Bike was at 44k miles and was showing the typical signs of cam chain trouble associated with this bike. I replaced the tensioner with an ape one. When i went to start the bike the starter motor cranked hard for like 5 seconds then died. Now anytime I press the starter it will click and all the electronics will dim but the motor won't crank. The one time it cranked it sounded kinda diffrent from normal? More high pitched and louder I think. I'm pretty sure I installed the tensioner by the book but i obviously messed up somewhere. Can someone help me find a solution to this problem.
1998 SRAD Starter/Cam Problem
srad_600
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I've tried 2 batteries and even jumping from my girlfriends truck. Same result each time. The starter doesn't seem to have a dead spot because its sucking a lot of power from the lights while its locked. It'll crank again if I drop the bike in gear and roll it backward. I found a post on here that basically said just live with it but halfassing something like this really isn't my style.
Alright so i tried wiring the starter motor directly to the battery and it was the same deal, a lot of fireworks but no cranking. So its safe to say that my starter motor is bad. The service manual says to remove it by removing the two mounting bolts. I did this and i still can't get it free from the bike. Do you have to remove the starter clutch cover or something to get the starter motor off?
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Once you pull the motor, make sure that is your problem. It could be something else that is bound up. If the motor does not turn freely, I would say replace it, but you should also confirm that the crank on the engine turns as well. There is a bolt on the right side behind the large silver cap, it is a 14mm head, turn clockwise to confirm that you have no other problems.
John
John
Okay i just went out and took that silver cap off and rotated the motor clockwise. How freely should it turn it took a considerable amount of force to get it to turn and it seemed to get stuck a couple of times.Is it normal, am i f'ed, or is it fixable?
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Sorry I should have expanded. If you leave the spark plugs in the motor, it will be hard as the compression will be fighting you.
Pull out the plugs and it should be fairly easy to turn.
John
Pull out the plugs and it should be fairly easy to turn.
John
sorry for bumping an ancient thread, but I came upon this while searching (Noob yes) and I have the same issue on a 97 SRAD 750
The crank will only spin 180 degrees before locking....
Engine did crank for several second earlier in the afternoon.
the 180 degrees makes me think I have a bent valve??
anyway, how did the OP issue work out
in for news!
thx
The crank will only spin 180 degrees before locking....
Engine did crank for several second earlier in the afternoon.
the 180 degrees makes me think I have a bent valve??
anyway, how did the OP issue work out
in for news!
thx
I never found a solution. It started behaving itself after a while but I sold it in fear of it leaving me stranded. What I did to get the bike moving afterwards was put it in gear and roll it back hard, to sort of unlock it. Then try cranking again. If you roll it back is the engine then free to turn over by hand? If not you might have a different problem.
thx for the resonse!
the engine is free for 180 degrees (halve cirkel with the pulley)
it did crank normally before I put in new engine oil.
I also pulled the plugs to relieve compression
The clutch actuator at the sprocket is disassembled though, coud the mechanism be binding?
This is actually a bike that I was interetsed in buying, it stood for about 2 yrs with rusted tank and failed pump (carb model)
thx!
the engine is free for 180 degrees (halve cirkel with the pulley)
it did crank normally before I put in new engine oil.
I also pulled the plugs to relieve compression
The clutch actuator at the sprocket is disassembled though, coud the mechanism be binding?
This is actually a bike that I was interetsed in buying, it stood for about 2 yrs with rusted tank and failed pump (carb model)
thx!
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4,030 Posts
Be very wary!!! I think that you are looking at buying someone elses nightmare!
Look into getting a runner unless you are very mechanically minded, plus some of the electrics on bikes of this vintage have a mind of their own...
Cheers, Ad
Thx for the heads up!
I am not "technically or mechanically challenged" LOL!
I however havent worked on Bikes yet, do much of my wrneching on Honda's Acura's (yeah Im a Ricerboy//LOL)
Anyway, I am baffled that in one occasion it would spin freely and when opil is changed it seized up between the outer klimits of 180 degrees crank rotation.
Did hear a loud clank whenit stopped and I can also head some chewing when crank is rotated at the 14 mm bolt @ starter side.
Is there any way of checking the timing w/o pulling the engine?
Will take of gearing cover today to inspect clutch...
I am not "technically or mechanically challenged" LOL!
I however havent worked on Bikes yet, do much of my wrneching on Honda's Acura's (yeah Im a Ricerboy//LOL)
Anyway, I am baffled that in one occasion it would spin freely and when opil is changed it seized up between the outer klimits of 180 degrees crank rotation.
Did hear a loud clank whenit stopped and I can also head some chewing when crank is rotated at the 14 mm bolt @ starter side.
Is there any way of checking the timing w/o pulling the engine?
Will take of gearing cover today to inspect clutch...
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7,865 Posts
Yea a cam chain could cause a lot of problems.
Check the top guide for abnormal wear.
Also, you need to make sure that you can turn the crank by hand (plugs out) without the motor binding. If you can not, I would start taking things apart. I would start with the starter idler gear (located between the starter and the crank behind the cover). There is a good chance that if the motor runs, but will not crank, there is something bound in this area (the spring washer could have broke and go stuck between the teeth).
John
Check the top guide for abnormal wear.
Also, you need to make sure that you can turn the crank by hand (plugs out) without the motor binding. If you can not, I would start taking things apart. I would start with the starter idler gear (located between the starter and the crank behind the cover). There is a good chance that if the motor runs, but will not crank, there is something bound in this area (the spring washer could have broke and go stuck between the teeth).
John
thx for the response.
What a thread jack!!!! oh well...LOL
I might start up my own thread, complete with pics, since I will be picking the bike up tomorrow.....
I took a chance on it for $1000...................
Yesterday we took the starter cover of, still no budge
took the trans cover off and clutch basket, ...................no budge ....still moves for only halve a rotation (ie piston tdc to bdc)
problem lies within the cyl/crankshaft area
took off carbs & valve cover to inspect
it seems the followers/tappets (is it called that? - the pistons below the cam lobes) have corroded and dont move freely.
im afraid it might have stuck open and piston caught a valve...
would love to hear more suggestions though....
Anyway, im ready for for a full tear down and see if its salvageable
In case its not..............K2 1000 here I come!
What a thread jack!!!! oh well...LOL
I might start up my own thread, complete with pics, since I will be picking the bike up tomorrow.....
I took a chance on it for $1000...................
Yesterday we took the starter cover of, still no budge
took the trans cover off and clutch basket, ...................no budge ....still moves for only halve a rotation (ie piston tdc to bdc)
problem lies within the cyl/crankshaft area
took off carbs & valve cover to inspect
it seems the followers/tappets (is it called that? - the pistons below the cam lobes) have corroded and dont move freely.
im afraid it might have stuck open and piston caught a valve...
would love to hear more suggestions though....
Anyway, im ready for for a full tear down and see if its salvageable
In case its not..............K2 1000 here I come!
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7,865 Posts
You could do a clearance check on the valve buckets. Try to get the cam in such a stage where the lube is up, slip a feeler under the lobe. If you have a large (out of spec) gap, you might very well have a valve stuck open.
John
John
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6,900 Posts
+1 on the rebuild. Especially if it's older. It's not necessarily gonna be a fix-all, but if his is anything like mine, it'll probably work a little better without the pile of carbon crud I found in there....
Update:
I bought the bike and dropped the engine
Systematically started removing parts to see which freed up the crank
1: Removed starter intermediate cams: the parallel ones between actual starter ring and starter clutch mechanism
Crank still stuck
2: Removed clutch basket: to see if transmission was binding anywhere
Crank still stuck
3: Removed cylinder head: to inspect if I was bending the valves trying to rotate the crank (in case timing jumped)
Head fine
4: Removed starter clutch from the crank:
CRANK SPINS!!!
The starter clutch is a one piece unit and there is some hocus pokus going on in there
Clutch engaged rotating it to one side (it locks), so it shoud be "freewheeling" rotating it to the other side..
It didnt do that smoothly, turned like ratchet-ish
I dont know if this is normal.
I went ahead and soaked it in brake fluid to clean the internals and it rotates a bit more smoothly.
Anyway, Im glad the crank itself wasnt seized, nor any valves were bent.
Im going to start a new thread about the tear down and progress with pics.
Just wanted u guys to know this could also be a part to look at when starter engages but engine doesnt turn...
I bought the bike and dropped the engine
Systematically started removing parts to see which freed up the crank
1: Removed starter intermediate cams: the parallel ones between actual starter ring and starter clutch mechanism
Crank still stuck
2: Removed clutch basket: to see if transmission was binding anywhere
Crank still stuck
3: Removed cylinder head: to inspect if I was bending the valves trying to rotate the crank (in case timing jumped)
Head fine
4: Removed starter clutch from the crank:
CRANK SPINS!!!
The starter clutch is a one piece unit and there is some hocus pokus going on in there
Clutch engaged rotating it to one side (it locks), so it shoud be "freewheeling" rotating it to the other side..
It didnt do that smoothly, turned like ratchet-ish
I dont know if this is normal.
I went ahead and soaked it in brake fluid to clean the internals and it rotates a bit more smoothly.
Anyway, Im glad the crank itself wasnt seized, nor any valves were bent.
Im going to start a new thread about the tear down and progress with pics.
Just wanted u guys to know this could also be a part to look at when starter engages but engine doesnt turn...
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5 Posts
My bike is now having the same problems as yours did. Loud bang and all, I dont know if its a starter problem but im about to break down and buy one.
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