutch rod that runs through the transmission.  Let's hope you didn't bend it.

Agree on the moisture/dirt in the gear indicator switch. Mine stops working properly for a couple days every time I give the bike a good wash or ride in a heavy rain.  I try to be careful around water, but when it happens I just live with it until it dries out.

Before I tore the switch apart, I would clean the outside thoroughly, and then soak it overnight in 90% isopropyl alcohol, followed by a good soak in WD-40 and let it dry for a day.  That should get any moisture and a lot of dirt out of the switch without the risk of losing any parts.  Then you can do the waterproofing if you like.  Personally, my experience is that retrofit sealing usually works better at keeping moisture IN than keeping it OUT. 

If anything, I would look at how I could put some splash protection around it.  Something as simple as a rubber flap to deflect spray made from a chunk of old inner tube can be very effective.

agree .75

but would do it the other way around

first wd 40  to dissolve the grime and flush the crud out  then leave it for a day or so ...then the isopropyl alcohol to clean out every trace of the wd40

wd 40 sets as a gel - insulator after time and boggs the whole thing up ...unless you flush again regularly with wd40 ....

just my experiences

Thanks for all the info guys, I have yet to pull the tranny to and see what has happened. I did pull th clutch push rod and it is fine, the clutch cable is good also. I am certain there is something dodgy with the clutch pack but won't know until I get it out. hope to find a solution and order parts before I leave on vacation next week, hopefully all the parts will be waiting on me when I return.