Sheared starter cluch bolts

[Anonymous]

I sheared my three starter chuch bolts at the drag strip starting line. I put the bike back together and did it again when I took it out for my first test ride. I assembled it the way the factory service manual said, with thead lock. What am I doing wrong? Do I have to make some modifications, so I can ran the engine at red line. The bolts I used were grade 8. Should I get the bolts from suzuki. Has enyone else had this problem? :twisted:

Jason

[mcycle-nut]

Yes, it happened to me too, although I wasn't drag racing at the time. I was just coming to a stoplight and this high pitched squeal came from the motor. 8O Found out later it was my starter motor spinning over at a million miles an hour. 8O Once apart, I found the starter clutch had seized, and the bolts were sheared off. I had an other rotor and starter clutch assembly kicking around so I just replaced it. Just for yucks, I checked out the charging system, no charge! :? That was a head scratcher. Got on the horn to a friend of mine who's a motorcycle mechanic, and he asked me if the stator had the same # of magnets. Oh. I thought 2 valve GS rotors were the same. Not so young grasshopper! Pulled it apart and found it was different. Pulled the "new" starter clutch off and bolted her up to the old rotor, with the bolts that were there. No problems since. That was about three months ago. That has been the only time since I've built the bike (about 8 years ago) that it's seen the back of a pickup. 8)

[Anonymous]

My experience tells me bolts shear when they are too loose. In your case, they may be coming loose from stretched threads in the starter clutch itself. The Loctite you used could solve this problem. If not, try getting a new starter clutch. Just find someone on Ebay or here that's parting one out and ask them for the starter clutch. Most people will have no problem taking special orders of parts.

Tim

[Anonymous]

Yes you should get the Suzuki bolts. Unless you can get an exact equivalent. They are high tensile for a reason. Use a reaally good permanent locking fluid and tighten them as much as you can.

[kz]

I had a simular problem on my GS 1150 -84, one bolt was sheared and the other two where loose.

The reason for the shaered bolt was probably that all three bolts where loose.

I changed all three bolts (not Suzuki original) and mounted them with locktite permanent, and I have not had any trouble so far, approx 6000 km and two months since the replacement of the bolts.

P.S

The reson for me to check was a ratteling noice from the left side of the engine.