At Fixya.com, our trusted experts are meticulously vetted and possess extensive experience in their respective fields. Backed by a community of knowledgeable professionals, our platform ensures that the solutions provided are thoroughly researched and validated.
- If you need clarification, ask it in the comment box above.
- Better answers use proper spelling and grammar.
- Provide details, support with references or personal experience.
Tell us some more! Your answer needs to include more details to help people.You can't post answers that contain an email address.Please enter a valid email address.The email address entered is already associated to an account.Login to postPlease use English characters only.
Tip: The max point reward for answering a question is 15.
To remove the starter from your Big Twin, first disconnect the negative battery cable and drain the oil from the primary. Remove the outer primary cover and take the small bolt out of the starter jackshaft. You don't necessarily have to remove the starter gear and the jackshaft but you may be able to work the gear out without moving the clutch assembly out. If you want to move the clutch assembly out, take the snap ring out of the clutch adjuster screw plate in the front of the assembly. Inside the hole is the mainshaft nut. It has LEFT-HANDED THREADS. You can get the nut off if you have an air wrench or a primary locking bar to keep the engine from turning while trying to get the nut off. The nut torques to 60-80 foot pounds of torque. Once you get the nut off, you can slide the clutch assembly outwards enough to get the starter gear off without having to take the primary chain and engine sprocket off.
Go to the other side of the bike and take part or all of the exhaust system off to allow you to get the starter out. In the case of a Softail, remove the top bolts and the rubber supports that hold the oil tank in. You do not have to disconnect any of the hoses. All you need to do it to raise the tank just a bit to get to bolts that hold the starter on and to get it out. Take the nut off that that connects the battery cable to the starter and unplug the small single wire from the back of the starter. The nut is a 14mm nut. Take the two large socket head bolts out that holds the starter on and remove the starter. There is a coupling that connects the starter to the jackshaft. Mark the coupling which way it goes or remember that the counter bored end goes toward the jackshaft.
If you want an exploded view of the starter and jackshaft, visit http://www.bikebandit.com and look up your bike or one close as the starters are the same.
To change the clutch starter you must first take the starter off the bike. To do this, disconnect the battery and take it out of the oil tank. Then, drain the primary and remove the outer primary cover. Take the small bolt that holds the starter jackshaft off and remove the jackshaft. Go to the right side of the bike and take all or part of the exhaust off so that you can get to the starter. Take the bolts out and take the mounting brackets off the oil tank so that you can lift it slightly to get to the starter bolts. Do not remove any oil lines. Disconnect the battery cable and the small single wire from the starter. Remove the two large socket head bolts that hold the starter on and remove the starter. There is a coupling on the starter that connects the starter to the jackshaft. Mark the direction it goes in, counterbored end towards the jackshaft, so that you can put it back in the correct direction. Once you have the starter off the engine, you must disassemble the starter to get to the clutch that is inside of it. Go to this site to get an exploded view of the starter. http://www.bikebandit.com/2003-harley-davidson-softail-night-train-fxstb/o/m18393#sch609301 The starter clutch is part #252 in the diagram. Do not disassemble the starter motor itself, just take the front off the starter.
If you're having to rock the bike to get the starter to engage, you have a problem in the primary. There is a starter ring gear around the outer clutch drum that is engaged by the starter jackshaft. If the jackshaft is not engageing and not turning the engine, you may have some damage to this ring gear. It could be that your starter clutch in the starter is bad but that would not be effected by rocking the bike but rather just repeated attempts to start the engine. Either way I'd go into the primary for a look around. Disconnect the battery and drain the oil out of the primary through the pipe plug on the bottom of the primary at the very back. Take the floor board off and if necessary, the shifter mechanism. Take all the bolts out around the outer primary cover as well as the inspection cover in the center of the primary cover. With the cover off, you can inspect the starter ring gear and check the clutch for excessive looseness. Also check the starter jackshaft for damage. If find nothing, you may have a starter clutch problem. The starter clutch is inside the starter and the starter must be removed and disassembled to replace it. Adjust the primary chain so that it has 3/4" to 7/8" up and down movement in the middle of the top run of the chain. Adjust by moving the adjuster shoe up or down as necessary.
First, disconnect the battery and take it out of the bike. Then drain and remove the outer primary cover. Once you have that off, you'll have to remove the large nut that holds the compensator sprocket on and take the clutch assembly off. The engine sprocket nut is very tight at 150-165 foot pounds of torque. You'll probably need an air wrench or some way to lock the primary chain so the engine doee not turn while trying to loosen it. To get the clutch assembly off, remove the snap ring and take the clutch adjuster out of the center of the clutch assembly. The mainshaft nut that holds it on is in the hole in the center of the clutch assembly. The nut has LEFT HANDED THREADS. Take the nut off the primary chain adjuster shoe and take the engine sprocket and clutch assembly off all together. Remove the starter jackshaft. Then, on the other side of the bike, you'll probably have to remove at least some of the exhaust system so you can get the starter off. Take the battery cable off the starter and remove the two large socket head bolts to take the starter off. You will have to take the bolts out of the oil tank so that you can raise it just a bit but you shouldn't have to take it off. There is a coupling that the jackshaft fits into on the end of the starter. Mark which way the coupling faces or remember that the counterbored end goes towards the jackshaft. Go back to the left side of the bike and take the four bolts at the engine out and the nuts back at the transmission off. The inner primary should come off at this point.
Well, to replace the starter clutch, first you must take the starter off the engine. On your Softail this means draining the primary, removing the primary cover, and taking the starter jackshaft out. Then, on the right side of the bike, you're going to have to remove at least part if not all of your exhaust system to gain access to the starter. You'll have to loosen the bolts that holds the oil tank in allowing you to lift the tank just enough to get to the rear bolt that holds the starter in. Remove the two large socket head bolts that holds the starter in and remove the starter. Now that you've got the starter out, you'll have to disassemble the drive unit on the starter to get the starter clutch out. This is not that difficult. Depending on what starter clutch replacement you purchase, you may have to swap the bearings from you old unit to the new unit. If you can do this job yourself, you can save some money by replacing just the starter clutch. However, if you are going to have to pay someone to do the work for you, you'd probably be better off just replacing the entire starter. The reason is that the additional labor time charges to disassemble the starter and replace just the clutch will elleviate any savings you might have realized by repairing the starter. Go to http://www.bikebandit.com and look up the starter for your bike. It will show an "exploded" view of the unit.
The first thing to do is to disconnect the battery. Then, you'll have to take everything on the right side of the bike off that impedes your getting to the starter. You may have to remove the exhaust system completely. Take the battery cable off the starter. Then, on the left side of the bike, loosen the lock nut on the primary chain adjuster beneath the primary and turn the primary chain tension adjuster bolt out about two turns or so. Remove the footpeg and shfiter from that side of the bike. Take the drain plug out and drain the oil out of the primary. Remove the derby cover and take the spring and lock nut out of the clutch release mechanism. Remove the bolts that hold the primary cover on. These bolts are different lengths and sizes. Make sure you make a drawing of which bolt goes where. Turn the clutch adjuster screw clockwise while you remove the outer primary cover. Do not take the clutch cable loose but rather just put the primary cover aside somewhere. Remove the two large bolts inside the primary located just above the clutch assembly. At this point, your starter should come out.
If the all you're hearing is a whine, the problem is most likely the starter. To be more specific, it's the starter clutch or starter drive. Since you didn't tell me what year your bike is this is about as much as I can tell you. The starter drive (1984 and earlier) on the earlier model bikes is in the primary. On anything later that is equpped with the Nippondenso type starter, the starter clutch is inside the starter. If you can remove and repair the starter, you can save some money by replacing just the starter clutch instead of the entire starter. If you're going to have to pay someone else, it's cheaper to simply replace the starter rather than pay the labor to disassemble, repair, and reassemble the starter. Any savings are quickly eaten up by the labor charges.
To pull the starter off your bike, first, disconnect the negative side of your battery. Then, drain the primary and remove anything that you need to remove in order to pull your outer primary cover off. Once you have the outer primary cover off, remove the bolt that holds the starter jackshaft on. See if you can work the jackshaft out, some of them you can get out others you can't. If you can't get the jackshaft out, you'll have to remove the snap ring in the center of the clutch assembly and take the adjuster plate out. Then, you'll have to remove the clutch hub nut. It has LEFT HANDED threads on it. Slide the clutch assembly out just far enough to get the jackshaft out. There is a coupling on the jackshaft. Make sure you mark the coupling so you'll know which way to put it back in. It must be put back in the proper direction.
On the right hand side of the bike, remove the exhaust system and anything that might be in the way of the starter. Disconnect the battery cable from the starter. There are two large bolts that hold the starter on. Do not take the small diameter bolts that hold the starter motor to the solenoid out. The two bolts are 3/8" in diameter. With those out, the starter should come off.
Reassembly is the reverse of these instructions. Retorque the clutch hub nut to 60-80 Foot pounds LEFT HANDED THREADS. You'll need a lock bar or locking device to lock the clutch up so you can torque the nut. Put one line of red locktite #271 in the nut before putting it back on.
Disconnect the positive battery cable. Drain the primaary and remove the derby cover. Take the spirng and the locknut out. Go to the bottom of the primary cover and loosen the lock nut on the primary chain adjuster and back the adjust out a good little bit. Remove anything that's in the way of the primary cover and remove all the bolts in the outer cover. Turn the clutch adjuster clockwise as your remvove the cover.
On the other side of the bike, disconnect the positive battery cable from the starter and remove the exhaust from the bike.
Back on the left side of the bike, remove the two bolts just above the clutch assembly. They are different lengths so remember which goes where.
Reassembly is the reverse of the disassembly. When you put the outer primary back on, turn the screw counterclockwise until you can put the bolts back into the primary cover. Once all of them are in and tight, turn the screw counterclockwise as far as it will go and then go back clockwise 1/4 turn. Put the locknut, spring, and derby cover back on the primary. Adjust the primary chain by turning the screw inwards until you have 5/8" to 1/2" inch of up and down play on the chain. Feel of it throught the upper inspection hole. Once finished, add one quart of primary lube to the primary.
×