XJ dilema

[tab1324]

I have a serious dilema with my bike. It's an 82 XJ with about 36,000 miles, decent shape... but the starter clutch has gone out of it. Normally I'd accept the challenge, tear the motor out, split the case and fix it up but my schedule probably won't allow for that this summer. I've got a baby on the way and I'm trying to finish up all my remodeling before June... Sob Sob...

So, here's my choices as I see it.

1) sell the bike as is for a disgustingly cheap price to someone who has the know how and time to fix it up. Anyone know what I might get for it?

2) part it out - I really don't want to do this because I know it's a good bike - just needs some work.

3) keep it - work on it next year.

4) try to buy a good used engine (with good starter clutch) and swap it out.

It's really frustrating because I have about $1200 into the bike over the last two years and it was running sweet. I've added saddle bags and a windshield, lowered the seat, cone filters on the carbs... The other sad thing is if I get rid of it, it will probably be a long time before I get a replacement ride.

Help me make a descision...

[trbig]

Ummmm... Either keep the bike and get a kick starter for now for the occasional ride... (fairly easy to push start too) while keeping an eye on Ebay for a good motor....

I don't know much about the starters on these things (Or much of anything else.. lol)... are the clutches not in the starter? Wouldn't a new starter get you what you need?

OR... you could just donate the bike to a good charity case (ME!) lol. Hope you make the choice to keep it since you put so much into it.

[GNEPIG]

.. i'm voting on the hang on to it option and repair it at your convenience. you have to much into it now to let it go and it will be very hard to replace

[John]

I'll bet Andreas Wiesswould have a starter clutch. The cases will need to be split, so you'll have to pull te engine. It;s not all that hard to do if you have some help.

[randy]

Have you thought about adding a kickstarter? No case splitting, just remove the right hand cover and add the parts? Could be a good work-around until you get the time to pull the motor.

[GNEPIG]

.. it's an XJ, no hole in the clutch cover and you have to split the case to ad the gears for the kick shaft to poke into. it sounds to me like his starter clutch is stuck in the engaged position, so if he push started his bike it would still be turning the starter over as the bike runs

[tab1324]

now bike won't even start

Yup - I think the clutch is stuck in the engaged position. It was making a whining noise intermitently at first but became more and more of a problem - even killed the bike a couple times. Now, I can't even get it to start. Would the starter clutch put so much tension in the system to not allow it to start if allways engaged?

Stupid question here but what is it that makes the clutch pull in? Centrifugal force? Electricity? If it's electric and it's designed to engage when the starter button is pushed, I wonder if it's possible if it didn't have enough power if it would cause problems.

I'm just grabbing at straws here of course.

Just so I understand - the kickstarter thing - someone says I have to split the case to add a gear? Then would't it still be a problem if the starter clutch were engaged? Of course if I split the case I'd replace the starter clutch but I'm just considering the options.

[TopCatGr58]

Apology in advance for Oversize Photo!

Hey Tab,

Look at this photo:


Part 7 is the pinch roller, 9 is the spring that pushes the roller
down the tunnel so that combined with the other 2 rollers, acts
like a pipe wrench grabbing the shaft when it's turned in running
direction, but just rolls/spins once the engine starts and is spinning faster than the starter clutch is spinning, plus once you
let off of the starter button the starter motor stops spinning it
and so then those pinch rollers just spin.

However in your case, somehow your pinch rollers have binded to the starter shaft, and so when the engine starts spinning faster, the starter clutch doesn't release it's grasp and so it keeps spinning, and it's directly connected to the starter motor with a
pair of gears, and the starter wasn't designed to spin for that long, so it could have gotten the bearings burned up from too much spinning, which may then be dragging the engine spin down, keeping it from starting.

You could try removing the starter motor, and then push start the bike and it should start and run.

Final words, KEEP THE BIKE fix it next year, save lots of $$ doing it yourself, and have the satisfaction of doing it yourself!
T.C.

[flb_78]

are you sure its the clutch and not the starter itself?

[tab1324]

I'm sure it's not the starter - it turns and cranks the engine very well. Last year I noticed that sometimes it didn't engage (starter clutch I assume) but the starter motor spun. Other times, it wouldn't disengage for a few seconds. This year it won't disengage at all.

The more I look at the possibility of working on it, the job itself doesn't seem all that difficult. I don't have a good manual but maybe the CD version would give me enough info. Not thrilled about pulling the motor though.

The other thing is, I have this mentallity that once I'm working on one piece, I should work on other stuff in the same vicinity so that I won't have to go back into it again. So, what else would be recommended once the case is split. I don't want to go to the expense of re-ringing and putting in new rod bearings but maybe a clutch and cam chain....

Maybe I'll get to this yet this year - or maybe I'm just dreaming. It's killing me seeing all the bikes out now.

Tom B.

[trbig]

This has probably been covered, but my XJ has the shaft sticking out the side of the case for a kick starter handle to attach to. Are you saying that there are still some gears inside the case that I need?

Tod

[TopCatGr58]

You'll be kicking yourself after you read this!

Tod,

You're confusing the issue here!!!! You've got a transplanted 78 engine in your XJ, so you don't know or realize that after 79, Yamaha quit putting in the gears and shaft for the kickstarter. So..his XJ doesn't have any of the hardware, and he would need to split cases to put in the gears and shaft and such.

You've got the shaft, and ALL of the gears already in place, you just need the kickstarter lever, and you're good to go!
T.C.

[trbig]

UGH... lmao.. you keep track of my bike better than I do TC. Man O man... it was late last night... please forgive me. But.. I was wondering if mine was ready to go or not. thanks.

Tod

[turbopete]

In topcat's pic it will be part No4 that's ruined, the ground face that the sprag clutch grips onto will have notches or flat spots all around it. The rollers (part No7) will most likely be wrecked too.

[tab1324]

any idea of cost of this stuff? My local place will rob me blind. Recommendations for online buying? Bike Bandit seems a little pricey sometimes too.

Tom B.