I hear The solenoid click but then the starter

I hear The solenoid click but then the starter is weak almost like not enough power is getting to it (it sound like A Hight pitch grinding) then it stops and all you hear is the solenoid clicking please help

 

Sounds like to me you have some starter brushes that are shot. You can "jump" the solenoid by touching a screwdriver across the two large poles on solenoid. ( There will be sparks ) . If starter still makes that noise and doesn't work. I'd say starter problems. I had mine rebuilt at a local starter/alternator shop just recently for like $30.

 

Possibly:

Not enough AMPS in the Battery.

Starter Motor's "Electrical-end" contaminated with Carbon Dust.

Starter needs New Brushes.

Examine the Starter.
If the Brushes need replacement, ... get on it. You could ruin the Starter neglecting this chore if needed.

Treat your Starter to an Overhaul.
Make sure it's Clean. Lubed and able to perform in Tip Top shape.

 

please help Where is the starter On this bike because On my brothers bike is hard to get at

 

the starter should be right there on the motor behind the jugs. very easy to get too.

did you try jumping it first to see if the battery is dead like rickomatic suggested. not enough amps in the battery.

 

yes I tried to jumping it Nothing I am going tomorrow to get it load tested So this is my first bike what is the jugs please explain what the starter look like

 

The starter is just to the rear and above the alternator, the smaller of the two "round" components on the left side of the bike to the rear of the cylinders and below the carbs. The big round thing is the alternator, the smaller, round "arse end" of the starter is what you're seeing; it lies crosswise across the back of the motor, below the carb to airbox boots.. Not hard to get at, but probably not your problem either.

Charge the battery, get it load tested, then try again. If it does the same thing "jump" the solenoid terminals (which bypasses the solenoid) to see if the starter spins. Not "jump" as in jump-start like a car. Don't assume a starter problem, the 550s aren't all that hard on starters. The other possible causes are much more common.

 

when i jump the solenoid terminals I is so weak and I has a newer battery it did it when it started up with the new battery about for time then it stop

 

ok how do you take the starter off

 

Be sure the battery is disconnected.

Working on the left side of the bike:

Remove the shift lever.

Remove the LH side cover that the shifter shaft comes through (the sprocket cover.)

Lift up the little rubber boot, and disconnect the wire from the top of the starter.

Remove the two bolts that secure the starter to the bike.

Pull the starter straight out fom the left.

 

Ok that is a lot more ill try to take it off some time thank ya'll

 

ok I had the starter tested it was pulling 255 amps that is the problem now to find someone to rewind it

 

You're assuming again.

And you need a book. The starter can be taken apart; it might just need a good cleaning and new brushes. But you have to be careful, it's a delicate operation.

Rebuilt starters are available; or you could get a working one off eBay.

 

Just as Bigfitz has stated, clean and inspect. If the starter has been dropped at some time, the permanent magnets will probably crack. You now have an extra north and south pole of the magnets in the wrong place. This can cause high amp draw as the armature fights the new poles during rotation. (I know, I dropped mine) I was able to find an old starter and just switched the housing. I guess all I'm saying is disassemble, clean and inspect very closely. The cracked magnets may be hard to see if it is there.

 

all try that but I don"t think thats going to work

 

You'd be amazed at what can be "repaired" by simply disassembling, cleaning, inspecting and replacing minor parts if necessary; and reassembling carefully with proper lubrication, etc.

These starters are no different; they've got 4 brushes in them and you have to be very careful with what you're doing is all. Get the plate in a few degrees out of position and it will run backwards.

For all you know it's "gummed solid" after all the sitting or simply full of dirt and crud. Or the brushes are GONE and the springs are shorting out the armature. There's only one way to know---

Disassemble, clean, inspect BEFORE pumping $$$ at it. That needs to be your mantra for the entire bike; don't assume anything. Or you'll end up spending money that could better be spent elsewhere.

 

I am just going to find some one to rebild it i have no clue what i am doing

 

No time like the present to learn. It'll be a lot cheaper in the long run. You have a quarter-century old motorcycle there' not an '82 Sunbird. You're going to have to learn to take care of all of the things that have deteriorated; otherwise you're going to go broke paying for things unnecessarily.

Good luck. You'll get a lot further with a manual and a different outlook.

 

well I have done a lot to this bike my self But the starter is something I have no clue how it works and I am going to try finding on a the junkyard Monday

 

You might just want to Pull the Starter and check-it for Spinning using a Battery Charger or Jumper Cables.

If a Starter just needs New Brushes, ... the Starter YOU have may be better than one you get from the Junk Yard.

 

No it did not spin not even when the starter had 255 amps going through it

 

Cheaper than a new starter: http://cgi.ebay.com/CLYMER-YAMAHA-MANUA ... 1c1aed60d9

Same book, different cover, cheaper yet: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/YAMAHA-S ... Literature

The Clymer book's section on the starter is actually better than the factory book.

 

It need to be wound and for the money I'll just go to the junkyard and get one

 

Ah...Fitz, I think he is going to the junkyard.
Hosethe3rd, there are a few places on flea-bay that sell rebuilt starters for a reasonable price, if you won't rebuild yours, you might consider that route. I found several DIY kits for around $30 and a rebuilt unit with warranty for $130.
I'll still lean toward learning to do it yourself but if time constraints are an issue... I understand. Just please don't go to the yard simply because you lack the confindence to take it on yourself. That is precisely why we all hang out here, to provide assitance to the owner that wants to try but might lack the courage initially. Only you can make that call but what ever it may be, I'm sure you have thought it through and are taking the wisest path.
Best of luck to you.

 

it's highly unlikely the armature needs to be rewound unless the insulation is falling apart.

like everyone is saying. it probably needs to be thoroughly cleaned and new brushes put in. maybe it's frozen or jammed up inside.

brushes wear down. armatures don't.

 

is the inside have black thick lube

 

255A @ 12V = 3KW!

Besides not spinning, I'd expect it to be red hot and smoking! That's a dead short.

Bad brushes would result in an open, not a short.

What doesn't make sense, if I didn't miss anything in this story, is why the starter was turning at least a bit on the bike, with the far less than 255A that the stock battery would be able to feed it. I'm wondering whether the starter test was done correctly.

 

bad brushes are what cause starter motors to spin slower and require more amps to make em crank.

but yeah, 255 amps. somethig is shorting out inside.

 

One other thing to check is the battery cables themselves 20 years is well past a good life for them. You can have new ones made at any napa or carquest parts store for $10-$20.

You will have one from the battery to the relay. then from the relay to the starter. Those should be the red positive cables.

Then you will have either one from the engine to the frame, and one from the battery to the frame. or you will have one directly from the battery to the engine. That will be the black negative cable.

Being that old of a bike I would replace them anyways.
Been there, done that! Not Fun!!

Good Luck
Ghost

 

no it is thestarter I have tested ever thing