Hfab5 Posted May 9, 2011 Share #1 Posted May 9, 2011 Went to start the bike this morning, hit the switch, turned over a couple of times, then a loud clunk... like something broke inside. I hit the button again and it started right up, no problem, no sounds. What the heck could that have been? Took it down the street... nothing. It ran fine. Anyone have this happen to them before? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
93 venture Posted May 9, 2011 Share #2 Posted May 9, 2011 Your starter clutch is starting to take a dump, if you do a search on starter clutch u find out how to fix it. http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=58520&highlight=starter+clutch Click on this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skydoc_17 Posted May 9, 2011 Share #3 Posted May 9, 2011 Hey Ryan, First off, welcome to the VR.ORG forum! Your MKI VR has a starter clutch instead of a starter motor with a centrifugal Bendix like a car starter. That noise you heard is the starter clutch "slipping". It will do this from time to time in the beginning, then get worse as time goes on, to the point where the bike will not start any more. You will want to chat with a member on the forum called "Dano", he has developed a "once and for all" fix for this problem. If this has just started, you have some time, BUT start saving for the repair, cause it's coming! Sorry about the bad news, but better to be forewarned than to be making a post about being on the side of the road with a blown starter clutch. Earl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barend Posted May 9, 2011 Share #4 Posted May 9, 2011 Your starter clutch is starting to take a dump, if you do a search on starter clutch u find out how to fix it. http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=58520&highlight=starter+clutch Click on this Not to rain on anyone's parade, but that link goes to a post by Freebird's which gives another link which is a dead end????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dingy Posted May 9, 2011 Share #5 Posted May 9, 2011 First link is to Dano's fix. http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=44547 Second link is to repairing the starter clutch http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=5944 Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snaggletooth Posted May 9, 2011 Share #6 Posted May 9, 2011 You ain't alone with this problem. Been through it twice. What is happening is the starter engage clutch that is bolted inside the stator is more than likely starting to crack or has already. The entire system that hooks up the bike to crank it over is little more that three roller bearing held against the boss on the 72 tooth ring gear by springs about the size of those in a ball point pen. Yep, it works, but when it starts to go ..... it only gets worse and very quickly. Once the clutch body cracks the alinement to make those rollers hook up is gone. Like you says it can make a loud clunk or a nasty chattering as the roller fail to hook up on the boss. I think a new OEM engage clutch assembly is about $186.00, or was last time I checked. Don't bother trying to replace pieces.....it ain't worth the money. It will fail again. The modifed engage clutch offered by Dano it the trick to being done with it forever. It costs a lil more than an OEM but it's the final fix. I installed one in my '84 a couple of years ago and it's been problem free since. Talk to Dano for sure. He can answer all your questions. A few pics showing the type of damage you would probably find when you open it up and a couple of Danos upgrade. So much for three roller bearings. I thinks it's like 19 elipical sprags with a steel spring behind them all. Bullet proof. The first two are a cracked OEM clutch body. The 3rd one is the OEM in the stator and the 4th is Danos upgrade. You can see the differnce between the two clearly. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterGuns Posted May 9, 2011 Share #7 Posted May 9, 2011 Went to start the bike this morning, hit the switch, turned over a couple of times, then a loud clunk... like something broke inside. I hit the button again and it started right up, no problem, no sounds. What the heck could that have been? Took it down the street... nothing. It ran fine. Anyone have this happen to them before? Any chance you recently changed to synthetic oil? If so, change back and you'll most likely be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hfab5 Posted May 9, 2011 Author Share #8 Posted May 9, 2011 That IS bad news... with a good outlook. Thanks for the info guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hfab5 Posted May 11, 2011 Author Share #9 Posted May 11, 2011 Yeah MasterGuns, I did change but its semi-synthetic. Whats the best oil to use for this bike? I thought that a good semi, or full synthetic would be the oil to go with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BradT Posted May 11, 2011 Share #10 Posted May 11, 2011 Any chance you recently changed to synthetic oil? If so, change back and you'll most likely be fine. Yeah, I did change but its semi-synthetic. . MasterGuns, Can you explain why you thought of that ? Also what is happening if you don't mind elaborating a little Thanks Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterGuns Posted May 11, 2011 Share #11 Posted May 11, 2011 MasterGuns, Can you explain why you thought of that ? Also what is happening if you don't mind elaborating a little Thanks Brad I have purchased three different 1st Gens in the last four years. Everyone I had to replace the starter clutch and gear BUT only after changing to synthetic or semi-synthetic oils. A slightly worn sprague unit will engage without fail when using regular oil but put in a more slippery (lack of a better description) oil like synthetic or even semi-synthetic, even a slightly worn sprague will act up. Rather than going back to conventional oils, I replaced the starter clutch and gear with new units and problem solved. This is just my experience. Bet you that if you drain that semi-synthetic and go back to regular dino oil, your problem will be solved; maybe not right away but once you eliminate "all" the super slippery synthetic, should clear up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BradT Posted May 12, 2011 Share #12 Posted May 12, 2011 Thanks, I was only curious and that explained it well. Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keemez Posted May 12, 2011 Share #13 Posted May 12, 2011 The only problem is that it is inaccurate. Synthetic oil is no more slippery than regular dino oil. Its main advantage is its superior stability and (enhanced) resistance to detrimental forces. Google up on some of the synthetic oil myths & such- there's lots of info out there about this. I submit that the starter clutch failures were purely coincidental and would have happened anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterGuns Posted May 12, 2011 Share #14 Posted May 12, 2011 (edited) The only problem is that it is inaccurate. Synthetic oil is no more slippery than regular dino oil. Its main advantage is its superior stability and (enhanced) resistance to detrimental forces. Google up on some of the synthetic oil myths & such- there's lots of info out there about this. I submit that the starter clutch failures were purely coincidental and would have happened anyway. Nope, that is incorrect. Synthetic oils in fact reduce friction, as well as have better shear qualities, maintain viscosity at higher and lower temps, and the like. But reducing friction is one of synthetic oils main qualities. I was just using an example to assist with this fellas "all of a sudden" starter clutch issues. Like I said, if he would return to regular dino oil, I bet he'd post his aging starter clutch has returned to normal operation. A starter clutch relies on friction between the spragues and the surface of the starter gear. Reduce that friction on an aging unit and you have the exact symptoms being displayed. And it is not a coincidence and would have happened anyway is just inaccurate too. I even played with them exactly as I am advising this gent to do. I drained the Amsoil out of two of them and replaced that oil with non-synthetic stuff and the disengaging noise of the slipping spragues cleared right up. Drained that and put the same Amsoil I had drained out a couple days earlier and the starter clutch slippage returned. Some coincidence, an 86, an 88 and an 89. Edited May 12, 2011 by MasterGuns Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shorty Posted May 13, 2011 Share #15 Posted May 13, 2011 My 88 makes that same sound when the battery needs charging or sometimes on a hot day. Yooper nagged and nagged on me to replace the Starter Clutch. So we pulled it out and it was in perfect condition and put it back in. I had gone through all the easy stuff like putting in heavier cables, replaced the Solinoid, pulled the Starter (also in perfect condition), etc. When I replaced the battery it solved the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyinfool Posted May 13, 2011 Share #16 Posted May 13, 2011 My 88 makes that same sound when the battery needs charging or sometimes on a hot day. Yooper nagged and nagged on me to replace the Starter Clutch. So we pulled it out and it was in perfect condition and put it back in. I had gone through all the easy stuff like putting in heavier cables, replaced the Solinoid, pulled the Starter (also in perfect condition), etc. When I replaced the battery it solved the problem. But look at all of the fun you had pulling the flywheel... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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