Randy,

I can't help with the starter but as for the timing, you can static time the points fairly easily. Set the crank to the advance mark and advance the points all the way....the points should be just about to open...I'd retard it a little....in honesty, that's the way I've always timed my big twin motors....I'm sure guys will argue with me but you can static time the points and get greta results. If you still have your pictures of your cam timing marks, you should be able to tell if you timed the cams right....so why pull the cam cover.

I'm betting once you get the starter issue fixed and static time the bike correctly, it will run.

One other thing, I'm not sure if sportys have a TDC mark on the crank but you can also static time it to the TDC mark...just do not advance the points at the tdc mark.

 

Mine was doing the same thing. I removed the primary cover and sat in front of it and placed theheel of my shoe on the end of the jack shaft. I then had my wife push the start button and I watched the gears to see if they were fully engaging. On mine they engaged, but would slip and not turn the gear on the clutch basket. I figured it was either not enough "umph" from the battery or the starter drive(that gear and clutch unit) Hooked mine to the bronco and with 14.4 volts at starter it still did same thing, so the other day I purchased a new starter unit from J&P cycles. Havent got it yet, but hoping that solves the problem. Mine was turning and engaging the gears, just wasnt doing them both together. Hope this helps

 

Yah this is really hard to explain. Let me see if I can explain it better than I have been:

Right now I have the primary cover off. The bike is strapped down and up on a lift. If I hit the starter button, I can see the solenoid pull the shifter lever in (25 in your diagram) effectivly pushing the thrust washer and the pinion gear (or bendix gear as I refer to it) outwards (part 20 and 21). The pinion gear actually contacts the clutch basket. But here is where the problem lies. The pinion gear (part 20) never locks and spins the clutch basket. All that happens is the starter shaft spins very very fast but it never locks the actual pinion gears clutch in place so it can turn the actual clutch basket. Thats why I am thinking that the problem is the actual pinion gear (part 20). But before I bought another one I wanted to make sure from you guys.

Here's a video of what I mean about it spinning freely. It never locks at all. http://s289.photobucket.com/albums/l...t=MOV01090.flv

Thats another good point, but I actually see it spinning the the starter shaft and I see it spinning it quite hard, but the pinion never locks, so I think the problem is with that gear. But like I said above I am open to suggestion. I just need to make certain what everyone feels before I purchase. I don't want to spend more money than needed.

 

I wish I could help out but you have dug deeper into your bike than I have on mine so the only words of wisdom I have is...















PLEASE post a new pict in your sig. with those damn zip ties cut, it's buggin' the holy hell out of me and I'm sure your bike isn't liking it much either. Maybe that's why she's giving you crap.



Just wanted to lighten your spirts a bit. And speaking of spirits, how 'bout I raise a beer to you in hopes of a speedy recovery (of the bike).

I'm off to work on the wiring of mine now.

Rich

 

Randy.....
Get on the phone to J&P Cycles and ask to speak with a tech guy. Describe your problem and he should be able to pull out the gear and tell you if his new one locks in one direction. If it does, buy it. I really don't know what else to tell you about this one.....pg

J & P Cycles Toll Free 1-800-397-4844

 

Yah sorry about that. Those were only there to hold the cables back while I washed the bike. That was one of those days where I was expecting the bike to work right after getting my new clutch cable.......ahhhh those were the good days. Now the bike is back in pieces just laughing at me. I honestly think I'm about to go to the beer method right about now. I feel the need to get myself dizzy, drunk and throw a screw driver or two. LOL

Thats a good point. I probably should have done so in the first place. I'll give you guys a heads up when I find something out.

 

So first piece of advice for people wandering in to this area of their bike. The starter shaft nut is a left hand thread (this is very important to know). Second piece of advice, apparently the guy working on this part of the line back in 1976 must have been hercules because that nut is on with great amounts of force. It took every bit of strength I had to get that dang thing free. I had to hold the shaft in one hand with a pair of vice grips and a 3/4" wrench in the other to loosen that sucker.

 

The starter shaft nut is a left hand thread

Yes indeed, it is a left hand thread and it is tight.
The reason is because the starter shaft rotates clockwise with great force upon it and you want the nut to tighten more, if anything.
Here is a place I would use thread lock when you re-install things. You can just imagine what is going to happen should this nut come off!

Let's just take a minute and look at the service manual here........It says, 'Place the nut (16) between copper jaws in a vise and unscrew and unscrew from the shaft (22) which has a left hand thread.
When you put it back together.....'Pinion (20) and shaft (22) should be assembled with no lubricant on the worm threads. Wash parts in white gas, then secure the shaft nut (16) using Loc-Tite 'Grade A'.
(I would use Loc-Tite Red, not Blue for this, and I do not think it needs to be tightened as much as you found it done by the factory, but you sure do not want it to come off either)

Final statement in the manual reminds you to 'connect the battery cable to the longest stud on the solenoid terminal stud.......with the CAUTION, if you reverse the cables the solenoid will remain in the battery circuit.'

Keep us posted on the progress.............pg

 

I agree. This is a location that I will deffinitly be using thread locker. Luckily I already have a tube of it.

My HD manual, obviously, says the same thing. Here's the thing though. Their method doesn't work, or I should say it didn't for me. Here's why. The shaft although no matter how much you try and clean it, it will still have oil on it. That thing has been in the primary being sprayed with oil for 30+ years. When putting it in the vice if it has just a little bit of oil it will slip when trying to put the amount of force needed to loosen that sucker. Here's another probelm I ran into. If your not overly careful with the vice you will end up ruining the nut or the actual shaft. It will scratch and gouge that sucker like there's no tomorrow.

 

When putting it in the vice if it has just a little bit of oil it will slip when trying to put the amount of force needed to loosen that sucker. Here's another probelm I ran into. If your not overly careful with the vice you will end up ruining the nut or the actual shaft. It will scratch and gouge that sucker like there's no tomorrow.

That is why I say you do not need it as tight as you found it. Just use the RED Loc-Tite. This nut is going to want to tighten itself because of the left hand threads........pg