Author Topic: starter sprag  (Read 2181 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

fzr400

  • Scooter
  • **
  • Posts: 80
  • Karma: 0
on: April 02, 2014, 07:57:34 pm
i got a 2011 b5 and it will just spin the starter some of the time. warranty is
almost up dealer cant duplicate. but i did 3x to the driver who picked it up.but dealer says all is fine. what to do. they had it for a week. thank you for any advice.
current bikes
90 yamaha fzr 400
99 yamaha vmax
04 honda rc51
11 RE B5
all us spec


Ducati Scotty

  • Grand Gearhead
  • *****
  • Posts: 7,038
  • Karma: 0
  • 2010 Teal C5
Reply #1 on: April 02, 2014, 07:59:49 pm
Have your battery checked.  If it's weak it can cause the sprag not to engage.  Is your battery the original?

Scott


fzr400

  • Scooter
  • **
  • Posts: 80
  • Karma: 0
Reply #2 on: April 02, 2014, 08:16:48 pm
no its not the original battery.it starts the battery is strong.thanks
current bikes
90 yamaha fzr 400
99 yamaha vmax
04 honda rc51
11 RE B5
all us spec


Ducati Scotty

  • Grand Gearhead
  • *****
  • Posts: 7,038
  • Karma: 0
  • 2010 Teal C5
Reply #3 on: April 02, 2014, 10:12:49 pm
If it's just not catching and your battery and starter are up to snuff then you may just need a new sprag.  They're about $400 from a US dealer, $200 or less from one of the aftermarket Indian companies that sells Bullet parts.  Usually they self-destruct over time, noisily and obviously.  I don't know that I've heard of one that just stopped catching.

There are examples of starter sprags on other bikes (BMW, Ducati) that had similar issues, cured with a long soak in Marvel Mystery Oil or some other penetrating oil.  Something to try I suppose.

Scott


fzr400

  • Scooter
  • **
  • Posts: 80
  • Karma: 0
Reply #4 on: April 02, 2014, 11:42:57 pm
yeah thats what i gather starter sprag. butt what gets me is it does 3 times in a row when they come to pick it up  (50$) charge for that. then they say they cant get it to do it
current bikes
90 yamaha fzr 400
99 yamaha vmax
04 honda rc51
11 RE B5
all us spec


Ducati Scotty

  • Grand Gearhead
  • *****
  • Posts: 7,038
  • Karma: 0
  • 2010 Teal C5
Reply #5 on: April 02, 2014, 11:51:15 pm
How far is the shop?  You could go there to try and demonstrate.

Scott


fzr400

  • Scooter
  • **
  • Posts: 80
  • Karma: 0
Reply #6 on: April 02, 2014, 11:55:24 pm
about 50miles but going there sounds like what i will have to do
current bikes
90 yamaha fzr 400
99 yamaha vmax
04 honda rc51
11 RE B5
all us spec


gashousegorilla

  • Grand Gearhead
  • *****
  • Posts: 4,485
  • Karma: 0
Reply #7 on: April 03, 2014, 01:46:24 am
 Could be the starter drive gear missing a couple of teeth ? ... could be the jack shaft gear ?   Something is not engaging ?   Really, it only takes 10 minutes to pull that left side cover off, hit the starter , and see whats up.....  I would ask them if they did that.
An thaibhsí atá rattling ag an doras agus tá sé an diabhal sa chathaoir.


Arizoni

  • Grand Gearhead
  • *****
  • Posts: 7,412
  • Karma: 2
  • "But it's a dry heat here in Arizona
Reply #8 on: April 03, 2014, 02:37:36 am
When I tried starting my very cold G5 up in the morning in Flagstaff a combination of a cold battery and damn cold engine caused my starter sprag to "slip".

Actually, it didn't slip until the engine coughed.  Then it slipped.

Kinda a "Crank, cough, weeeeeeeeeeee." thing.

IMO, this doesn't mean the sprag clutch is bad or going bad.  It's just the way they sometimes work.

The initial spinning of the starter motor tries to force the sprag's down into the gear that drives the starter geartrain.  If the voltage is low (like my cold soaked battery was) the sprag engagement will be weaker than it should be.

If the engine starts to catch but not really start (with a half hearted chug), it kicks the sprags out of engagement with the drive gear.

Free of its load, the starter motor continues to wind up making a wheeeeeeeeee sound until the starter button is released.

I've only seen this happen with a cold engine and low battery but I don't doubt that a weak battery could cause it to happen any time.

It would be a good idea to let the RE mechanic check it out but don't be surprised if the clutch works find with a warm engine.

Oh.  After about 3 crank,cough, wheeeee's my engine started.   In the 350 miles I've ridden sense that happened the starter and the sprag clutch are working flawlessly.
Jim
2011 G5 Deluxe
1999 Miata 10th Anniversary


whoguy

  • Scooter
  • **
  • Posts: 71
  • Karma: 0
  • Hi... I love all things Beautiful...
Reply #9 on: April 03, 2014, 04:40:24 am
fzr400,

Sounds like what mine did... I kept riding it for 2 years, every morning praying today was not the day the sprag dies. Eventually, one morning.... wheeeeeez.... wheeeeez... it died. What made it worse was my c5 has no kick starter.... so had to replace it. Good news is the new assembly is the heavy duty one and it has worked flawlessly for a year now.

I wonder if your one is the heavy duty one or the old one???

hmmm
To ride or not to ride... That is the question!


fzr400

  • Scooter
  • **
  • Posts: 80
  • Karma: 0
Reply #10 on: April 03, 2014, 08:33:18 pm
probally not the heavy duty one. its been doin it gradualy more and more. and the dealer cant duplicate
current bikes
90 yamaha fzr 400
99 yamaha vmax
04 honda rc51
11 RE B5
all us spec


gashousegorilla

  • Grand Gearhead
  • *****
  • Posts: 4,485
  • Karma: 0
Reply #11 on: April 03, 2014, 08:58:56 pm
 When my original weak sprag finally gave up the ghost.  I KNEW what it was by the sound when I hit the starter. It made a god awful racket.... whizzing and clacking.  Then , the next time I hit the starter it was fine. And it might have been fine for the next few starts. But then it would do it again.  Soooo, knowing what was going on, I just went into that left side cover and took it out. Separated the gears that the sprag is housed in. And sure enough a few sprags fell out of the cage.  And ever since putting in the new beefer spag, I have had no problems.  The point is...... you should be able to tell by the sound, there is no mistaking it.  AND, you can not tell for sure without visually inspecting it . Which involves removing the cover, the primary chain and etc. Soooo.... It takes a LITTLE bit of work, but not much ! To be sure. Because it may SOUND ok for a few starts, but then you get the noise again.
An thaibhsí atá rattling ag an doras agus tá sé an diabhal sa chathaoir.