Electric starter.

[5twins]

If you mean the large stamped steel bracket that reaches up to the top, that's the ass end of your shift lever. You can see the end of the shift shaft welded into it at the lower left.

 

[jayel]

In your pic, I don't see the gear that the large gear in the pic engages.
It should be just above and to the left of the gear you see.

I think you are correct leo .. missing gear

 

[XSLeo]

Jayel, We can't see it but he says the gears on the other side by the clutch are turning when he hits the starter. So the gear and cross shaft are in place. It sounds more like the wishbone clip is to weak.
Lovebill, When you hit the starter and the gears in the pic are turning does the inside gear move into the engine?

 

[5twins]

Yes, there is a smaller gear behind the large one you see in the pic. It engages the gear in the motor .....

As Leo said, since the gears on the other side are turning, the shaft and gear inside the motor (10, 12) must be present.

 

[lovebill1951]

Pumps put a link on here that shows the gears behind the clutch. I found the same pics on 650motorcycles that had an explaination that I finally understood. The second pic shows a screwdriver pushing the #4 in toward the center of the case.
5twins said " When the little gear turns the big gear (#5), the #4 starter gear behind it should move in and engage the crank. Sounds like yours is not ..... "
This looks to me be correct. The #4 gear sits where it is and spins, does NOT move on the shaft. But I can push it in with a screwdriver, like in the picture.
So I figure I have to remove the clutch and go into this area. Maybe the spring is weak? Maybe I can manually push the gear into the case and hit the starter and see if then the engine turns over?
Now I have to deal with the clutch case and that 27mm ( ? ) nut. I don't have a socket that size.
Does this sound like I'm going in the correct direction?
Using my battery charger in the Starter / 50 amp position should be good for turning the starter ( which it does ) and get the gear to slide into position?
Thanks again for your help.

 

[5twins]

Yes, it sounds like your drag clip is really weak. It's supposed to hold the #4 gear from turning or at least slow it down. It doesn't sound like yours is doing either. It's common for the clip to get weak and then for the starter to grind but your clip appears so weak that the starter won't even begin to engage. Follow the instructions here for a repair .....

http://650wiki.org/index.php/12.08._Electric_start_problem_fix

Yes, the clutch will need to come off to access that #4 gear assembly. Measure that large nut. Yamaha used different sizes on different years. I found a rather oddball 29mm nut on my '78. Of course, that was one of the few socket sizes I didn't have. I ended up shimming a 30mm socket down by inserting a piece of sheet metal in one side. You may be able to do the same with a slightly larger American socket if you have one. I've since changed my nut to a 27 or 28mm, something I do have a socket for.

 

[lovebill1951]

Had to wait for some money, some tools, some honey doo's. Got the clutch off and broke a piece of the clutch basket.
The problem was the #4 gear was worn off. Now I know where the steel on the oil magnets came from. Those picks are on my stuff somewhere.