Replacing the starter

[malber]

I think it may be time to replace the starter on my '81 SH. When I hit the button, sometimes it sounds like it just spins without cranking, then stops with a sound like someone strangling a goose. I'm also pretty sure I have to replace the battery too as it was killed once and had to be recharged. My question is: I've seen some starters on ebay and the prices are right. Are the starters from all years interchangable or do I have to look for my specific model/year?

[skids]

The starter will be OK. These things do that in cold weather when the oil viscosity is too thick or when you use synthetic oil. Once your bike starts and the oil warms up there is no problem at all, right?

[malber]

When I say spins, I mean it sounds like an electric motor that's spinning with no gears engaging. Once started and going if I stall out and restart it starts fine. If you say that's okay, well then ok, but the strangling goose sound is really weird.

My last oil change was with 20W50 oil, which may have been a mistake given the approaching winter. And it has been in the 20's here. This morning I think I killed the battery trying to get it to start.

[Goin Commando]

The problem you are concerned with is not your starter but your starter clutches. I live in Florida and I have that problem when it gets cold here also. I am going to set up a heater pointed at it in the garage and turn it on 20 minuits before time to go to work the next time it gets cold here.
When I lived up north, the auto stores sold oil heaters for cars, I wonder if one of those would work in our bikes? Maybe just remove the oil filler cap, stick the heater down in the oil, until you were ready to start it... *remember to remove the heater before starting your bike!* Don't know whats movin around down there.

[Snow]

+1 on starter clutch. I'll be splitting my cases and rebuilding my starter clutch in the next few weeks...perhaps I should take pictures for a tech tip?

[malber]

Originally posted by Goin Commando
The problem you are concerned with is not your starter but your starter clutches.

Good to know I probably don't have to replace it. I thought I stripped something. Would changing to a lighter weight oil help?

[Erik the Red]

engine block heater

My folks had a block heater put on their car. Just set the timer to turn it on a couple hours before you want to start it. I think it's different from Goin Commando's as theirs heated the block instead of the oil directly. Here are a couple links if you're interested in looking into it. I'd assume it'd work for bikes too. The only thing with this kind would be that you'd have a plug (as in the kind that goes into an extension cord) attached to your bike.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Block_heater
engine block heater fact sheet

[Goin Commando]

Would changing to a lighter weight oil help?

Yes, a 10w30 would help some but it should be changed back before summer.
I have heard of the dipstick ones but I have seen alot of cars and trucks with electric cords sticking out of there front grills.

[webbcraft2150]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by malber

My last oil change was with 20W50 oil.




That 20-50 maybe your problem. I run 10w-40 and never had a starting or starter problem on some of the 10 degree mornings in NM. (Which I don't miss!!!)

[chopwatchagot]

The electric dipstick would probably work fine. Even if it's not a perfect fit you can just placie it in the oil fill hole and remove it and put the regelar cap back on. The block heaters are either spliced into or wrap around the lower radiator hose on a car, more or less permanantly installed. That's why you see the cord sticking out from under the hood.

[xswilly]

i used to have that problem long ago
in cold weather only
i don't ride in the real cold weather any more
so the problem went away

but i would have to say the problem is normal
as it happened to me when the bike was less than a year old
back in the winter of 78 to 79
i used to start it and warm it up once a week

[HobbyMan]

I use 20W50 oil all the time. I have never had a problem at all. The bikes run hot in any weather so It really doesn't matter. I just make sure that I let it warm up sufficiently before I take off. Since I buy oil by the case when it is on sale, I would never go through enough oil in the winter to buy a lighter weight. In the Texas summers during rush hour, you really need the heavier weight, so I stock a lot of it. For me, I added some 90deg brass fittings to my oil cooler to the existing ones(fittings on the top) so the hose barb points straight down. Now, with bare hands, I can actually feel when the oil temp is warm. It sounds like the starter clutch is the problem. Theoretically, if your starter clutch is not engaging because of cold oil, it will just sound like a motor spinning(Gurus help me on this one). Instead of a block heater, why not just set a high watt bulb right underneath the oil pan. I never have to do any of this because even though my garage isn't insulated well, I have a refrigerator in there that seems to keep the temp up. Recently, the temp outside has been in the low 20's and I never had any problems.

[jeffe]

This sound could be a Yamaha thing. My XS11 does it now. Especially when it get cold out. My 650 Seca started doing it at around 40k miles. The dealer said it was normal and not to worry. It was well out of warranty so he weas not trying to get out of anyhting. It went another 60k miles with no problem except the noise. By the way the " Stragling a goose " description nailed it.