starter motor cleaning

My bike only has about 15k miles on it. How long does it take for gunk to buildup inside the starter motor?

 

Don't really know but it is not hard to pull it and clean it. Do you suspect any problems?

 

not since i cleaned the starter button contacts. I have seen some of the pics of other riders alternators and starters and i wanted to do preventive maintenance.

 

I did mine just to be safe. You can measure your brushes and know for sure where you stand.

 

Takes no time at all. Just disconnect the battery lead. Undo two 10mm bolts. Pull the starter towards you to remove it and unscrew the two long screws that hold it together.

I'd do it each winter as preventive maintenance.

 

Are these bolts a PIA to get out like some can be? I'd be interested in having a look at mine for preventive measures but not if it involves drilling out bolts when they break. Well until I have to anyway.

 

Some folks have had problems with them. Mine has been off 3 times so far and no issues.
Problem is you won;t know till you try. You can lessen the chance by spraying some PB blaster on the bolts for a few days.

 

There are three bolts that hold the starter on to the bike... can you clean the starter out without pulling it off the bike?

 

do we have to be careful when pulling the starter so the drive or clutch assy doesn't fall down? I would love to clean mine out but don't want to mess up anything in the process.

 

Nope clutch gear is on the alternator shaft - starter pulls with no worries about alignment etc.

 

Should only be 2 bolts and you have to remove the starer cable on the side.

You have to take it apart to clean it so no way to do it on the bike.

 

This may help...

 

There's just a Shaft on the inside of the Starter. The Shaft engages a Reduction Gear. The O-Ring at the business end Seals it.

The Electric end has it's Power Post to disconnect. Be careful not to harm the Power Post Mount. Keep the parts in order if you remove it. The Mount shields the Post from ground.

The two long fasteners hold 3-Sections together.
The Planet Gears - Motor Body - Electric end.
There are Alignment Tabs and Receiving Slots on the sections for fit.

Don't rely on just the Tabs to help you reassemble the starter. To avoid a lot of confusion; mark the way they line-up with a Crayon. The Crayon comes-off easily.

There are already some Threads on Cleaning the Starter, Replacing Brushes and Removing Carbon Dust that are complete.

Don't lose any of the wafer-thin Thrust Washers. They can be hard to spot.

 

What should my OHM reading be across the brush area and the armature itself? I am getting infinity. Does this mean I have a short.

 

A short would be 0 ohms, infinitive ohms is an open circuit. From our venerable old Haynes:
Ahem..."To check the armatue, set the meter on the ohms x 1 scale, and measure the resistance between each pair of commutator segments. The correct figure is 0.014 ohms at 68F."
If you are reading infinity, you've got burned out coils in your armature. $400 for a new one. Used starters run about $30 on Flea-Bay.

 

I've been having some electrical problems, so I decided to check my starter brushes. Those checked out fine. But when I put it all back together (very slowly and followed the instructions and diagram from Haynes), the starter will not turn over now. All that happens is this rapid clicking/ticking sound that is not coming from the starter. I think that it is coming from the solenoid. I just replaced the solenoid a few weeks ago with a new one. Do I have a short? Don't understand how this could be. I followed everything to the "T"......

 

Jlena,
From what you described, your battery is not charged. Another test is to run your starter off of the bike. Just short the battery lead to the positive (+) terminal on the battery and short the negative (-) terminal to the case. Be ready, the starter will jump and there will be a big spark (starters pull quite a bit of current). If the starter doesn't spin up easily, you have a flat battery or you mis-assembled your starter. Hard to think of how you could but it is possible. Have you tried to turn the starter over by hand? Grasp the gear and twist it. It will be difficult but not impossible. Use a rag to cover the teeth and a pair of pliers if your hands aren't up to it. Shouldn't take much to turn it.

 

the starter will turn in my hand, I will try shorting it out when I get off work today.

 

If the Starter will turn in your hand ... give it a Test to see if it will Spin wahen you put 12 Volts to it.

You can use your Battery Charger to do the Test.
Connect the Positive Cable to the Power Post.
Have someone help you hold-down the Starter with gloves on or using a rag.

Touch the Negative Cable to the Case or one of the long screws holding it together.
If if Spins ... you got it put together right.
If not ... you have to adjust the Part ... usually the Electric end to be aligned correctly with the Brushes flat on the Commutator.

 

There have been a couple posts in regard to this, if the starter spins, but the wrong way, the brush plate is not properly aligned.

 

This is provided the charger is rated at 5-15 amps. A 1 amp charger isn't gonna have the ummph to pull it off.

 

Thank you for clarifying that good point.

My Charger is a SEARS 2-10-50
Not a bad deal for a charger that will charge a Bike ... charge the car ... and, provide a 50 Amp Boost for a Car with a dead Battery.

 

I've got the same thing Rick, it was a great investment that I highly recommend!