Hello all…



I have a 1977 FXS Lowrider and I have been hearing a shortgrinding sound when trying to start it lately. Thought it was the solenoid so I replaced it…still the same sound. Looked back at the flywheel on the clutchbasket and the starter gear but I don’t see any areas where it is showing warefrom grinding…no metal flakes in the housing area. Luckily I have replaced the drive chain witha belt so I don’t have to drain that oil out every time I take the side coveroff.



I have a few pictures of the gears and flywheel area not quiet sure how to post them in here yet…and washoping to get some input as to what might be causing this strange grindingsound.



I have also looked at the starter nose that goes in to theneedle bearing on the cover…but that all looks good. The starter does not have an issue turningover the bike and it does not all the time make the noise. Generally when I try to start the bike itgrinds for the first time then I stop it…then push the starter button again andhave no issues…until I stop it.



Any thoughts?



And thanks in advance…

 

There is no flywheel in the clutch area.
The flywheel function is performed by the two large heavy "wheels" of the crankshaft.
The grinding sound you hear may actually be a chatter at the solenoid due to poor electrical connections or a failing solenoid (assuming your battery is okay).
The other possibility is that the one-way clutch for the starter gear is failing.
Some folks call it the bendix. If it is alternately slipping and then engaging while trying to start the engine it could sound like grinding.
The bendix is part of the small gear assembly that moves on that shaft from the starter assembly and engages the ring gear on the clutch shell. The gear and the bendix are usually sold as a unit but they can be pressed apart.
That's a couple things that come to mind from your description of the problem.
If you decide to replace the bendix, I think the nut that retains the stuff on that shaft is a left-hand thread. I'm not positive but I think it is. It's been a while since I have disassembled one of those.
Good luck to you.
Oh, the deal with the pictures is that you have to post a certain number of times (not sure how many) before you can see and post pictures.

 

Lot's of time the bendex wears out and does that. common for starters that grind

 

Thank you for you help and explaination. After taking off the clutch access cover I video'ed the action of the starter gear as it engaged into the ring gear on the clutch basket and it fully engages and with your description of the Bendix and how that works this makes sense to me. Does anyone to change the bendix and starter gear do you have to remove the clutch basket? or just take off the nut on the end of the shaft?

Sorry this is my first Harley that I have owned and working on..so some questions might seem like I am a noob...but I guess that is because I am...LOL.

 

You should not have to mess with the clutch.
First thing, disconnect your battery. You don't want to lose any fingers doing this.
Sometimes you can wiggle that shaft out of there, as I recall. It's a pain getting it off the starter shift linkage (yep, it's called a shift linkage in the shop manual). Unbolting the solenoid from the primary case should help some.
More than likely you will have to remove the starter motor and reduction gear assembly to get the shaft out of there unless you can get to the pivot screw for that shift linkage and remove that (with the rectangular oil tank you probably can't get to that screw).
With the shaft out, remove the retainer (like I said, I think it's left hand thread) and check the shaft bearing surfaces real good for galling or other wear also check the worm threads. Take a look at the shift linkage too. It has two pins that ride in the groove around the starter bendix assenbly. Those pins can get pretty worn. All that stuff is available in the aftermarket (like CCI). Be sure to grease the bearings on each end of the shaft and put some on the worm threads since you are running a dry primary. Some folks use anti-sieze on the worm threads.

 

left hand thread on that jack shaft