A handy guide to not rebuilding your slipping starter clutch.

Virago ...I think. Uses a bendix with clip and spring. The spring pushes the gear back, once the engine turns over.

 

Roger that. Kind of a bummer, bike only has 9800 miles.

 

Yes it does. This thread is about the XJ series, not the Virago.

 

Hi Everybody. I know I'm a little late to the party here but I'm just starting to gather research for my slipping starter clutch issue on my Seca 900. I bought it with 32k and it now has about 38k. The starter clutch was slipping when I initially bought it. . My issue is pretty similar to a lot of what I've read: it only slips on a warm start. Yes, I have tried all the usual tricks to find out if it's NOT the starter clutch. New battery, SeaFoam flush, thicker oil, rebuilt starter motor. I currently use the Shell Rotella Deisel oil. The only thing I haven't considered was the sticky clutch plate scenario presented by K-Moe. Would a slipping starter clutch on a warm start be a possible candidate for the sticky clutch plate problem? I can see that on a cold start but it seems to me that if the bike is properly warmed up that the clutch plates would not be sticking. Nevertheless, I REALLY don't want to crack open the engine so I will go and find out.

As I understand the test, when I try to start the bike and the starter clutch starts slipping I should roll the bike a few feet forward with the clutch lever pulled in and then try and start again. Does it matter if the bike is in Neutral or not when I roll the bike forward?

 

Hmmm, now, I wonder. Perhaps read the original post again...
Ok, read it. It doesn't say to put it in gear, but really, what would pushing it do if not in gear?
So if you're still unsure - put bike in gear, pull clutch and push to free the plates.
If you can't free the plates you have a clutch issue too.

 

Thanks Minimutly. Is there a way to verify that the clutch plates become unstuck after doing the procedure? Is it possible that even after rolling the bike forward that the plates would still be stuck?

 

You seriously need to stop typing and start thinking. Push bike in gear without pulling clutch in - does it roll?
No, of course not. Push on it, then pull the clutch it. It should roll. If it does you know the clutch is free.
There, saved you thinking too hard....
Sorry, being mean and sarcastic, but I meant the bit about thinking rather than typing.

 

Please do not talk that way to people on here. There's nothing wrong with the question I asked but there is everything wrong with belittling, bullying, and berating people for asking honest questions. We are all here to learn. That's the whole point of this forum. I think you should take your own advice: STOP TYPING AND START THINKING.

 

Okay my two cents ,since I had to do two of starter clutch , one engine only did it hot, the other started out that way eventually did it all the time. This was a spare engine I had been using , I split the case and found one roller was galled and the springs had lost tension . I bought a rebuild kit from the UK very good kit . the first engine I did I made mistake of moving the crank with cam tensioner out I have not looked but I may have bent a valve so that I will look at some other time. The spare engine I'm running now runs great and so far no starter clutch slip. I got lucky both engines chain guide were in good shape so did not have to pull head and the chain guide . Honestly it was not hard to pull found the engine , granted I'm a 35 years experience as a aircraft mechanic, I did the deed over 5 days mostly waiting on parts .

 

There was everything wrong with your question - it told me clearly that you weren't thinking.
Appologies if you took my answer to be anything other than constructive - I'm still hoping it was.
All the best.

 

To clear this up...the machine needs to be in neutral. If the plates are sticky they will break free. If it’s in gear you won’t be able to roll the bike nearly as easily, and the plates might still be stuck even after rolling the bike forward. If that is the case then the plates have corroded together and should be replaced.

 

You apologize AND insult in the same breath. You're wierd dude.

 

I tried the sticky clutch plate test 3 times and each time I tried it the bike was able to start fine without the starter clutch slipping. I guess it's time to do a clutch job and replace the plates. Should I replace both the friction AND clutch plates. I think I've seen situations where all you had to do was sand down the friction plates a bit and that fixed the issue.

 

" Replace it with a cheap oil of the correct specification, and dose the oil with Seafoam (or similar) to clear out the remains of the too-slippery oil. You can also pull the starter motor and spray carb cleaner towards the front of the engine case to help clean the starter clutch of the too-slippery oil. Do an oil change again after the slipping stops."

How much solvent in the oil is too much?

 

After 30 plus years of poor maintenance, infrequent oil changes , cranking way too much on the starter, low battery charge ...this takes a toll on the starter clutch , when I did the replacement, the springs loose their tension which means the rollers "skip" and slips . Using heavier oil will only get you by a short time , my started slipping only when hot , it finally got to the point it would not hit at all , after tearing into it one roller was galled as well. Since doing the deed no slipping .

 

I'm going to install new clutch plates this weekend on my Seca 900. Can I rest the bike on the kickstand to prevent oil coming out or do I have to completely drain all the oil?

 

I think you can just put it on the kick stand. Try it by looking through the oil level window on your clutch cover.

Soak your new plates in clean engine oil overnight.

 

Awesome. Thanks

 

Hey guys, I just wanted to share a positive experience that may help with everything from starter clutches to gummed up oil pumps in all kinds of engines, and I'm surprised that I never thought of it before!

My XJ1100 was struggling to turn over shortly after I bought it, initially I thought it was the starter motor so I tore that down and gave it a once over.

After realizing that it wasn't the problem, and having just rebuilt my XJ650, I knew exactly what I didn't want to do, which was some form of surgery.

So instead I just drained out the oil, poured about 5 litres of diesel into the crank case, (plugs were already out), and spent half a day turning it over with the starter motor every now and again, then letting it sit for a while in between.

Eventually I drained it all out while turning it over, ran some cheap/good oil through, drained and filled up with the good stuff.

Plugs back in etc and she fired up faster than ever and runs beautifully!!

I see other people here have tried similar things and I just wanted to add my 2 cents for anyone who's stuck on this.