Starter clutch

[Craig54]

GS 1000g

Bolt out
Rotor off
Rollers pins and springs ordered.

What are these pimples on the outside of the starter clutch housing??

Any comments

[Suzuki mad]

Thats where the springs and pins are starting to punch there way through the starter clutch!

In a while it will fail and you are going to have to replace the whole starter clutch unit. Probably best to repalce the whole thing now rather than just replace the springs and pins.

Suzuki mad

[Matchless]

You will see that the outer part of the starter clutch is a sheetmetal cover that is starting to show those "pimples" you noticed. These are at the backend of the journal that takes the springs, pins and rollers.
The manufacturer fitted another locating pin from the back before shrinking the sheetmetal around it. This locating pin is about 1/2" long with an oil journal through it and a small pip on the front that locates the spring.
The back is cut of flat and has the hole for the oil journal in it.
These pins are located in a wider chamber than the springs and pins and can only be removed towards the back if the sheetmetal shroud is taken off.
There is a design error here, as the backend of the locating pin is held in place at an angle with only one of the sharp edges touching the sheetmetal shroud. Over time the vibration, centrifugal force, backfires, expansion/contraction etc will cause the pin to start punching a hole in the sheetmetal and finally you will find a little round bit bent right out and the pins and springs will shoot out the back and land in your rotor and maybe get ground up while mangling the stator and even cracking the magnets.

I had mine rebuild by a engineering shop and they inserted angled backstops with an oil journal and welded up the punched out bits. Whether that will last longer, only time will tell

[Suzuki_Don]

You will see that the outer part of the starter clutch is a sheetmetal cover that is starting to show those "pimples" you noticed. These are at the backend of the journal that takes the springs, pins and rollers.
The manufacturer fitted another locating pin from the back before shrinking the sheetmetal around it. This locating pin is about 1/2" long with an oil journal through it and a small pip on the front that locates the spring.
The back is cut of flat and has the hole for the oil journal in it.
These pins are located in a wider chamber than the springs and pins and can only be removed towards the back if the sheetmetal shroud is taken off.
There is a design error here, as the backend of the locating pin is held in place at an angle with only one of the sharp edges touching the sheetmetal shroud. Over time the vibration, centrifugal force, backfires, expansion/contraction etc will cause the pin to start punching a hole in the sheetmetal and finally you will find a little round bit bent right out and the pins and springs will shoot out the back and land in your rotor and maybe get ground up while mangling the stator and even cracking the magnets.

I had mine rebuild by a engineering shop and they inserted angled backstops with an oil journal and welded up the punched out bits. Whether that will last longer, only time will tell

Hey Andre great response. Some good technical knowledge here from personal experience. Nothing better. It will help us all. Cheers. Don.

[Matchless]

Don, thanks, I thought I might as well give the full monty so that anyone can decide on their next step.

Again thanks for the copy of "Vintage Crankpin" I have it on display here and the family has also read it to see what you guys are up to over in Oz. The rider test moving up from 80 to 85 was quite an interesting topic. Here we have to renew every 5 years and a special eye test is mostly the deciding factor.

Keep well

[Suzuki_Don]

Don, thanks, I thought I might as well give the full monty so that anyone can decide on their next step.

Again thanks for the copy of "Vintage Crankpin" I have it on display here and the family has also read it to see what you guys are up to over in Oz. The rider test moving up from 80 to 85 was quite an interesting topic. Here we have to renew every 5 years and a special eye test is mostly the deciding factor.

Keep well

Thanks Andre. Glad you enjoyed it. Just shows a bit of what our "little" club gets up to. A lot of the guys commented on your article that I reprinted in the magazine (I am the editor). Even the "old" Trumpys have voltage loss at the coils. Could even be worse than the Suzukis we ride.

No such dramas on my Norton. With a maggy I dont even need a battery and as we only ride in daylight hours my battery only gets charged once a year when rego is due.

On the current issue I made up a puller since we last coeesponded and managed to get the rotor off my crank. The PO had Loctited the taper. No wonder it would not let go. I don't know if I should patent the puller design or not. Tell me what you think. When the rotor came off (in a hurry) the three rollers and three short pieces that I think sit on the springs fell out. Not sure how it goes back together again. Can anyone tell me how they go back together. Does the end of the tubey things actually bear on the curved surface of the roller.
Cheers. Don.

P.S. Do you like my Slide hammer

[Matchless]

Don, I odered my starter clutch repair kit from www.shop.wemoto.com in the UK. They have quite a selection of starter clutch kits.
If I recall correctly the one side of the little tube is hollow and takes the spring, the other has a slight taper and an oil hole in the centre, this side pushes against the heavy round side of the rollers. They need to push smoothly back into the journal.

Well... That is definitely a slide "hammer". The large bolt looks like an old telephone pole one?
I see you used a bolt into the centre. I have a bolt of the same thread that I just turn in and it pushes the rotor out as it pushes against the crank. A small copper coin inside the hole stops the crank from being marked. Obviously I still have a wooden handle on my hammer!
I would suggest getting it patented as soon as possible!

[Suzuki_Don]

Don, I odered my starter clutch repair kit from www.shop.wemoto.com in the UK. They have quite a selection of starter clutch kits.
If I recall correctly the one side of the little tube is hollow and takes the spring, the other has a slight taper and an oil hole in the centre, this side pushes against the heavy round side of the rollers. They need to push smoothly back into the journal.

Well... That is definitely a slide "hammer". The large bolt looks like an old telephone pole one?
I see you used a bolt into the centre. I have a bolt of the same thread that I just turn in and it pushes the rotor out as it pushes against the crank. A small copper coin inside the hole stops the crank from being marked. Obviously I still have a wooden handle on my hammer!
I would suggest getting it patented as soon as possible!

You think there's some money to be made there then.

[Suzuki_Don]

When refitting the tube thingos that the spring fits inside is there a particular way they fit to mate with the large roller. If they are angled on one end as I believe they might be. Or do they find their own placement when put back together.. they actually look flat on the ends to me.

[Matchless]

Don,
The ends are flat as you noticed but the journals run at an angle to keep the rollers at the right angle to the pins. Just slide them in position and you should see it quite clearly. I am assuming you have the S/C off the rotor and looking from the rotor side.

I think there may be some money in marketing your double duty hammer slide. Put it on ebay and see how high the bids go! If no-one bids just assume that the high shipping may be a put off!
I saw a method slightly different to yours, a chap welded a length of chain to the bolt, put a heavy crowbar through the end and just swung it and when it jerked tight he pulled out the complete rear axle on a Ford LDV and replaced rear axle bearings on both sides within a few minutes.

[Suzuki_Don]

Don,
The ends are flat as you noticed but the journals run at an angle to keep the rollers at the right angle to the pins. Just slide them in position and you should see it quite clearly. I am assuming you have the S/C off the rotor and looking from the rotor side.

I think there may be some money in marketing your double duty hammer slide. Put it on ebay and see how high the bids go! If no-one bids just assume that the high shipping may be a put off!
I saw a method slightly different to yours, a chap welded a length of chain to the bolt, put a heavy crowbar through the end and just swung it and when it jerked tight he pulled out the complete rear axle on a Ford LDV and replaced rear axle bearings on both sides within a few minutes.

Yes I think I have got it worked out. With the three hex headed bolts that hold the S/C to the rotor what type of loctite would you use for those. And the long bolt is actually from an electricity pole, it holds the cross arm on that supports the insulators. You have a keen eye. My father worked for years for the electricty commission and I worked for Telecom, the main telecommunications company in Oz for many years. Spent half my life hanging off poles. Cheers.