Kettle starter clutch repair.

[stevewharton]

Started my long overdue starter clutch repair yesterday, it's been a problem for a while now (spinning and not engaging) and I've put it off mainly because there's a kickstart and I've got my new Enfield and busy with other stuff. But the recent clinic rally proved it's getting worse so time to put it right.
Bought a starter clutch repair kit off ebay, £30 for 3 pins, 3 springs and 3 rollers, borrowed a puller off Stupot and got stuck in. All came apart quite easily but on examination of the above suspect parts, there appeared to be little wear. However one of the two needle roller bearings on the end of the crankshaft had disintegrated??? So I'll replace both to be on the safe side, fit the new repair kit and put it back together and hopefully there'll be no more embarrassing "no starts" on the button

[stupot]

Hi Steve . Check for "chatter" marks on the bush which they run on. check theres a spacer washer between the bush and the crank pin and check the new bearings have a couple of thous of end float.
Ive rebuilt a few engines which either show signs of the wear or older engines have one large 40mm needle roller instead of two 20mm rollers.
Centrifugal force allows the needle roller bearing to counter rotate on engine deceleration which causes the wear.
Suzuki sussed this out early on and fitted two 20mm needle rollers halving the weight of the large bearing by fitting two smaller bearings .
Ive got loads of pictures if you need them. and the sizes of the washer and bush somewhere .
The older engines have a top hat bush this needs to be cut into two pieces. so you have a bush and a washer.

[stevewharton]

Checked for chatter marks/wear/damage on the needle bearing inner sleeve and sure enough there were some small marks, not surprising really seeing as the outer bearing had collapsed. So got to work with some fine wet and dry before fitting the new bearings, should hopefully be okay otherwise the inner sleeve will have to be replaced. Next job fit the starter clutch repair kit but on examination, one of the small pins was stuck in the housing. Took a bit of working out how to get it out but in the end it knocked out from the inside. Refitted the small retaining cap and the repair kit, put everything back together and then other commitments meant I had to leave it till tomorrow. So up early tomorrow for a test electric start and if the rain holds off, a run out to Leverton bike night on the old girl.

[stevewharton]

Up early this morning, filled FAB up with engine oil, pressed the starter button and and she started instantly with no probs, so starting problem sorted and a job well done. Watching the storm clouds gather now after seeing several different weather forecasts for Lincolnshire today, all different of course with one giving 90% chance of heavy rain at teatime, another saying 50% and another saying scattered light showers??? Typical for Levertons first bike night for well over a year