Starter Clutch Failure

[squirrel_hunter]

The below picture is from mackemforever's 2000 SV650 (c.20,000 miles, restricted, standard except end can, recently reframed). Looks like we are missing 5 teeth from the starter clutch:



The symptoms were described as bad starting which is suspected as the usual reg/ rec problem as it needed to be bumped and boosted to and from the MOT station. But also unhealthy sounding bangs which would stop once the engine started almost as if the exhaust had a hole in it. Battery charged, the starter motor was removed and earthed on the frame, it span freely. So the process of elimination while wondering if the starter motor may require attention was to take the alternator cover off to have a quick look at the starter clutch. This is the image I was emailed.

So obviously the starter clutch (at the very least) requires replacement. I have advised not to attempt to start the engine again until all bits of the clutch have been recovered, that is if the teeth are still whole. However I think mackemforever would like to avoid splitting the engine to do this though I've not ruled this out yet. He should be sifting the drained oil for bits plus I've told him to take the oil gallery bolt out as I've found bits of engine in there before.

Is there any further advise to give and what might have caused this starter clutch to fail?

Lay bike down on left side and leave it like that overnight. Take clutch out and use magnet through hole in case behind clutch. Should be able to fish anything that is on bottom of motor.

[Sid Squid]

Originally Posted by squirrel_hunter

Is there any further advise to give and what might have caused this starter clutch to fail?

Good question. In what state are the teeth on the idler?

Originally Posted by squirrel_hunter

I have advised not to attempt to start the engine again until all bits of the clutch have been recovered, that is if the teeth are still whole.

Very wise. Make sure that you can account for all the bits before riunning the bike again. That said if they're broken off rather than shredded you shouldn't have to work too hard to retrieve them, Zadar's suggestion should soon see them found. When they're all out and it's running again, I'd do another oil change is pretty short order to make sure any lost bits are removed.

Thanks for posting this squirrel, didn't even think of posting up up here!

Will follow Zadar's suggestion and lie the bike down overnight and get a magnet on it tomorrow morning to try and fish out the remaining teeth.

I did drain the oil and filter it and only found 1 tooth that way so I've still got 3 more to find and ideally I need them found by Sunday so I can take the bike back up to Uni with me.

*Edit* As for how they have broken, the only one I've found was a perfectly clean break so I would hope the rest of them are like that too.

Ok, I had the bike on it's side overnight, got the clutch out this morning, had a proper fish around with a good old fashioned magnet on a stick and found absolutely bugger all.

Any other suggestions or am I now at the point where the only option is to take the engine out and strip it down?

Did you get allen bolt from bottom of engine when you drained oil. That is other place pieces may be sitting at.

I've obviously taken the drain plug out but I've also taken out the allen bolt just infront of it to get a bit more oil out. Every drop that came out of the bike was filtered and there was only 1 tooth in all of it.

The one under oil pump, 8mm allen?

From memory I believe so but I'll have a check in the morning.

This one with red silicon around it.
Take it off, all junk inside motor ends there.