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Starter Clutch Tech Page
We get many questions regarding
electric starter engagement problems that we created this page
as a guide to help determine what
you need to fix your bike.....
It's more complicated than can
be covered this briefly, but here are the basics.....
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The most common cause of
a Kaw starter clutch slipping, and the first thing
to check, are the 3 allen bolts that secure the starter clutch
body to the back of the generator rotor.....
Shown here is an early (1973 thru 1978) setup, but it's the same deal with the 1979 and 1980 models..... Over time, these bolts can loosen up, and the mechanism will slowly lose its grip on the starter gear when cranking the starter...... High-performance modifications, and abuse amplify and accelerate this condition....... Whether loose or tight, the bolts should be removed, the threads inspected......the threads cleaned, and blue Loctite applied when re-tightening. Often, this step alone will solve a slipping starter clutch. But, if it's been that way for a while, the allen bolts. the rotor, the rollers, the starter clutch body, and the starter gear may have already been damaged..... |
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Check the alternator rotor
for damage........
If the bolts shown above were very loose or badly damaged, the threads in the back of the rotor may be shot.... Also - A close inspection shows that the rotor is actually two seperate pieces pressed together - A 3-spoked center within the outer body....... In a badly damaged rotor, these two parts begin to seperate, and its days are numbered - Replace it..... |
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The starter clutch springs
had a free length of about 38mm (about 1 3/8 inch) when
new...... If they get shorter than about 1 5/16 inch, they can't provide the
force necessary for the rollers to engage the starter gear.....At 1 1/4 inch,
they are cashed.....If you're really broke, try stretching them some...
The rollers should have a smooth surface ...... In a slipping clutch, the rollers take a hit every time it slips...... If the roller surfaces have radial wear lines on them, they probably won't work right anymore...... The pins also take a beating in a slipping clutch, especially at their tips..... In severe cases, the springs will poke right through the tips |
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The surface of the starter
clutch gear center has to be smooth in order to operate properly.......
Check for radial wear lines on this surface...... If you can feel them with your fingernail, it's probably all over..... The one in this pic is in exceptionally good shape... Keep you fingers crossed, because this is the most expensive component in there....... Don't worry about the needle bearing in the middle where it sits on the crank end...... They rarely go bad. |
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The most overlooked aspect in this area of the engine
is the steel/rubber spacer behind the
starter clutch gear.....
These spacers come in 3 thicknesses, which are identified by small stars embossed on the inner lip of the rubber....... 1 star indicates the thinnest one, and 3 stars the thickest...... When the entire mechanism is re-installed on the crank, and the center bolt is properly torqued, the starter gear should spin freely in the non-contacting direction (clockwise)..... Freely means that if given a spin by hand, the gear ahould keep spinning by itself for a bit after released...... If it doesn't, the running engine will slowly (or quickly if much too tight) drag the starter motor to its death...... If too loose, the starter clutch will not engage well, and there will be excessive noise under the dyno cover with the engine running...... There should be very little, if any endplay in the starter gear..... This is how it's adjusted. |
Redline Cycle Service, Inc.
Since 1976