Quick question that should be fairly easy to answer. I bought a 98 FXSTC second hand and was told that the starter clutch had been replaced. I can't find any reference to a starter clutch in the manual. Are they talking about the over running clutch in the starter motor?
I was told that this can happen quite frequently if the battery is low and the engine labours at start up. As an ex aircraft technician (black hander), I understand the theory behind this and can see how it would happen.

Cheers.

 

gigflip,

The starter clutch is a new fancy word for a bendix on the old shovels. It will hold and turn foward and will spin freely backwards when the motor fires.. If you press the starter and it tries to crank and then spinns freely you starter cluch is normally about to go. In your manual go to the starter section an look at the break down of the starter, it should be listed.

later.....................

 

The starter clutch is the over running clutch. The over run clutch or bendix's has a one way clutch built into it. When rotatated in one direction it locks, in the other it freewheels. The reason for this is once the engine starts and begins to turn faster than the starter motor the clutch releases and doesn't over spin the starter causing damage. It also allows the bendix to retract once thestarter button is released.The clutch in the unit has nothing to do with a low battery.

 

The first time you hear it grind on startup get it changed.It only gets worse from there.

 

Guy's,

as an ex Aircraft Technician, I can actually see how theover-running clutch service life could be reduced through a low battery. The over-running clutch would have been "certified" for a certain reasonable number of engine turn overs before the clutch begins to wear. Now, if you have a low battery then the bike will be much harder to start and will labor. This will cause the over-running clutch to remain "engaged" (for want of better terminology)for a much longer period of time which would increase the heat gererated by the mechanism. Increased heat will equal increased wear. To maximise the life of the over-running clutch, it is my belief that a fully charged battery at all times is required.

Cheers and safe riding.

 

Doesn't matter a rat's. It's either engaged or not. It'sbasically a ratchet with no dowels associated with typical boxer aircraft engines. Each time the engine is started the overrun will remove some microscopic metaluntil one day there is barely enough tooth area to maintain contact on the start cycle. That discusting grind sound is saying, I'm done. The unit retracts when you release the start button. Battery charge will determine if it will engage or not with generally no half way about it.
Ron