Spare engine starter issue

i have a spare xpXJ 700 engine that can me with a parts bike I bought, primarily for the carbs. I took it out of the frame and it is stored in the garage. It came without a starter so I bought one I found on eBay, mainly just to seal the engine. The PO said that it had been running but developed wiring problems and he decided to part it out. The starter works so I decided to put some oil in the cylinders and spin it a few times to lube the cylinders. Unfortunately, the starter seems to spin but not engage the engine. Any ideas?

 

Have you spun up starter removed from engine think it should spin counter clockwise . Could be brush plate is clocked wrong( dont ask me how I know this), starter can spin in wrong direction. I bought a spare engine off member Joe Elif checked compression all 4 read 140 psi .

 

It spins but I don’t remember which way it spins.

 

That matters a lot.

 

https://www.xjbikes.com/forums/threads/starter-rebuild.122512/#post-615065


looks like it spins clockwise when looking at starter from gear end

 

If you just need to turn the engine over to spread the oil you can turn the engine with a wrench on the timing plate. Be careful not to hit the pick up coils.

 

That’s what I did. Just curious about the starter. Didn’t know if perhaps I didn’t get installed correctly.

 

i guess you could reverse the polarity on the starter and see if you get the motor to spin. that would tell you if the starter clutch is ok

 

Sure hope it is not the dreaded “starter clutch.” But I gruss I need to know before trying to sell if I ever decide to.

 

Starter clutch issue has a very definitive sound to it. Do you hear grinding when you try to spin over or is it just the electric motor spinning?