Reading valve color

[nander]

LM,

Going back to that noise, I swear I heard it from the left side of the motor in the vicinity of the oil spinner. I was sitting on the bike, so my ear wasn't to the motor. However, at the time I kicked it over and had someone listen and they also seemed to think that the sound came from the area of the oil spinner.

As for the little sprocket on the starter motor itself, I can't turn it by hand. However, I can't turn the identical sprocket on the other starter motor I have either.

nander

[e3steve]

The gearing in the starter will make it difficult to turn the sprocket by hand. Try the motor on a 12V battery, but keep the final point of electrical contact AWAY FROM THE BATTERY BREATHER, as hydrogen may be present (highly explosive!); there will be a huge spark at that point and the motor will twist like a hooked salmon (if it works).

If the starter clutch had jammed up (which would have been gradual as the st-clutch screw self-extracted) and caused the starter to turn with the engine, then the noise would have been most apparent at the l/h end and easily mistaken for the oil filter location. The starter's brushes contact the commutator there and the starter motor would've been asked to spin much faster than it's designed to.

[jensen]

Hi,

Maybe another ridiculous and frivol remark (I mentioned this method before), Take a large screwdriver, place it firmly on the engine (on different places) en put your ear to the grip.

I have a stethoscope, it works, but you need a reference as a basis. (what part produces what noise and what is normal). As soon as your engine is running good (assuming this problem will be solved) I advice you to listen to the engine and try top determine what part makes what noise.

This way you can hear problems coming before there is damage.

Well, is this isn't an open door to make fun of the method, I don't know anymore, go ahead,

Jensen

[gramey7]

Jensen,
I don't think anyone can make fun of your screwdriver stethoscope. My father taught me that about 40 years ago and it does work. He also taught me to use book matches ( the "close cover before striking" kind) as a point gap gage.
George

[e3steve]

Oh, stop being so self-conscious, J-man! That's a tried and tested rattle-click-clunk-pinpointer that we were taught back in the '60s, and it's a great way to locate noises. Problem is, nander's motor has been torn down now, by the look of the photos......

When you use your stethoscope, do you wear a white coat and carry a pager in the pocket?

I'm teasing, I'm teasing!!!!

[e3steve]

The gearing in the starter will make it difficult to turn the sprocket by hand.

I pulled mine off today (starter motor, that is!) to titivate the commutator again (locked it in the horizontal drill-stand and dressed it with a file and then emery cloth, this time) because it still kept crapping out occasionally. There was a nasty burn mark across two segments which I managed to erase using this more forceful method -- I don't have a lathe(!).

Anyway, on with the reason for posting more words: to my surprise the little sprocket turns far easier than I remember it did. So I got that wrong, too! My spare starter -- a Kokusan (the one in use is a Denso) -- was impossible to turn by hand. Upon stripping it I found why: the gearbox was as dry as a nun's doo-dah (errr, armpit) and the armature had mild corrosion, enough to grow across onto one of the field coil's iron cores.

So, nander, you should be able to rotate the sprocket by hand after all. Sorry for misleading you.

[LOUD MOUSE]

Did I miss if ya tried to turn the sprocket on the """"""starter motor""""""""?
Use a punch near the edge of the screw a couple of spots. ...lm

Sorry for the delay. I didn't have the starter clutch close at hand. I went and checked it out this evening.

I confirmed that one of the starter clutch screws was backed out several millimeters, enough so that the countersunk head was fully exposed.

As I looked at that loose screw (and before reading the last couple of posts) I saw the punch marks in the screw heads and wondered if they came like that from the factory? If I understand correctly, those marks are the staking you are referring to Teazer, and that they are to be expected?

When I placed the sprocket back in the starter clutch I could see that it was forced into an off center rotation by the exposed screw. The sprocket still spun in one direction and locked in the opposite direction, which I assume is the normal way the little rollers provide a clutch action. However, I imagine it would have created a wobbling motion in that sprocket as it rotated. I didn't see any noticeable scoring indicating rubbing of that exposed screw on the sprocket as it spun. So, maybe it was held tight against the starter clutch but had an eccentric rotation?

Is this what got all bound up and locked the crank? If so, I don't remember the starter chain looking screwed up or out of place when I took the thing apart. I'll inspect that chain again.

And, what's the procedure for staking those screws back in place?

nander