Starter was fine... Now A Slow Whirr...

[phaeton]

It seems I'm having troubles with my starter or something in the circuit. I was starting my bike, and it turned over (the starter that is) once or twice fine and all of a sudden the lights all dimmed and the starter was making this "ggrrrrrr whirrrrrrrr grrrrrrrrrrr" (imagine the regular starter noise slowed down 100x). I immediately stopped try to start it, I turned it off, back on, tested for half a sec, same noise.

I went to check the terminals on my batteries, and I burned myself! The wires were extremely hot, and only from 2-3 seconds max starting time.

At this point I gave up trying to start it using the starter since I was already late, and it push started no problemo.

It's late and I can't check until tomorrow morning, but does anyone know what could be the problem? Could it (hopefully) just be a short circuit somewhere? Maybe the relay is shorting out? If it is the starter, what is the chance that its just dirty and needs cleaning?

Thanks very much for any help!

(I searched but found no problems that sounded like mine, nor does my Clymer manual address the issue)

[SqDancerLynn1]

Time for a starter rebuild

http://www.stockers.com/NEWSS5.htm

[rkubik]

loose magnet

I had a similar event, and found that one of the magnets in the starter had come loose from the housing and jammed the armature. Epoxied it back in place and it works.

Now if I could only get the carbs sorted....

[BriTXbike]

I agree with Sqaure time for a Starter rebuild and Stockers.com is the way to go

[phaeton]

Well I took out the starter, put it straight on the battery, didn't really spin. Took it apart, cleaned it out, especially the piece where the brushes make contact (there is lots of brush left), but it back together, runs like new!

Thanks guys!

[BriTXbike]

It's always nice to find a solution that was easier and less exspensive then you thought it might be.

[phaeton]

Oh man, its doing it again!

Just this morning, tried it out, slow grinding like spin, battery terminals heat up.

Does anyone know what this could be?

The starter was just out, completely disassembled, properly inserted, everything was cleaned, it worked like a champ after reassembly, worked fine yesterday, I wake up this morning and bam, doesn't work again.

Could it have anything to do with moisture? I'm slowly getting aggravated at this, right during my exam time

Is there anything that could be happening with the starter clutch assembly? I know its only two gears (or one gear with two sets of teeth), but could that be slipping and causing the starter to "jam" or something? It is not the stock starter, looks like it has been replaced by someone, it was in great condition other than some fine black dust...

Thanks for any help guys!

[BriTXbike]

Honestly I would still get a rebuilt at this point. If it's not spinning like crazy when you tap it right from the battery then it's on it's way out.

[phaeton]

Well see, last time we took it out (god I hate the carbeurator removal/installation), tapped terminals to a battery. Slow spin. Took it apart, put it back together, fast spin like crazy, put it in the bike, started probably 10 or 12 times no problem, this morning, slow grind.

The only reason that a rebuild would suck at the moment for me is my motorcycle is my only method of transportation

[Planecrazy]

Do you have a two brush starter or a four brush unit?

On my four brush starter I discovered that there is a design flaw in the way the brush springs are shaped (right where they contact the back of the brushes) that causes them to "catch" on the brush guides and the result is that the brushes are no longer being pressed against the armature properly. On my bike it had been that way so long that the brushes had disintigrated... If yours still look good you can try what I did:

take a needlenose pliers and very carefully twist the spring ends around so that the edge no longer "catches" on the brush guides. On my starter it was so obvious that the guides actually had grooves ground into them -- if this is your problem you'll know exactly what I mean. By "rolling" the ends back you'll notice that the springs can travel much farther into the guides, and provide proper pressure to the brushes.

The reason your starter is spinning so slowly is that one or more brushes is failing to make contact, and the other brushes are are being forced to do more work (thus the heating up of your wires, etc.).

Hope this is helpful!

Steve 8)

[phaeton]

OK, got the starter out, took it to the shop, the guy said that the bushings are worn, and the rotor is making contact with the magnet and thats the short right there.

Stockers is far from me and don't have the money really to get the rebuild kit, so I'm going to manufacture new bushings if I cannot find equivalents from some industrial suppliers... earliest that will happen is mid next week :/ Oh well, its push start for now

Thanks for the help guys.

[Tarbash 27]

I THINK IM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM ON MY 79 750. IT CRANKS, CRANKS, STOPS, CRANKS STOPS. NEVER GOES CONSISTENTLY. SOME TIMES IT GOES SLOW, THAN ALL OF A SUDDEN CRANKS FAST. EVEN IF IT DOES DIE, I GOT A KICKSTART

[Planecrazy]

EVEN IF IT DOES DIE, I GOT A KICKSTART

You lucky devil!!

Steve 8)

[Giblet]

Its a pandemic! Exact same symptoms. It push starts easily (like a loaded dump truck) and runs fine otherwise. Looking at stockers.com. It appears by looking at my (GS1100GK) parts fische that I probably have a 2 brush starter. I'm probably just going to order a rebuilt since some of the teeth on my armature are missing part of the tips.

[BriTXbike]

OK, got the starter out, took it to the shop, the guy said that the bushings are worn, and the rotor is making contact with the magnet and thats the short right there.

Stockers is far from me and don't have the money really to get the rebuild kit, so I'm going to manufacture new bushings if I cannot find equivalents from some industrial suppliers... earliest that will happen is mid next week :/ Oh well, its push start for now

Thanks for the help guys.

You get'er fixed up yet?