[The Garbone]

Well, last night I found out that Primary studs are not all the same length.  Check out the picture.  The short one is a 3/8" Imperial stud part #140277 ordered from another vendor and the long one is the stock metric stud from my 2007. 




So, while I have some downtime waiting to resolve this latest roadblock I decided to take apart my old inner chain case and salvage the sprag to sell on Ebay as a working used part.

Opened up my leaky tumor and found the nuts were not even hand tight, with no lock washers or locktite evident.   I removed the back cover and pulled the gears only to have my spag come apart in my hand.   



The starter had been working well before I pulled this thing apart but obviously it was not 100%.   

Do these gears and bits of metal have any resale value or is this a lost cause? 

Now I am really happy I am converting to KS only..... lol...

[ace.cafe]

It's always sumthin', ain't it?

At least your sprag and tumor problems will be solved for good!

[The Garbone]

Yup, always somethin...   Honestly,  this is the most fun I have had in many years.  I am loving every second of it....    I would rather be wrenching on my RE than going to Disney, and it sure is less expensive..

[deejay]

Yup, always somethin...   Honestly,  this is the most fun I have had in many years.  I am loving every second of it....    I would rather be wrenching on my RE than going to Disney, and it sure is less expensive..

It is a lot of fun. I also converted my Bullet to KS only last summer. My father liked the idea so much that he just converted his 2002 Bullet to KS only as well. Good times! 

[REpozer]

Thanks Gary,
Now I'm really starting to bite my nails, wondering how long my spag will work.
Who knows how long that spag cage has been damaged and still working.
They don't make a KS only kit for the AVL engine. I went for a 15 -20 min run last week after sitting 2-months , no trouble kick starting first try after using the kick routine.

[Vince]

     REpozer, stop worrying. If you read some of my other posts you will see that most of the issues can be avoided. Most of my customers do not have these problems. Use the bike regularly. Keep it in a good state of tune. KEEP THE BATTERY CHARGED!!!!! Fill the primary with a full liter of 20W50. With the AVL you should see your dealer for the new ignition module. It will help eliminate the kick backs that cause the problems.
     I'm not saying you will never have a problem. You simply have to be a little pro-active with maintenance. That will minimize problems.

[REpozer]

Thanks Vince,
I have completed all  the above.

[Cabo Cruz]

Brother Poz, there's an old adage that goes:

"Your biggest fears never come to pass."

[REpozer]

Truth is ,  .I  believe in preventive maintenance ,I have completed everything possible to avoid this ( including soldering the resistor into the pulse cable) .I enjoy the MC and really don't worry overly about it .
I just don't understand why a design like that , had such a long production run without a viable improvement put in place, or why a beefed up sprag is not offered.

[Cabo Cruz]

Very good points, Brother Poz!

[23hp]

Thanks Gary,
Now I'm really starting to bite my nails, wondering how long my spag will work.
Who knows how long that spag cage has been damaged and still working.
They don't make a KS only kit for the AVL engine. I went for a 15 -20 min run last week after sitting 2-months , no trouble kick starting first try after using the kick routine.

Oh but they do, and cheaper than you think.  Remove Sprag, Remove spindles, replace primary, replace starter - enjoy the stress free life.  That's what I did 
Seriously though, I am on the lookout for a primary that will get rid of the sprag growth also...  Not sure if I can use one from a classic.

[Vince]

     The early ones did not cause the troubles that the later units have. I suspect that there was some manufacturing. tolerance, or material specification change made by the jobber to save costs.  Enfield was caught by surprise also.
     Part of the issue may have to do with the maintenance and riding habits of the American rider. Other manufacturers of bikes, parts, and accessories have made the same miscalculation.
     As an example, Avon's first touring tire was aimed at the Gold Wing market. These tires started coming apart in use. It never occurred to the engineers that the average Gold Wing rider checked his tire pressure about once a year. the tires could not handle being run that low. Avon had to re-design the tire to take this factor into account.
     I often have to adjust something on a bike to accommodate a customer's riding or maintenance habits.

[Cabo Cruz]

Vince, not surprisingly, your posting (Reply # 11 above) was very educational.  So, once again, I thank you for all the goodies you share with us!

[The Garbone]

Well, I am done with this project for now...  I will save the details but in the end it involved all-thread.     Here she is now, not leaking yet....

I took more pictures but the rest were out of focus... 

[REpozer]

No srag .
Remember brake left foot, shift right foot, ride on the right side of the road ( not for UK or India, U.S.only)

[Cabo Cruz]

Good looking Lady, Gary... job well done!!!

[ace.cafe]

Nice work!

A 7" headlight conversion would look good on your bike.

[The Garbone]

Nice work!

A 7" headlight conversion would look good on your bike.

Now that you mention it,  I am a few sales away from ordering that very thing from CMW..   Hopefully I will have one on order next week..  Would like the Tribar but that seems a bit pricey...

[Cabo Cruz]

"Would like the Tribar but that seems a bit pricey..."  The Garbone

I have it, Brother Gary; it gives out lots of light and it looks great on the bike!