550 starter issue

Hello everyone,
I'm new to this site. I'v got an 81 seca 550 and it's in great shape. I started it the other day though and I think the starter isn't dissengaging. It's not trying to start, but makes this horrible whining noise as the engine gets going. Any ideas?

 

Welcome to the site. I don't know what could be the probelm but, someone will be along shortly to help you out? Where in California are you? The bike looks great! Happy riding.

 

Pull the starter. Clean the heck out of it.

After you get it on the bench ...

Two long screws hold BOTH indexed ends to the main body.

Remove the gear end and COMPLETELY clean and re-lube that end.
You'll need to spread one Circlip to get the Planet Main Shaft out.
Keep track of washers and spacers.
Look on the ends of the shaft and inside the housing for thin Thrust Washers that like to stay stuck where they are.

Keep everything in order as you disassemble the Planet end.
Two small Planet Gears on opposed shafts.
The Ring Gear and Main Shaft.
Every Spacer and Thrust Washer.

Clean the "Whole-works" of the "Business-end." All of it so nice and clean a Marine Drill Instructor would have the Company check-out yours as good example.

Check for washers and thrust washers hiding on shafts and bearing ports.

Clean the Electric end; too.

Pull the Case away from the Motor -- slowly.
There's NO slack in the wire connecting the Brushes to the External Power Post.
Slip the Brushes off the Commutator.
Look for a Thrust washer - inside the Case - surrounding the port for the case bearing bushing.

With the starter exploded. Clean.
Use straight Isopropyl Alcohol loaded into a sprayer that has the Stream or Spray option.
("Honey, did you see the Windex. I can't seem to find it.")

Withdraw the Armature.
Spray everything until its completely clean and what you are spraying ON is as clean as what is dripping OFF!

Shoot the Commutator, Brushes, Brush Housing, Electrical Lead and the inside of the Electric end Case. Clean.

Shoot WD-40 on the CLEAN windings and magnets.

Lube the whole-works as you reassemble the Starter.

Using Top Quality Synthetic Waterproof Grease:
Everything and every surface on the Planet - Business End - gets lubed as it's reassembled.
Shafts, shaft bushing ID's, washers, spacers, gears, pivots, bushings, etc.
Grease everything. Either liberally -- for function, or smeared-on for both rotational forces on it ... or, to hold it from slipping as you reinsert bearing shafts into bushed port on the case.

Spin the Planet Shaft after its re-clipped in and grease the rotating Planet Gears -- "On the Fly" ... as they rotate around the inside of the Ring Gear.

Lightly smear washers and spacers on the Electric End ... but, don't allow the grease to contaminate electric connections and Commutator.

Get a dab of grease into the port on the Electric end; and smear the end of the shaft which fits there.

Now, the fun and games of getting the Brushes lifted onto the Commutator and everything lined-up and back together begin.

It's like a Chinese Puzzle.

Only ... "Made in Japan" !

 

Rick-
Mine experiences the same problem occasionally. Do the brush holders have holes in them to allow you to "clip" the brushes back as some alternators ( Ford, in particular) do?

 

No clip.

You can remove the brush holder by undoing the external power post. The power post is "Positioned" by the way its plastic mount fits through the case. There's a hard plastic mount and a moisture sealing O-ring holding it in place.

Eyeball the way the power post fits and you can take-off the shouldered hex nut and withdraw it from the inside.

Be sure to align it right when you put it back in. Its designed to provide the absolute minimum slack for the wire that connects it to the brushes. I cut a strip of Vinyl tape 1/4' wide and wrapped it better than just the stock insulation.

 

Thanks! This will be one of my "winter" projects (now that winter is OFFICIALLY here!)

 

Possibility that the starter clutch is sticking from gooie crud clogging the assembly. It is possible that you need to clean out the starter clutch unit. I'd suggest running some engine flush through the system (but don't ride it when you do!) and see how it fairs. Advise you follow Rick's suggestion first, it's easy and free. The clutch on the other hand is neither easy nor free. Oh yeah, glad to have you on board Zdgraff, hope we get you going.

 

Thanks guys. As soon as finals are over I'm gona give it a go. Glad to be part of the site.