Kettle Clinic

My Suzuki Gt550 starter motor is struggling to engage most the time, iv been told it could be the starter clutch, can I get any advice on what kind of job this is to repair, thanks Ray

Hello, who are you?

Alan H wrote:Hello, who are you?

Hi my names Ray Lindsay, I own 3 Suzuki Gts 380 550 and 750......im hoping to get advice on my GT 550 and also to get involved with this site, never really used forums before so trying to learn my way round.....its an age thing...lol.....I have starter clutch problems I feel with the 550

raymondlindsay wrote:

Alan H wrote:Hello, who are you?

Hi my names Ray Lindsay, I own 3 Suzuki Gts 380 550 and 750......im hoping to get advice on my GT 550 and also to get involved with this site, never really used forums before so trying to learn my way round.....its an age thing...lol.....I have starter clutch problems I feel with the 550

Hi Ray

Welcome to the forum
Alan H has quite a few 550's so he, plus a few others on the forums will be able to help out, it's just good to have a short intro, you mentioned you have 3 GT's have you had them long or just bought them ?
Welcome to post photos, if they have been restored, good to see the before and after pictures

Thanks
Ian

Hi Ray
Welcome to the forum and dont worry most of us are old f*rts on here. Lots of 550's whats the year or model of your bike as different bikes produced different problems. The early starter clutches JK suffered screws coming loose for instance.
Look here at GT26 http://www.oldjapanesebikes.com/mraxl_G ... ins/page-2
What are the symptoms? Does it start okay when the engine is warm? Is the timing set bang on and the battery fully charged.?

The history of my GTs are my oldest is a Gt750 K, totally standard 1973 and have had this bike for 35 years, my GT 380 is a B model in Blue 1978, which iv had for ten years, the Gt 550 I have I think is a L model with a N plate 1974 as its different to the J and K, but it does have the exhaust balance pipes, my brother came across it so we got it between us but it was left to me to bring it back up to a good condition as it had been standing a while, the engine originally started on the button every time, but this slowly changed and you could feel that it wasn't always engaging and you got a sound of grinding gears, once it had been started and warmed up it will start very easy on the button....no problem with kick starting the bike, the battery is new and the timing is spot on...and the bike runs well, I wondered if it was anything to do with the rollers and springs in the starter clutch sticking as this bike had been standing for so long... will try and put some photos on here of my bikes as soon as iv learnt how lol

So if its 1974 then its possible it has the early rollers and springs starter clutch as apposed to the later Borg Warner. But until you remove the clutch cover you wont know. The fact that you are hearing a grinding noise when it starts i would suggest to you that the three screws that hold the starter clutch drive gear may have worked loose and are dragging against the crankcase. Of course when the engine and gearbox is cold it takes a greater effort by the starter motor to spin the motor.
I would suggest you get the clutch cover of ASAP to check as if this is the problem serious damage could occur..
Incidently the crossflow pipes on the exhaust were on every model throughout the range apart from ones destined for UK and Europe who also had plated cylinders too. This may indicate you have a US import.

yes this bike was a US import with only 5075 miles on the speedo ....for me to get to the starter clutch does this mean removal of the exhaust system after draining of the oil taking of the cover then removing the clutch, then to take of the basket....then hopefully find the loose screws behind the basket once of...cheers Ray

I would say that when the engine is cold and you press the starter it becomes like a clunk as it tries to engage then a high pitch spinning noise....combined sometimes with this grinding.....

if it makes any difference looking at images the colour is candy orange rather than red like the A models ....and unlike the J and k the ram air cooling badge on the barrels where they are part of the barrel mine is just a plain badge....cheers Ray