81 maxim 650 starter issue

I have an 81 650 maxim and the starter turns but the bike will not turn over. I'm fairly certain that it needs a new starter clutch. As I bought the bike this way I kind of new what I was getting myself into and I don't want to try and replace it with the motor in the bike. I'm planning on doing a complete teardown anyway. Now to the point. Is there a trick to removing the engine from the frame or do I have to remove the oil pan or something along those lines. I have the bolts all out and everyhting disconnected but I seem to have square peg round hole sydrome. I'm either missing something or maybe just borderline retarded . Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

I'm not sure about the starter in an 81, but in my 82, I can remove 3 (or 4?) long bolts and pull the starter right out. In fact that's one of the first things I did when I got the bike.

Search for a post from RickCoMatic on cleaning / re-assembling your starter ( if you need help finding it, I remember him using the phrase "business end" a lot in the post )

If you're anything like me, that bike will never get put back together once you get the engine apart. Then again, I'm a procrastinator. But I'll tell you more about that later... Zing!

--Gremlin

 

If I read your post right, then your trying to get the engine from the frame, as far as I know the oil pan can stay, but you have to pull the motor out through the right side of the frame, it won't come out from the left

 

On my 750 I had to remove the oil filter assembly to have the engine clear the frame when pulled out on the right side.

Get a sturdy platform and put it beside the frame so that you can have someplace to put that heavy beast when it comes out of the frame.

 

Thanks so far for your info guys. The way I have the bike positioned in my garage I can only get to it from the left to try to remove the engine. I will try and move it around in its somewhat diasassembled state and take it out from the right side. Also to gremlin484 its not the starter itself, that spins gangbusters, it's that the starter clucth is not engaging and turning the engine.

 

Hmmm, weird. I pulled my 650 out of the left side with no problems. I mostly followed the instructions in the Haynes manual and everything went smooth. I used an electrical hoist and some nylon rope for lifting and moving the engine. The oil filter housing was off and so were the carbs. I even removed the ignition coils to keep the spark plug wires out of the way. It took a few hours, but I did myself. (By the way, I never would have attempted any of this if I didn't have this great forum full of helpful people to consult.)