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I replaced the fiber clutch plates on my son's '07 CRF250R and one of them broke. My wife and son found a "mechanic" that replaced them, again. He is telling us that I installed the fiber plate(s) backwards. This is the fourth CRF250R that I have owned and maintained and I have never seen a reference to installing the fiber clutch plates with one particular side out. I have read that section of the Helm Shop Manual numerous times. Has anyone ever been told this? Am I overlooking this in the Shop Manual? Is there a professional mechanic out there that can distinguish one side from the other?

Ehh?
I am unsure how there could possibly be a "backwards" since both sides of the fiber discs have to perform identically! Meaning, doesn't each side of all the fiber discs contact a neighboring steel plate? So then what, I guess it's theoretically possible to install them in backwards, too? Naaaaaa.

I guess I can't say for 100% certainty. Just sounds weird is all. I rebuilt the clutch in my 250X this past winter and honestly couldn't tell a difference in upside down/right side up... so I figured it didn't matter. It works just fine.

We are talking about fiber discs.

Never heard of this myself.
If it was an issue you would expect a marking on the fiber plate(generally dye).

There are different types of plates to make up a clutch pack generally metal and fibre and some clutch packs have a different plate at either end of the stack.

A guy who works on my bikes (Pro and great mecahnic)
installs clutchs as follows:
Metal (stock) plates are produced by stamping, hence have a sharp edge and a more beveled edge.
He install plates so beveled edge slides against basket when releasing clutch (I forget which direction this is).

A little too trivial for me.

NO general direction on friction plates...