81 GS650L Full Engine Tear Down - Rotor Removal?

[DaveP]

I am still tearing down the engine of my 1981 GS650L so that I can split the cases and remove/replace the broken rear cam chain guide. I am pretty much to the final steps in the manual before splitting the cases which is the removal of the starter idle gear shaft and idle gear which requires removal of the rotor.

I do not have the rotor holding tool or the slide hammer/attachment to remove the rotor. Is it really necessary to remove the rotor before splitting the cases if my only goal is the replace the rear cam chain guide?

Appears to be more than $200 to obtain the tools to remove the rotor.

Thanks,
Dave

[londonboards]

On the GS1150s and GS1100Gs I have taken apart, no you do not need to remove rotor.

Give it a go.

[chuck hahn]

No need to remove the rotor. Just makes it a little lighter. Only other thing removing the rotor does is lets you change the main crank seal. if its not leaking when you break it down, all I do is clean the seal with some carb spray and apply some RTV to the case halves when reinstalling the crank

[DaveP]

No oil leaks before the tear down. Only 27,000 miles on the engine. Will forge ahead for now.

Thanks,
Dave

[Nessism]

I'd pull the rotor and replace the starter clutch rollers and springs and crank seal. There has got to be an easier way to pull the rotor than described in the manual.

[DaveP]

Finally pulled off the rotor this weekend. A 22m crows foot to hold the rotor while removing the mounting bolt and then a $2.80 M14x1.5 bolt to thread into the rotor and pop it off of the crankshaft.

One starter clutch roller came out when the rotor popped off, but no springs or sleeves went flying...