starter clutch?

[dennis roy]

What exactly is a starter clutch? What does it do? What the hell is it there for? LOL I have some hot start problems that are turning into all the time start problems. It cranks very slow. I was thinking I need a new starter but now i'm not so sure.

[chiphead]

The starter clutch is the link between the starter motor and the crankshaft. The starter motor turns the starter clutch which in turn engages the crank to spin it. Once the engine fires the starter clutch disengages or spins free. From the symptoms you described, I doubt if it's the starter clutch. If a starter clutch fails, usually your starter motor will spin like hell but the engine won't turn over. I'd look at the starter motor itself or a weak electrical system.

[tomcat24551]

The starter clutch is the link between the starter motor and the crankshaft. The starter motor turns the starter clutch which in turn engages the crank to spin it. Once the engine fires the starter clutch disengages or spins free. From the symptoms you described, I doubt if it's the starter clutch. If a starter clutch fails, usually your starter motor will spin like hell but the engine won't turn over. I'd look at the starter motor itself or a weak electrical system.

This is not always true. A buddy of mine with a 1980 GS 1100E had the problems dennis roy describes. Eventually, even a new battery would not turn the engine over. He took off the stator cover to find out that that the big nut that holds the whole clutch assembly on the end of the crankshaft had backed off. If I remember correctly, we had to remove the whole unit, thoroughly clean everything (including the end of the crankshaft), and then reinstall the clutch assembly with Locktite on the tapered part of the crankshaft and on the big nut.

Problem solved! Engine turned over great afterwards.

You can remove starter and test its operation without going to the trouble of removing the stator cover. It would be wise to do this first--might save you some trouble if the problem actually is the starter.

Tomcat

[t3rmin]

I'd still say it's pretty unlikely your problem is the starter clutch. That'd be what I checked last, only after I made sure the battery was in good shape, the wiring to the starter was good, and the starter itself was OK.

First things first. Hows that battery??

[Dave8338]

What exactly is a starter clutch? What does it do? What the hell is it there for? LOL I have some hot start problems that are turning into all the time start problems. It cranks very slow. I was thinking I need a new starter but now i'm not so sure.

Check your ground cables/wires...all of them. :?

[tkent02]

Whats the voltage at the starter???

While you are cranking it does pretty much the entire battery voltage get there, or does it drop way down to like five or six volts? Any of the connections along the way getting crusty? Wires seen better days? Battery getting old and wimpy?
These can all cause a starter to turn slowly.