Starter Grinding Noise

[Joe Guilbeau]

My 1981 GS1100EX has an issue with the starter, heard some grinding noise and I pulled off the Generator Cover to find a washer laying at the bottom, and some ground up blue gasket material inside... I suppose the loose washer bounced around and took out part of the gasket material overhanging the seal inside the Generator Cover.

Looks as if this is the part...

(3) WASHER
09160-13003 2 $0.82

...and it looks as if the washer above goes over the pin below...

(2) PIN
09206-13003 1 $6.40

The Generator Cover has a bit of a worn spot where the pin mates up to it.

Is the above washer supposed to just slip over the pin and reside there?

That does not seem right to me.

I am wondering where this washer goes inside my Generator cover...

If if belongs there, then where in the heck does it go?

Here is a picture of the Part Number (3) washer that I think is the one that I found inside just floating around, and the Part Number (2) Pin that looks like the washer goes over.

This doesn't look right to me, to have a washer just slide over Part Number (2) Pin and be trapped by the cover...

Any help please?

Here is a link to the parts diagram...

http://www.psndealer.com/fiche/images/Suzuki/1980/Motorcycles/2155_8.gif

When I grab the Pin (Part Number 2), I can detect play. It will move up and down at least an 1/8-inch, and in/out about 1/4-inch.

What's Up?

[focus frenzy]

it is not a washer, it is a shim, they are used to set the spacing of the gear and keep it from rattling back and forth.

is the "washer" chewed up??

it is real common for the idler gear and shaft to stay in the engine cases, but the outer shim sticks to the cover till you pull the cover off far enough that the shaft is out and the shim them slides down to the bottom of the cover.

if it is chewed up, someone had the cover off and did not make sure and put the shim back.

[Suzuki mad]

The starter uses this cog to turn the starter clutch which is behind the great big magnetic rotor on the end of the crank.
If you pull the centre pin/bar out of this smaller cog the washer does fall off the back and can be a so and so to get back on. There is normally very little play on this shaft but there is some. Without the washer it can cause the cog to wear the crankcase and also be a pig to start due to not mating with the starter cog.
If the washer is not chewed up then the grinding noise could be the starter clutch begining to fail. As said previously somebody else may have had the cover off to fix the problem but probably gave up! How long have you had the bike?
Check the distance between the main cog on the crank and the large magnetic rotor to see in anybody has put a three legged puller on it to get it off the shaft. There should be no or very little gap. If you can see shining metal in the gap where on peice is rubbing it will probably be the starter clutch that's making the grinding noise.
You could also take the starter motor cover off, undo the two bolts that hold the motor in place and remove it. Then remove the cog and pin. There should be a washer either side of the cog as per the picture.

Suzuki mad
Wanting to ride but it's till too cold and i've an engine to rebuild soon.
1981 GS1000E
1983 GSX1100ESD In lots of bits

[Joe Guilbeau]

Bought her brand new in Houston in the summer of 1981.

Four engines and two transmissions later... here I am.

Average about 10-15K miles per year for the past 25 years now, great commuter bike.

The washer goes behind the Pin #3 in the parts diagram?

I will have to look closer tomorrow.

She stopped the grinding as soon as I slipped the washer over the Pin and gave her a spin on the starter. Sounded normal.

The washer is just a bit marked, I caught it early.

So, if this washer was left off the pin, I pull the pin and set this washer behind it, right?

Got to go to work now, be back tonight after 10 PM when I get off.

[Joe Guilbeau]

it is not a washer, it is a shim, they are used to set the spacing of the gear and keep it from rattling back and forth.

is the "washer" chewed up??

it is real common for the idler gear and shaft to stay in the engine cases, but the outer shim sticks to the cover till you pull the cover off far enough that the shaft is out and the shim them slides down to the bottom of the cover.

if it is chewed up, someone had the cover off and did not make sure and put the shim back.

focus frenzy,

Where oh Where does this shim go?

Don't know what the idler gear is or this shaft you speak of in the above quote.

This shim/washer will slip over the top of the Pin Part Number 2 in the below diagram. Is this the same thing as the shaft?

I put the shim over the Pin (Part Number 2) in the below diagram and put the cover back on and it sounds pretty normal. The "grinding noise" must have been the shim/washer beating around inside the case.

Everything looks really good inside the case, no metal shavings... just some blue gasket material that go chewed up (and not much of that at all).

Still, where and how does this shim get placed in it's correct position?

[Suzuki mad]

You have 2 part no 3's (washers/shims/spacers call them what you like.)

1 part no 2 (pin/shaft call it what you like.)

Part no 2 fit's into a small hole in the crankcase between the starter motor and the rotor.

Then part 3 goes on to the shaft.

This is then followed by the cog so that it mates with the starter motor and the cog on the rotor.

Then the 2nd part 3 goes on the shaft.

Then you put the alternator casing back on.

Part 3 keeps and even space between the crankcase and the cog and the outer alternator casing and the cog keeping it in the correct position.

Does that make any more sense?

Suzuki Mad
It's warmed up here......now it's raining
1981 GS1000E
1983 GSX1100ESD