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starter help

I have a 2003 flhr. Just today the starter sounds like it is just spinning. It happened before about 2 years ago. We replaced the starter drive and the gear that is around the clutch pack. We put high torque parts in. Any advice on what could be causing this to happen repeatedly? The time before it seemed like it would do it a couple times then it would start fine for a while. After time it just got worse, so we replaced it. This time there were no signs that anything was wrong. Going to lunch at work and hit the starter button and just got a whinning noise. Each time it would engage on the second try and start. Am I to the point that I need a whole new starter? If that is the case that would be okay just very frustrated. By the way I just changed the primary fluid and ther was a minute amount of shavings on the magnet. To me it didn't seem to be very much at all, but didn't notice any shavings in the pan when oil was drained.

By the way there was a small amount of shavings on the magnet when I changed the primary oil a couple of weeks ago. It didn't seem that it was very much and I just figured that it might be because of the new parts that were installed.
 
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Any advice on what could be causing this to happen repeatedly?

It would be hard to say without 1st taking out the starter and seeing what happened and what went wrong. It may have the same symptom (just spinning) but may be two different reasons for it. Without inspecting it, I could come up with a ton of reasons.

Didn't say if the engine was stock,, stock compression and how much use does it get. If you use the bike once a week, ya,, your eating starters. If your a pizza delivery guy, your doing Great.:p
 
If you get a lot of Kick-Back on your bike???

It usually is the starter drive, Not engaging inside its own clutch drive.. Kick-Backs and backfires damage the starter drive...

What was the reason for the first change out? You said clutch ring gear And starter drive,,,, Were they damaged before and to What Degree?

Like Hoople mentioned , we need MORE information before we can Really try to help...



signed....BUBBIE
 
Everything is stock. The first time I wass getting a spinning and when we got the primary apart the gear around the clutch was wore on the inside. So we installed a high torque gear and since we did that we went ahead and put the high torque starter drive in. i ride it all the time to work and as much as can with 2 small children, I ride when it is 35 degrees so I would say it gets ridden quite a bit
 
Seeing the age of your bike, my 2004 Sporty is my daily driver...about a year ago or so I had to take out the starter and replace the front clutch gear assembly, the starter would spin but gear would not throwout and engage. The solenoid, contacts and other parts had virtually no wear. The copper "washer" I "flipped" over (the other side had a few minor pits, I filed smooth, but decided to flip it anyway.

New clutch gear assembly was rev C (4 rev changes) the new one appears to have a better bearing with seals, but assembled and installed it worked fine first time, every time since. And if you do not have a Battery Tender to keep your battery surface charge up...GET ONE...! It minimizes stress on the starting and charging system.
 
thanks for the info I do have a tender to keep it charged. Have to take apart when I get home to see what I have going on. the new clutch gear you are talking about is that the gear that the starter drive is supposed to catch? I just want to make sure I have the terminology right. It seems to me that there is something not lining up or not catching the gear right. Don't think I should have to be replacing it this soon.
 
thanks for the info I do have a tender to keep it charged. Have to take apart when I get home to see what I have going on. the new clutch gear you are talking about is that the gear that the starter drive is supposed to catch? I just want to make sure I have the terminology right. It seems to me that there is something not lining up or not catching the gear right. Don't think I should have to be replacing it this soon.

Please get back here with the Results.. Good monkeying..

signed....BUBBIE
 
A typical day of riding for me is start it up let warm up for few minutes. Get on ride on the way to work stop at gas station and get soda and stuff for work. parked all day at work with an occasional ride for lunch and then back home after work with a stop for a soda. 25 mile ride to work.
 
Have to say I have a similar regimen...and yes, the forward part of the starter motor has the reduction gears (they have plenty of grease and if no water intrusion should be fine), then the bearing, clutch drive & spring assy, with gear at the end. The alignment needs to be pretty close, and the clutch allows the gear to "walk" and line up ring gear cranking the engine.

The solenoid along side is rebuild able separately, and is basically a relay like "contactor" that allows the starter motor to "spin up" causing the clutch drive to move up the spiral shaft, engaging the gear to the flywheel/ring gear and turn the engine with just enough torque to push thru both cylinder compression strokes...a pretty formidable task to be sure.
 
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Got the primary off. My question now is isn't the starter drive supposed to retract from the clutch gear. Mine right now with the battery unhooked and things taken apart and the starter drive is still engaged with the gear is how it is supposed to be? I don't think it is.
 
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