kickstarter mechanism problems

[lopejd01]

I removed my clutch cover to do some polishing and now I'm having trouble with getting the kick starter mechanism back into place. I followed this thread : http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=772

But I'm not sure if It's in right. When the lever is pressed down, are the gears from the kicker and the clutch basket supposed to interlock completely? When I press down on the lever the kicker gear rotates into the gear on the clutch basket but only about 1/4 or 1/2 of each teeth interlock. I tested it by trying to kick the bike and the gears on the clutch basket do turn but It's very hard to kick it. Is this because I don't have the case cover on or could it be because I dont have the clutch cable hooked up- I have the left case cover removed too.

Or is the kicker mechanism just not installed properly?

 

[Firerunner]

IIRC (mind you, it has been a couple of years since I was dealing with this last), the gears intermesh fully, but it never "kicked" right with the side cover off. The side cover does offer some support to the shaft, and helps keep the assembly from binding as a result of too much vertical movement off axis.

 

[5twins]

Did the kick shaft come out of the case when you pulled the side cover off? If so then you lost the preload on the return spring and the "stop" boss on the bottom of the shaft came out of it's recessed area in the case. Follow the install instructions in the factory shop manual. They're pretty simple and easy to follow. That thread you referenced has almost too much info and is a bit confusing. And after all that, it still doesn't explain the install in the simple manner like the shop manual does. There's no need for zip ties and all that other happy horse shit.

 

[lopejd01]

IIRC (mind you, it has been a couple of years since I was dealing with this last), the gears intermesh fully, but it never "kicked" right with the side cover off. The side cover does offer some support to the shaft, and helps keep the assembly from binding as a result of too much vertical movement off axis.

So does that mean that the teeth should mesh completly before I put the case back on or will they ended that way after it's on? I just don't want to get the case back on and have to take it back off, ruin another gasket and have to replace the oil again.

Did the kick shaft come out of the case when you pulled the side cover off? If so then you lost the preload on the return spring and the "stop" boss on the bottom of the shaft came out of it's recessed area in the case. Follow the install instructions in the factory shop manual. They're pretty simple and easy to follow. That thread you referenced has almost too much info and is a bit confusing. And after all that, it still doesn't explain the install in the simple manner like the shop manual does. There's no need for zip ties and all that other happy horse shit.

Thanks, I don't have a shop manual but I thought I remember seeing a pdf somewhere online.
When the case came off, the shaft came loose, I think the stopper had just came out of the recessed area but I didnt know that and pulled it out trying to figure out what happened. I thought I'd got it back in right because the stopper locks where it should and the lever cranks the gears together and returns like it should but I felt like the teeth on the gears should inter mesh better and the kicker was tough turning the gears and locking up. I'll see if I can find that PDF