Kickstarter not engaging unusual circumstances.

LeisureMaster

LeisureMaster

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Hey guys, I've been following this page for some time now and without fail has helped me every time!
I have a bit of an issue..
I have a 1974 TX650a, I recently pulled the top end apart due to a crack under the cam shaft which resulted in a litres of oil pissing out all over me on a hot day driving down the highway. Wooohoo.
Everything is back together and my timing is reletively correct, today the bike started second kick. ran for about 2 minutes then ran out of fuel due to me feeding it externally without the tank.
Went to kickstart it again and now the kicker is not engaging but rather letting me kick it down without resistance and then returns back to its normal position.
I can hear the compression sucking from the carbs and blowing out the exhaust so I don't think its a compression issue. I have completely loosened the clutch and and the worm gear screw so that can't be the issue.
Im all out of ideas, hopefully someone can help!

Thanks.
 
You say you don't feel resistance, yet you hear the carbs and exhaust which would mean the engine is turning and you should feel resistance. Take a plug out and put a stick in the hole and kick it slowly and watch what the stick does. Someplace to start... Why not just take the right cover off and see what's going on...
 
It's bizarre as there is compression but I can literally push the kicker down with my hand with ease.
I'll pull the side cover off tomorrow and see whats going on, I'm just unsure as to why the kicker fine before it ran.
Maybe the the kicker spring has come loose.
 
The pistons are definitely in there, the bike just started and idles for a few minutes before this issue started, I thought it could be the clutch rod but I have the single long rod, so I don't think that could be giving me grief.
 
put it second or 3rd gear roll the bike with clutch in, then let out clutch (bump start) what happens?
 
Sounds like the cam chain either broke or isn't on...pistons move, but the top end isn't engaged...thus, no resistance...at least that's my initial thought.
 
Sorry for the late reply everyone, I’ve pulled off the clutch cover and nothing seems so be catching, the kick start is in the right place I have reassembled the clutch rod, I’m just about to fill her back up with oil, so I’ll try bump starting if she doesn’t start now.
Is there anyway to know if I’ve broke my cam chain without pulling the head off?
Thanks for all the knowledge
 
Tappets go up and down, but as I just adjusted the tappets and kickstarted I heard the cam chain squeal so I think your on the money brassneck!
But what would have caused the cam chain to break?
The cam adjustment being to tight?
 
If the cam chain was broken, I doubt you could spin the motor over more than a few revolutions before the broken chain jammed things up and stopped the rotation. And besides, with a broken chain, the valves wouldn't open and close while turning the crank. The chain connects the crank to the cam and the cam is what opens and closes the valves.
 
Hmmm...now things are getting interesting in a very odd sort of way...my money was on the fact that the cam was probably not spinning, which gave you very little resistance when kicking the bike over. And as 5T said, the tappets moving means your cam chain is on there, otherwise the cam wouldn't rotate moving the tappets up/down.

But now you have a squealing cam chain... and more importantly, still don't have any resistance. So thinking this through on a very basic level... Essentially the cause of the resistance you feel when kicking the bike over is a combination of things...the pistons (there's some drag but moreover the pressure build up is quite high), as well as the cam's lobes rotating and forcing the tappets to press valves open. The valve's heavy springs fight their compression and force the valve closed as quickly as possible.

If loss of compression... my thoughts would be around somehow all the air pressure building up is being lost: stuck open valves?, spark plugs loose?, loose head? blown head gasket?

Squealing cam chain makes me wonder though--and since we don't know what all was done with your top-end rebuild, perhaps something wasn't assembled correctly? Could the cam chain have jumped it's sprocket but is still able to spin the cam (squealing sound)? Don't think so...but maybe?

Or...maybe we're back to the kickstarter itself... If you set the bike on the centerstand...can you put the bike in 1st gear, and can you roll the back tire by hand--or does it lock up like it should?

Sorry, I'm just pulling ideas from the air...don't think I'm helping much.
 
Just pulled the engine and took off the top and chain is fine but when I rotate it I get a clicking sound as I rotate the engine.
In first the bike would spin the back tire.
So maybe a compression problem but I doubt it so I’ll do a compression test over the next few days I’ll buy a kit.
 
I think it’s a head gasket issue as everything was firing as it should pistons are moving, tappets are moving as they should.
Timing is correct (as correct as I got it while still working on it, fine tuning will come later).
So it must be a compression issue I’ll buy a new gasket kit and let you all know how I go.
Mind you I’m getting considerably faster st pulling and putting everything back together.
First Xs so still moving at snail pace.
 
I suppose it's possible for the kicker to have stripped it's teeth...like if it were engaged when the engine was running? But then you'd definitely know and hear that when it happened.

Good luck...post up pics or a video of the action and perhaps there's something noticeable when rotating the engine.
 

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