Another starter clutch Question

[Guest]

Ive (again) started experiencing the starter clutch "clunk", it grabs pretty bad when the engine is hot.
I searched the site and found some info, who and how do they weld them??
Does this eliminate the clunk, I assumed the clunk was the rollers grabbing the crank and the crank speed just speeds up enough to disengage and then the crank stops or slows and the clutch "grabs" and wham-o big clunk!.

Please enlighten me to the whys and hows and how to fix properly.

I blew one years ago and now it sounds like I'll blow another. When I had it fixed the guy who fixed it put bigger hardened bolts in and it seemed to help, until now.

If anyone can explain why this happens, I am trying to understand the problem. I won't get around to disassembly until winter and once Im in it I would like to fix it right.
Or is this something that will happens as the part wears?
I have never checked my compression, I have 10.5 to 1 Wisecos (1260 kit) and my head has been milled way too much because of a botched surfacing so my compression in theory could be fairly high. I assume this could be a factor especially once it heats up.

Any thoughts would be apperciated.

[Joe H]

Ok I searched the site and I think Ive read allot on this issue.
I did the kill switch mod this morning, went for a 30 mile blast around country side, great ride, got some gas, did a couple of kills at restarts, works much better but it still has a small clunk even with the coils killed. It is MUCH less than before and the bike fires right up when I hit the kill switch to on.

Got home and decided to check if the battery was/is being charged properly and found it charges at 13.7 no matter what rpm Im at once over 2500rpm.
Ill search the site for info on that too.

Anyway it seems I will be checking out the starter clutch soon….
Ill keep reading and searching the site, its freaking BIG, there is a ton of info here, Great site, great posts, Thanks

[Brendan W]

Mine was so noisy I bought parts in anticipation of the inevitable rebuild. I have done three things which have almost made it go away.
Cleaned all terminals and connections to and from the starter relay, starter motor and the motor brushes and commutator.
Made sure full ,voltage was getting to the coils.
Made sure that battery was fully charged.
Most times it starts on the first compression.

[Joe H]

I too have some rewire clean up to do, and hoping it will help. Im glad you posted this it gives me some hope that once I go through electrical it will help to cure the problem.
I do have some problem electrically and it may be affecting the whole system. It was so good for so many years and now it is clanking again which i guess with these old bikes isn't unusual.

[blowerbike]

i will lean towards rapidrays recommendation on this one.
remove your SC assembly and get it in good health...parts and what knot.
than assemble and have it welded in a couple (three) i think spots.
no more damaged or broken bolts and the unit will be as one piece.
hopefully you have an 83 and up crank because i have seen to many small taper cranks twist off at the main bearing.
pulling timing out helps aka dyna 2000.

[Joe H]

I should have mentioned that it is a 84 1150, with a dyna 2000…….
According to my notes the dyna set at 32 deg and Im on the number 4 setting, which again according to my 15 year old notes, means it starts at apron 7 deg advanced. I checked it all out 3 years ago when I went to the 1260 kit and had the valves/valve springs redone. I had at that time a broken valve spring, and everything seemed ok but I never puled the rotor or starter clutch just looked in and saw nothing unusual.
I haven't had any problems like this for YEARS, thats one reason Im puzzled. WHY NOW??? 1260 kit? more compresion? ?????? I don't know.
And until I investigate I won't know, but I now have a plan and hopefully with the kill switch mod it will get me throughout the next month or so. I only ride for pleasure nowadays so 100 miles a week is allot for me at this stage of my life, and it only does it when its hot.
If i start it, ride it and let it cool 20 min or so before I start it again it doesn't happen at all (for now).

[stetracer]

When you set the timing at 32* did you lock the advancer all the way open and are you using high test gas?

[bellucci]

I have to replace the gasket on my stator. I will try and remember to take a picture of where I welded it... It makes things a lot quieter. And no broken bolts. It will still clank onece in a while, but the starter mod helps also...
Curt

[Joe H]

When you set the timing at 32* did you lock the advancer all the way open and are you using high test gas?

You will have to forgive me but I don't know… I know the dyna 2000 has changed a bit over time but my ignition rotor is marked and can be adjusted but has no "lock" just bolts to tight when you set it. I set it between 34 and 32 deg and according to my deg wheel when I checked it way back when it was very near 32-33deg.
I will get a slight pinging if I use the low octane with ethanol at the station by my house BUT get none when I fill up with premium no ethanol in the next town over, so thats where I mainly go. If I have to put regular gas in its ok just don't whack it open to hard or switch to curve 3 or 5 ( I think id have to check my notes) When I had it dynoed curve 4 produced a nice curve and little to no pinging on the road with good gas so thats what I do.
I don't know if ethanol has anything to do with it or not just an observation.

[stetracer]

You will have to forgive me but I don't know… I know the dyna 2000 has changed a bit over time but my ignition rotor is marked and can be adjusted but has no "lock" just bolts to tight when you set it. I set it between 34 and 32 deg and according to my deg wheel when I checked it way back when it was very near 32-33deg.
I will get a slight pinging if I use the low octane with ethanol at the station by my house BUT get none when I fill up with premium no ethanol in the next town over, so thats where I mainly go. If I have to put regular gas in its ok just don't whack it open to hard or switch to curve 3 or 5 ( I think id have to check my notes) When I had it dynoed curve 4 produced a nice curve and little to no pinging on the road with good gas so thats what I do.
I don't know if ethanol has anything to do with it or not just an observation.

Is the centrifugal advancer still installed on the bike? If so you need to reset the timing at 34* with the advancer locked open. You can lock it open with a extra washer on the top of the ignition rotor and you need to set it on #3 advance curve. Only run High test in your motor.

[Joe H]

Now you made me look at my notes.. and it's all coming back to me!
I thought all the 1150 came with solid state ignitions. I never had mechanical advance.
i started out on #2 best power curve but pinging went to # 3 no pinging lost a good bit in the middle of the curve (torque)
did the calculations and figured why not try #4 how would it know what bike it's on 2 valve or 4. And got an ok curve no pinging and the added bonus of only 7 deg at start figured it would help the starter clutch!

do you think it might be bad??? I mean I was just doing my own thing and that has led me into disaster before.
i have been running it like this since about '07

[stetracer]

It has been so long since I have messed with a stock ign. I had forgotten. No the Dyna doesn't know what bike it on if it worked best on #4 then use #4. Is there a chance it moved a little on ya? Or like you said maybe the Dyna is not retarding correctly any more.
Do you have slotted cam sprockets for degreeing the cams Maybe they moved slightly

[Joe H]

Ohhhh, never thought of cam timing.. I sure hope it didn't slip
I wonder how you go about testing a dyna unit for advance.
i put the 1260 kit in about 3 years ago and set my cam timing and ignition with my deg wheel then. I checked the ignition rotor marks last fall when I did a valve adjustment they were good then and it's running great.
i only have a couple thousand miles on the 1260 kit
I'll have to check it all this winter.

[bellucci]

Pics of welded starter clutch.
Curt

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz13/nsxwish/Starterclutch005.jpg

http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz13/nsxwish/Starterclutch006.jpg

[Joe H]

[QUOTE=bellucci;2097840]Pics of welded starter clutch.
Curt

Thanks!