bike took a crap

i started up my bike the other day and the starter just turned freely. i tried to start it a couple different times and the last time it made a horrible grinding sound. i knew that wasnt good so i pushed it in the basement untill i had time and parts to work on it. well so far i drained out all the oil and took the starter out, nothing wrong there. i hooked up the starter and touched it to the frame to test it out and it spun just like it should. there were a lot of metal shards in the oil. i looked at the gear the starter touches and that was fine. what do you think it is? and should i bother trying to fix it or just take it to the shop? i had all the bolts for the sidecase out and was going to take it off but it was being stubborn and instead of messing something up worse i figured id post first.

if its gonna cost more than about $500 contact me for parts.

 

bike's worthless....ship it to me, I'll dispose of it.......






sorry dude, that sucks! sounds like you need to just take it in for an estimate at least....

btw, if you end up parting it out.....there's 2 guys in this thread that might want to buy some of your parts!
http://vfrworld.com/forums/first-second-generation-1983-1989/11041-hey-new-vfr-owner-here.html

 

Sounds like a worn out starter clutch. Parts can be pricey, but it's very fixable.

 

it does sound like the starter clutch. however, it's not expensive to fix. I payed 40 for a used starter clutch assembly off of amazon.com. it works perfect now.

okay, the starter works. how are the teeth on the starter?

take off the left crankcase, there will be a gear that connects the starter to the starter clutch. check the teeth in this reduction gear.

next, get the starter clutch assembly off. honda recommends using some special tool to keep the gears from turning when you try to torque off the bolt holding on the starter clutch. just put two pennies in between the gears to stop rotation. Usually two things go wrong with a starter clutch that will make it make that grinding noise.
1. the springs inside the clutch have lost their springiness. new ones are 2 bucks each.
2. the actual starter clutch (the plate where the springs, caps, and rollers fit) is cracked. sometimes it cracks so evenly that it looks like it came that way. even though it is cracked, the clutch will still stay together, so don't let this fool you.

also, there are 3 bolts holding on the cover of the starter clutch assembly. they have locktite on them and need to be unscrewed a little bit while they are still on the bike so you can get the torque to get them off.

don't take it to the dealer or shop. you can do this. you will need a torque wrench and a socket set.

good luck.

 

thanks for the info. the teeth on the starter are fine. i was going to take off the side case but it wouldnt pull off easily. how do i take it off without taking a hammer to it?

 

Try to get a starter clutch assy from a motorcycle junkyard (if there is one in your area). That way you'll know exactly what you're looking for on your bike. As far as the cover goes, a little, LIGHT tapping with a rubber mallet or a plastic "dead blow" hammer should break the gasket loose. Take your time and don't try to force it. Avoid using a screwdriver to pry it apart. If that doesn't work, a swift blow from a 16 pound sledge hammer should do the trick, however, reassembly will be difficult at best.:smash:

 

okay, once you got the starter off, take all the bolts off that hold the right crankcase on. notice that two of the bolts are longer than the others. remember where you took the starter out? put a screwdriver or better yet, an extension through the hole until it comes into contact with the inside of the crankcase cover. gently tap it until that side starts to come out. then wiggle the other side out. don't lose the two dowel pins.

btw, you'll need a new crankcase gasket from honda (20 bucks). start scraping off the old gasket. get it as clean as you can b/c you don't want a leak once you're all done.

good luck. keep us posted.

 

i wasnt really looking but i dont think 2 bolts were longer than the others :shocked: i screwed them partway back in so i didnt lose them (or the cats playing with them) when i take them back out, where do the 2 long ones go? i gotta go to class now but when i get home ill take a look and try to get this crankcase off.

 

The two longer bolts should go where the dowell pins are.

 

ok, so i tried to tap out the crank case cover with a screw driver....didnt work. first i tried gently then i went pretty forcibly. i double checked all the bolts are out and i cant see why this thing wont come off.

 

remind yourself that there's a good chance that this case has never been off in its 20 years of life. maybe use something with a less fine point. that way, you'll have more material touching the inside of the case. my fear is that if you use a really sharp fine screwdriver, you're going to dent the case from the inside and possibly put a hole.

it'll come off, it's just stubborn.

 

i asked the local motorcycle shop guy how much it would cost to fix and he said about $200. is it worth it to let him do it and not screw anything up?

 

first off, you don't know if it's going to be 200. if only the springs are stretched, yeah, probably about 200. if the clutch is cracked, then count on 4-5.

your call, man. i personally won't take my bike to a shop. they want too much and there are too many resources out here to not do it yourself. once you get that casing off, you're halfway done.

i'd say at least get the case off and figure out what is wrong with your bike.
good luck.

 

I mostly do my own work, but there's something to be said for having an experienced mechanic fix it right the first time. You could save yourself a headache by having a shop do things you don't quite know how to do. It all depends on how much you trust them. If it's a good shop, take it in and let them do it. Check with other riders in the area to see if they are happy with the service the dealer gives (or sells). :biggrin:

 

A few wacks with a rubber mallet around the cover, you will here the sound change as the cover breaks loose from the gasket seal.

 

Go to your local Auto parts store and get a can of PB Blaster. I have seen this penitration fluid loosen solid rusted exhaust bolts. I've even spayed it into the spark plug holes of locked up motor and it's broken it loose. If you need something loosened wether nut, bolt or parts, this stuff is the heat. It might just fall off with this stuff. Good luck

 

i took my bike to the shop and got an estimate the other day. he said there was a spring that needed to be replaced somewhere and that was all. however i need a new clutch too so he said my bill is gonna be $300 at most. oh well. ill be happy to have my bike again

 

How did everything go?

 

everything turned out great. i got my bike back the other day. nothing in the starter assembly was bad, it just needed a new spring in the centripetal clutch thing for the starter. other than that, it did need a new clutch. total bill was $357. my bike is way more responsive with the new clutch and im happy with it.