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Bits in sump pan.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Froudster
  • Start date Start date
F

Froudster

Guest
As I've only just got my GS1000E I was advised to drop the sump and check the pickup strainer. I did this and the strainer was fine but I found some rather alarming fragments in the sump itself:eek::eek:
The smallest bit looks like a roll pin. The small ally bit looks like a tooth off something. The largest piece looks like part of an engine casing.
The engine has done 25000 miles and runs and sounds sweet so unless someone advises otherwise I'm just going to carry on riding it and NOT strip the motor.
Does anyone recognise where the bit's may have come from please?
 
The pin could have come from the starter clutch, not sure about the other pieces. I assume the large piece is aluminim but what about that other medium small piece. Steel?
 
the middle bit looks like one of the dowel (locating) pins that fit between the valve cover and the head.

Dunno about the other 2, the smallest bit looks like gasket material in the first picture, but if it is metal, then thats highly unlikely.
 
If the pin is solid its likely from the starter clutch. The GS1000 starter clutches have propensity to fail. You may want to pull the stator cover and have a look if any of the pieces line up . . .
 
I wouldn't ride too far from home.
Roller pins and chunks of metal, don't appear out of nowhere. Something -transmission?- is shedding parts.
What is the history of the bike?
Are there any "random noises" like bits rattling around the engine?
 
Blimey that was quick:D
I'll try and answer all the questions in one go.
The largest piece is ally not steel.
The other small pice is ally and looks like a tooth.
The smallest piece is a hollow roll pin.
There are no knocks ,rattles or any other strange noises and all gears function as they should.
 
Starter clutch parts. :(
Clean it out and get another one or see if you can rebuild the old one. Parts are still available.
 
I don't think bits from the starter clutch can easily get into the case. I could be wrong, of course.
S.
 
No noises... My vote would be to clean it up & ride it.. Pieces too small for starter clutch. For all you know they could have been in their for the last 20K miles
 
Steve said:
Is that roll pin hollow all the way through or is it closed off at one end?
If it's closed off, it appears to be part of the starter clutch assembly.

.
Click to expand...

It's hollow all the way through and is rolled up springsteel. Like the one in this pic but where it's been formed it gives the appearance of having several layers if that makes sense.
 
SqDancerLynn1 said:
No noises... My vote would be to clean it up & ride it.. Pieces too small for starter clutch. For all you know they could have been in their for the last 20K miles
Click to expand...

That was exactly the way I was thinking as well:D
 
SqDancerLynn1 said:
No noises... My vote would be to clean it up & ride it.. Pieces too small for starter clutch. For all you know they could have been in their for the last 20K miles
Click to expand...
Lynn those ARE starter clutch peices. The cylindrical piece there is the pusher for the sliders. That piece goes on the end of the spring, which, incidently, if THAT was in your sump pan, the spring is floating around in there too. Get that starter clutch OUT IMMEDIATELY, because there are TWO MORE of those in the clutch. I JUST replaced my starter clutch, it was already having problems, and getting chattery, but when we pulled it, those pushers were about to come out the back side of the clutch. The 1000s and up have a problem with kickback, for whatever reason, and this is generally the result over time. The torque thrown onto the clutch on kick back will eventually oval the holes that the bolts that hold the clutch onto the rotor go in. In turn, the clutch is no longer sealed to the back of the rotor, which is what keeps all those bits in there. It will start tossing out all kinds of things. I had PART of one of the springs show up on the end of my magnetic drain plug, and that was an immediate announcement to replace it ASAP. The one thing going for you is that the 8v motor doesnt have enough pressure to push those bits up into crucial bearing areas. I would however be worried about it getting into the tranny or something else down low, or possibly plugging up an oil passage. The big chunks of metal you show there, I cant say, but i wouldnt be surprised, based on the look of MY starter clutch when i removed it, if it were more parts of it. They REALLY HONESTLY will start self destructing in catastrophic ways. Looking at it again, I wouldnt be surprise if the "tooth" looking thing is part of the Primary gear. This also gets heavily damaged. The other, large piece, could possibly be part of the rotor, the primary gear, or the starter clutch itself. Any problems shifting at all? The large piece looks as if it had a bolt head attached to it at one time. And it has been thru something that has caused all that marking. The only place that a piece of that size could be turned over is in the Stator cover, or the clutch cover. As I said, pull that stator cover ASAP, and get that starter clutch out of there.
 
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The hollow pin def. looks like starter clutch to me -- and I too have found one in my drain pan.

The other bits of metal I don't immediately recognise, but I have a hunch that if you pop the rotor off the end of the crankshaft, you may soon find out where they come from. :(

You could keep riding (my first thought when I started reading this thread, too) but mate was I glad that I inspected my starter clutch the other month, when similar pieces of metal appeared. There were lots of other bits about to be released into the proceedings!
 
Froudster said:
No problems with shifting CafeKid.
Click to expand...
Then likely youve not had any of that stuff find its way into the tranny. As I said tho, I would get that dastardly thing out of there as soon as you can. Eventually, it will spill its guts completely, and then all that lovely metal will be floating around in your otherwise fantastic motor. Mine were actually getting enough force put against them that they were pushing out thru the backing plate of the starter clutch! Pretty crazy. Looked like someone had taken a cutting torch to it.
 
What sort of mileage would be needed to wear the starter clutch to that extent, as this one has only done 25000?
 
What sort of mileage would be needed to wear the starter clutch to that extent, as this one has only done 25000?
Click to expand...
No idea... but mine had over 100,000 kms when I got it. But for all I know that might have been the 3rd or 4th starter clutch!

Or, your machine might really be 125000kms... (which isn't a big deal, you can just rebuild the top ends on these things and then get another 1/2 lifetime's riding out of them!)

As with TheCafeKid, my old starter clutch had holes smacked right through the outer metal 'sleeve' of the clutch unit, presumably from the infamous 'kick back' that these starter clutches can produce.

What actually causes this kickback is a matter of debate, but personally I point the finger at the hub of the large gear which the clutch bearing engage with... it seems to be soft enough to get mild 'dents' in it from the 3 bearings, which then means the bearings can skip around it until they lock into a dent. Either way, not a good design, I'm afraid to say. :(
 
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