Electrical issue on 4th gen

There's a couple ways but neither work very well in a case where it fails hot (unless I suppose you heat it first in an oven). Both require removing the armature. The common one requires a resistance test. The better one requires some equipment usually only found in specialized electric motor shops.

The dynamic test that Shane did is probably the best indicator. That is the one where he probed the battery VDC while engaging the starter motor. When you see the voltage drop from 12.6 to less than 8, you can infer the only load capable of shorting to that extent without blowing the main fuse is the starter motor. Of course, a weak battery could give you that reading also. But in this case, Shane was using a new battery...and had just read over 14VDC charging output...which makes the cause being a weak battery very unlikely.

 

You certainly know your stuff dizzy
Cheers

 

I am off to pick up a secondhand starter motor unit tomorrow and will let you all know what the results are from exchanging starter motors.

Hopefully the saga will be finished

 

Just a thought and this may be completley off topic but its not the sprag (?) clutch on the starter gear train is it?

ie wrr wrr when it won't engage and click click when its trying too but fails??

Mine has aberations sometimes, usually when its hot and won't engage the starter to the engine and I've read on here of nasty noises as well.

Check here

http://vfrworld.com/forums/mechanics-garage/22135-starter-clutch-repair-vfr750-pictures.html

 

Interesting you say that as when I removed the engine casing to remove the starter motor look at what I spotted, 2 cracks in the starter clutch, bugger more work.

 

Well today the saga continues:dizzy:

I picked up a secondhand starter motor and managed to get a new starter outer case which was cracked for the starter clutch.

The interesting thing is when I looked at it at Honda it is slightly different to the old one

If you look closely you will see that the old casing has many raised pieces around it's outside edge and they are evenly spaced, I presume for the pulse generator?

The new part only has two raised pieces and they are on opposite sides of the outer casing.

Once I had fitted the new outer casing to the starter clutch and reassembled everything, refilled the oil etc and connected the battery, the moment of truth was when I went to start the bike.

Engine turning over under starter, no problem.
Yes there is the bloody thing wont fire.
Next step, dump oil and remove engine case, remove starter clutch and refit old outer casing.
Reassemble and refill oil AGAIN and hit the starter, fired first time, I am thinking the new item cannot generate the same spark? to fire the bike.

Rang Honda and the part is not a superceded item and is apparantly the same part for 87-97 VFR's.

They are going to see if they have any in stock like my old one(with the raised pieces all the way around)

I'm not keen to leave the old cracked outer in there for too long as I am sure that will lead to more problems.