Starter!

[OakBehringer]

Well, my starter is so close dead. I was hoping it would be a cable or the solenoid, but it barely moans with a jumper cable directly on a fully charged, brand new battery. Maybe a second of the slightest BRRRRMMMMMM.

Well, at least I was able to get it started for a short ride after a cruel Chicago winter.

OK. Back to the starter. I'm a wimpy 150lbs of a man, so it's something I like to have around. In going about replacing/repairing it, step one is obviously to pull it. Can that be done with the motor in the frame? After I get it out, what's step 2 in debugging it? Can I ride with the starter out, or am I stationary until I get it back in?

Thanks!
Adam

p.s. at work now, so I can't go out and check, and I want to get to fixing at 6pm sharp.

 

[5twins]

Yes, you can remove it with the engine in place but you need to drain the oil first. You can't run without it unless you install a block-off plate to fill the hole it was mounted into. Yes, the starter motor can be overhauled but I've never done one so am not familiar with the process. RG did his so maybe he'll chime in and walk you through it.

The bike will be laid up during the process so maybe you'll want to wait until you get more info and gather the needed parts before tearing into it.

 

[retiredgentleman]

There are 4 bolts holding the starter motor. Once you have it removed, you can test it again by connecting directly to the motor terminal. If it fails to run, its time to take it apart. There are 2 long bolts to remove as seen in my picture.

Be aware, those bolts are difficult to remove. If you rush you may strip the heads of the bolts. I would recommend you use a manual impact driver. Make sure the slots are clean, and make sure you use the correct impact driver bit, so that the bit goes fully into the slots.

My starter motor was working, but I took it apart as preventive maintenance to check for wear. I was pleasantly surprised to find that mine had very little wear after 17,000 kms on the bike. Hitachi electrical parts were very well made.

The brushes new length = 0.630", replace @ 0.280"
My brushes measured 0.587" and 0.600"

Commutator new diameter = 1.300", min diam. = 1.180"
My commutator was 1.292"

 

[5twins]

What should also be noted is that if you find oil inside it, replace that little seal in the nose. Many times, that's what causes the failure, oil getting in there and mucking up the parts.

 

[retiredgentleman]

Good point 5twins..................yeah there are 2 oil seals...............one fits into the engine casing and the other fits into the starter motor end bell for the shaft to exit.

 

[OakBehringer]

Thanks for all the replies - do all years have the same starter?

 

[retiredgentleman]

I'm not 100% sure, but I think they are all the same.

 

[OakBehringer]

If that's the case, I can just order a working one off eBay about $10 more than repairing my own... less down time.

 

[retiredgentleman]

If I were you, I would drain the oil and remove the starter motor before buying from ebay. You can connect power directly to the starter motor terminal to prove that is is good or bad. Then you know for sure where the problem is. Might just save you some money.

 

[OakBehringer]

I accidentally bought a set of carbs on eBay so, for financial reasons, I am going to be kickstarting for a month or two. Thanks for all the replies, I'll report when I'm back at it.

 

[tadd442]

accidentally SELL the carbs.....

 

[OakBehringer]

accidentally SELL the carbs.....

It's a linked set of BS38's - I've wanted a set for a while for the single cable throttle setup. I meant to do a Best Offer, accidentally clicked Buy it Now, then Confirmed, as I was distracted at the time. Oh well. They look like a really nice set, just cost a bit more than I wanted to spend.

Posted via Mobile

 

[tadd442]

It's a linked set of BS38's - I've wanted a set for a while for the single cable throttle setup. I meant to do a Best Offer, accidentally clicked Buy it Now, then Confirmed, as I was distracted at the time. Oh well. They look like a really nice set, just cost a bit more than I wanted to spend.

Posted via Mobile

at least it was something you wanted!

 

[XSLeo]

Are your jumper cables good? I have two sets of cables. A short cheap set where the wire from the cable is folded over and the clamp is just crimped around the cable end. A bit of corrosion and no power gets thru.
The other set is attached much better, carry lots of power. Pain to use they are 20 feet long. The cheap set is about 6 feet long. On the cheapies I cut the ends off, cut the insulation back, cleaned things up and soldered the wires to the clamps. Much better connections.
Check the cable connections on the starter and starter relay. A bit of corrosion and things won't work well.

 

[OakBehringer]

It could be as you suggest, but short circuited the relay with a breaker bar - same thing. After that I removed the starter -> relay cable and jammed it right onto the battery terminal - same thing. Then I tried the jumper cable -> same thing. It could still be a corrosion/connection problem, but I doubt it.

 

[Punkskalar]

If you are that hard up for a starter, let me know. I've got a pile of them sitting in a box around here somewhere...