Starter went "Kablooey!"

[coffee_brake]

I didn't lube the bolt, I lubed the contact point between the pointy thing that goes into the end of the shaft.

Duh, was I supposed to lube the bolt?
Or was I supposed to buy a grade-8 bolt?

 

[The Beekeeper]

The puller you rented came with the hardened bolt, I lube the threads when I use the one I have just to keep it from galling and wearing prematurly, most folks who rent or borrow one don't think of this, no big deal there, if you use that style puller again just torque it up good but NOT to the point that you have a length of pipe on the ratchet or breaker bar for leverage, then strike the end of the center bolt to shock and hopefully break things free, you may have to repeat this process a few times to make it happen it's ok...............

 

[RaWarrior]

Definitely sounds like yours is being more stubborn than usual. My '97 with about 15k miles came off without too much hassle using the autozone rental puller, and the bolts that were in the kit. They were the "yellowish" metal, suggesting the kit came with grade 8(as you'd think it should). Tightened it as much as the impact would get it, smack with a mini-sledge, repeat like 3x, on the fourth smack it popped off. No bent bolts or stripped threads.

You can get a 1/2 drive impact from Harbor Freight for $20. I don't use it that often, but it works fine when I do. Make sure your compressor has a decent air tank to it...mine is just a small pancake one, and I only get a couple seconds of use before the pressure drops off too much.

Don't worry, bring the puller back to autozone and tell them it broke, they won't charge you for it. You can ask about what other pullers they may have, but I wouldn't recommend the "claw" style for the reason mentioned above.

When you're using the bar between the three bolts and case guard to jam it, is the bar contacting the flywheel? Just wondering if with all that torque, the bar is being wedged against the flywheel, keeping it from popping. Maybe try putting the bike in gear, and putting a brick on the rear brake pedal?

 

[gamorg02]

i pulled one off of a friends bike with a cheapo hf one.

 

[MaxMidnight]

Make sure that the original centre bolt is out a few threads to allow the flywheel to pop.

If you have a rigid puller you possibly won't hear any crack to indicate the flywheel is free.

That was the case with me. I didn't realise that I had achieved my goal until I was undoing the pullers centre bolt to start plan B and found the begger was off!

 

[coffee_brake]

OK I hear what you all are saying, THANKS very much for much-needed advice!

One thing I noticed: If the puller is flat side out, as we discussed earlier, there are only a couple of threads on the bolts available to go into the flywheel. It was difficult to keep the puller level to the flywheel.

I can buy a grade 8 center bolt for the puller today, but it won't have the right end on it to fit up against the crankshaft, in fact it won't be level at all. What then?

I'll get some longer flywheel bolts so I have more to work with too. They don't cost much.

I'll try putting the bike in gear and ratcheting down the brake lever...the "stopper" is the handle of a long pliers put through the puller bolts so they turn it up against the engine guard. It doesn't push on the flywheel, but there is sideways force on the bolts. Don't know if it's enough to affect how it's pulling or not.

But hey it's not working regardless so I'll change up how I do it.


ya'll said to "repeat several times." Do you mean loosen everything up, then tighten again? Or do you mean put torque on it and keep hitting it with the hammer?

 

[The Beekeeper]

Just keep re tightening the center bolt a bit and whack it with your hammer, you don't have to loosen it up and re set, you want to make sure the 3 bolts going into the flywheel are threaded in at least 1 1/2 times the diameter of the fastner being used for max strength, try to keep the puller even with the flywheel too, as for the stripped bolt, I would just take the puller back and get another, should not cost any extra,

 

[coffee_brake]

I absolutely cannot stop the flywheel from turning any kind of way. I cannot get the bike in gear as it sits on the lift. No way, no how. It won't come out of neutral.

I have ratched down the rear brake as hard as it can be ratcheted, the motor still turns.

I don't have any other way to keep the motor from turning.
Patience is one thing but this is a comedy of errors.

How do ya'll get the bike in gear? 1st or 2nd? I can't rock the wheels. I tried turning the motor while I had pressure on the shifter. Is there any other way?

Thanks....

 

[one2dmax]

Raise the rear off the ground and put it into gear. Then you can set it back down if desired.

 

[coffee_brake]

Well yeah, I guess I can. It's not on the CS obviously, but the front is tied down....

OK, back at it....thanks.

 

[gamorg02]

also wouldn't it help to be in 5th, not a lower gear? someone correct me if i'm wrong.

 

[Redbone]

Maybe you could put it on the side stand and tip it up enough to free up the rear wheel to spin, allowing you to put it into gear?

 

[gamorg02]

keep the front strapped down and get a friend. bottle jack under the rear stand mounts or that region should get it enough to just spin the rear tire eh?

 

[coffee_brake]

YEEEEEHAWWWWW!!!!

Got it!
Thank you Thank you Thank you everybody, I've never done that before and I needed all the help I could get. The bike was in gear, spinning the freaking rear tire. I put the rod back through the "spokes" to hold it.
I'm only bleeding in about five places but the flywheel's off.
I got longer bolts so I could push on the big bolt on the crankshaft instead of with the pointy thing in the kit, and this time I started moving around with the sledgehammer, hitting from all sides. It finally came off, and thanks to the tips it didn't fall on the floor or come apart.
Now...I have no idea what I'm looking at. The three bolts are badly worn of course, but does that explain the free-spinning starter after that horrid crashing noise last time I tried to start it?

There are some marks where the round things in there moved around...but they don't look like damage bad enough to make the starter spin freely.

How do I examine the starter clutch?

 

[gamorg02]

take some pics and let the experts have a go at it? i'd look for obvious cracks and whatnot.

when you take the bolts off, there are springs, caps and rollers. i would imagine those are disintegrated. the springs hold the caps which push the rollers..

 

[Rusty McNeil]

OK then I'm not the only one who feels like they're putting too much force on it...good.
I'm getting the bolts tomorrow, and now I have a nice shiny stainless clutch line to look at while I turn and turn and turn the puller bolt....

Think of it this way, (i think) the worst you can do by putting extrem force on it is probably break the puller or puller bolts, doubt you can damage the bike it self???

 

[coffee_brake]

I honestly don't see that much damage. No chips or cracks, just some marring and very shallow galling. But what do I know? Here's pics.

 

[coffee_brake]

Maybe it screwed up the starter itself?

The splines I can see look perfectly normal like any other starter to me....

 

[gamorg02]

yea usually those springs and rollers are all shot n whatnot, so i'd wait for someone else to chime in...

could the starter be shot as far as engaging its own gear?

 

[Woody]

why it's all apart. i would hit the starter button and see if the starter is working .
just a thought