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starter clutch issues

Discussion in 'XJ Technical Chat' started by soslow93, Aug 5, 2006.

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  1. Polock

    Polock Well-Known Member

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    primary chain guide, sure Fitz, i changed one once while the engine was still running, with a butter knife and some vice grips, with gloves on, at a red light, in the dark, while it was raining
     
  2. wizard

    wizard Active Member

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    That's not true, Polock, the light was on amber.
    Fitz, the original issue for me, is that Rick said the fix was on & I wasn't skilled enough to carry it off. That & he kept telling desperate members there was hope of a quick fix, even after I had proved it was a no go.
    Still waiting for an apology.
     
  3. bigfitz52

    bigfitz52 Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    Polock, I was serious. I've got two happy little XJ550Rs and one "ticking time bomb" 650R with 13K on it. If I ever want to be able to trust it to jump on and ride 600, 700, 1000 miles from home like I can the 550s, I'm going to have to proactively change the bloody primary chain guide. I've heard tales of just pulling the sump (I'd pull the engine and flip it, not just flip the bike over) to gain the necessary access. If it can be done without splitting the cases, I'd rather do it that way.

    Wiz, I believe you're more than skilled enough; you actually DID a "shortcut" version of the fix, about the only way it can be done. That one falls under CBE. (Crude But Effective.) And effective it was.
     
  4. Polock

    Polock Well-Known Member

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    ok, it was a long light
    kidding aside, the front bolt is in front of the crank, the old one has a bolt by the starter clutch and the rear one is about where the alternator is. then you have to wiggle poke and tap the old one out under(or over, depending) the crank, then i had to grind some excess off of the sides of the new one to get it back past the crank, i really don't think it's going to happen through the oil pan
     
  5. RickCoMatic

    RickCoMatic Well-Known Member

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    Wizard, you can hand it out. But, you can't take it.

    Show these fine people you are capable of grasping-hold of two vary important concepts regarding this ridiculous crusade of yours to discredit me.
    You keep ignoring two facts claiming MY Shortcut is impossible.
    1. IT ain't mine. I attributed it to the source three times.
    2. Well, ... gosh. I don' t know how to break this to you gently. Somebody did it!

    1. I didn't dream it up. I interviewed a Factory Trained Yamaha Technician and filed a REPORT on the Interview.
    It ain't my process.
    I didn't dream it up.
    It was a column.
    I wrote what somebody else said.
    Properly attributed to the source of the material.
    Several times.

    And this wrinkle for you to smooth out.
    2. It's been done!

    Australian XJ-Bikes member [ redcenter003 ] used the steps outlined by the Yamaha Technician, ADDING a few of his own and became the Reigning Czar of Starter Clutch Short-cutting.

    The archives show that others have asked me to clarify a point or two.
    I declined.
    I alerted the sites Shortcut Czar that a Member needed his expertise in solving the Starter Clutch Puzzle and redcenter003 would come to the rescue and walk the member-in-distress through the mine-field.

    Amazing!

    Simply amazing!

    But even move astonishing is this.

    Redcenter003 visited Boston two years ago and was a guest at my home.
    My wife and I were delighted to hear of the stories of his travels and some of the unusual creatures of the Land Down Under.
    We loved that he had been to Little River and has seen the very road sign appearing on The Little River Band's Album Cover.

    We talked Seca-900's and Bike-building and eventually got around to discussing the difficulty presented in the Starter Clutch Shortcut.

    I hung on his every word.
    In great detail, he told me that the successful completion of replacing the Rollers, Springs and Pins in his 900 took going beyond the steps in the sketch provided by the Yamaha Technician.
    Then, he told me what he added and the risk he took, ... but the story ended with him having slain the dragon, saving the princess, conquering the enemy and standing alone at the summit of Mount Starter Clutch.
    He did it!

    There I was.
    In the presence of The Man ... The Legend ... Starter Clutch King.

    Don't cite him as your lead witness for impossibility.
    Not only did he do it; he advised several others.
     
  6. bigfitz52

    bigfitz52 Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    Wait one silly second here--

    "solutions prove NOT TO WORK" "ended in a dead end for me."

    I'm reading that Red is saying it DIDN'T WORK for him, not that he was able to accomplish it. The above quote is from his response of October 25 of this year.

    I guess the only person that can definitively answer is redcentre003 himself, but it looks pretty plain to me that he said he DIDN'T manage to do it that way.

    That being the case, we still have zero evidence that anyone has ever accomplished what appears from every other angle to be simply impossible (as well as a waste of time, for reasons I've already mentioned.)
     
  7. RickCoMatic

    RickCoMatic Well-Known Member

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    Does seem quite odd to me.

    A very old and wise man once taught me this:

    "Richard, when in doubt, don't make a fool of yourself.
    There is a thin line between being brilliantly creative and acting like a damn fool. You're fine as long as you stick to telling the truth."

    So far, ... so good.
     
  8. wizard

    wizard Active Member

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    There is another old saying, Rick "it is better to keep quiet & be thought a fool than to speak up & remove all doubt"

    & FYI I'm not trying to discredit you, you're doing fine all on your own.
     
  9. SnoSheriff

    SnoSheriff Site Owner Staff Member Administrator

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    I don't see the point in continuing this 5yr old topic. Facts and opinions for both sides of the story have been presented. I'll let the readers make their own decisions. I'm locking this thread.
     
  10. skw1972

    skw1972 Member

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    Re: Starter Clutch Shortcut "NOT Recommended" YAMAHA Motors USA

    Im reluctant to do ANY surgery, key hole or not, based on a "manual only" as my only guide. Small grainy fuzzy black and white pictures do not shine a light in the dark for me personally. I find the manuals somewhat lacking and unclear at times. I will always search here first as well as throughout any engine adventure I have.
    Now on the other hand the write ups and pics on surgeries that are already on here are considered open for business in my garage.
    IF it can be done and there is a write up done in true forum style it WILL go on my to do list.
     
  11. RickCoMatic

    RickCoMatic Well-Known Member

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    Re: Starter Clutch Shortcut "NOT Recommended" YAMAHA Motors USA

    I've been looking for the original notes to see if I omitted anything from what got written-down from what got written-up.

    I opened a box with no label and found a new set of 900 Instruments, Front and Rear Calipers and an Original Headlight.
     
  12. MercuryMan

    MercuryMan Active Member

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    Re: Starter Clutch Shortcut "NOT Recommended" YAMAHA Motors

    Always a battle between the almighty buck and lawyers trying to extract that hard earned $. So auto tech replies would easily be tainted by lawsuit threats, motorcycles not as much. Sadly it's going to be true both ways: they want short cuts, but are reluctant to broadcast for obvious reasons. I would guess that as difficult as this one seems it can't be that much of a "shortcut" even if it did work. Thinking about the way it could work reminds me of driving in a foreign place and not asking for directions (because you think it will be easier to just keep going and then you end up lost and wasting time)..hmm..time.
     
  13. SnoSheriff

    SnoSheriff Site Owner Staff Member Administrator

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    Merged topics again. I'm keeping it closed.
     
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