79 gs1000 starter

[disciplex666]

Ok got the bike all wired up now. The starter spins but doesn't engage the engine. Any ideas? I pulled the starter and could feel teeth on the gear between the two.

[tkent02]

Starter clutch?

[disciplex666]

What do you mean?

[tkent02]

There's a clutch which makes the starter turn the crank when it is spinning, but lets the engine spin freely when the engine is running. It's just a simple mechanism that slips when turned one way, but catches when spun the other way. It's on the left end of the crank, behind the rotor.

There a a few different ways they can fail, then the starter just spins without turning the engine.

[disciplex666]

Ah I see. I spun the gear and it went one way freely and stopped the other. Of course I don't have enough torque in my fingers as the starter.

[spchips]

Did you rebuild the starter?? You can put it together exactly backwards so it spins in the freewheeling direction.

Otherwise it could be the starter clutch like mentioned earlier, although that makes a much nastier sound than just free spinning. You could try starting the bike with the plugs pulled, to see if it engages. This would prove it's the clutch.

[disciplex666]

no i didnt rebuild it. it just free wheels. the clutch is in there. ive never had the side cover off. does the armeture in the starter move to engage the clutch? it seems like thats what its doing is the armeture isnt moving and engaging the clutch.

[tkent02]

no movement, it just spins, which engages the clutch.