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removal of starter on my 1981 honda CB750C

chuck629

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I wanted to just get some advice on removing my starter motor (it is faulty) from my DOHC 1981 cb750 custom. Removal seems fairly straightforward but it appears to me that the carbs have to be removed in order to lift the starter motor out. I watched a pretty good youtube video on removing the carbs and from what I could see the starter removal should be a breeze at that point. It just seems to me that unless I do this (carb removal) I just don't have enough height to slip the starter out. But since I have not done one of these before I would be glad to hear any tips or suggestions.
Thanks from Chuck629
 
Chuck, Im new to this. Also having starter issues on my 82 cb750k. I removed my starter without having to remove the carbs. What prob are you having? Just a bad starter?
 
starter issue

Chuck, Im new to this. Also having starter issues on my 82 cb750k. I removed my starter without having to remove the carbs. What prob are you having? Just a bad starter?

as it turns out it doesn't seem to be the starter itself. My starter clutch needs to be rebuilt. I ordered the kit to do that and I will let you know how it goes. I'm kind of surprised you got the starter out without removing the carbs. On my bike it really looks like they would be in the way of that removal.
thanks chuck
 
What is the starter clutch doing? When I try to start my bike, it turns over for a second and then sounds like pissed off cat. I have checked all the teeth on the starter gear, the gear from the starter to the fly wheel. They are all fine. Pulled off the starter clutch and took it apart, all looks good. Im kind of lost.
 
I'm stuck at a little different point. I took my cover off and then took off my advancer unit. but then I'm sitting here looking at the starter clutch assembly and the service manual just says "remove the starter clutch assembly" . How am I supposed to do that? because once I have that off I do have the rebuild kit and a really good you tube video showing how to put new springs and cylinders in the starter clutch. ( I bought a kit to do that) I'm pretty sure that is going to fix my problem I just can't get my starter clutch assembly off the bike. How did you get yours off? thanks from chuck
 
I used a 15/16 wrench to hold the spacer and a 12mm socket to remove the bolt for the advancer. Then used two flat screwdrivers to pry slightly and evenly to get the starter clutch off. When the starter clutch comes off, the fly wheel behind the starter clutch will come off. I then used a 3/8 impact to remove the three bolts holding the starter together. What came in the rebuild kit? there are three springs and three doo daders (ky slang) on the end's of the springs and three roller doo daders inside the starter clutch.
 
ok. thats great I'm going to try that with the two flat screwdrivers to get it off. I was thinking that might be it but I didnt want to force it and break something. I'll let you know if it works. I'm not with the bike right at the moment. anyway the reason I bought the starter clutch rebuild kit was when I tried to start the bike it would start normally 3/4 of the time and the other times it would make a click and then I could hear the starter "spinning" but not "engaging" to start the motor. from what I read online and from talking to a guy locally who runs a custom bike shop I became convinced the starter clutch needed to be rebuilt. also if I'm wrong (and that has happened to me once or twice in my life) its not the worse thing in the world to put new parts in the starter clutch anyway. If when it is done it does the same thing then I will probably replace the starter itself. the starter clutch rebuild kit i bought was $34 plus shipping (ordered from vintage CB750 website) one quote I saw (from www.caferacer.net) was "If the starter motor spins when the button is pushed,that indicates its the starter clutch not engaging...if it just clicks or nothing could be the solonoid or corrosion in the starter button contacts or a dead battery /bad connections"
thats what i hear on my bike. the sound of "spinning" unless thats just my head spinning because I have been drinking some pretty cheap beer lately. and my wife has been kind of driving me nuts. but if it is the motorcycle I'm going to say its the starter clutch.
I'll try to put a picture up of my project.
 
oh I should have said also....the starter kit comes with the springs (3 of them) the little metal pieces that the springs fit into and also the three metal "cylinder" shapes pieces. so a total of 9 pieces.
 
file:///C:/Users/War%20Dept/Pictures/minitruckin/100_1937.JPG 100_1937.jpg
Chuck, here is a picture of my bike
 
great looking bike. Mine is very stock. there is a shop in Madison called The Custom Shop that build bikes like yours.
by the way I was able to get the starter clutch off so I'm rolling again.
 
The starter clutches are a know issue on these especially bigger motors like 1100. Even so, if you are running one of the newer oils with no zinc like cars use now the clutches can often slip until you change back to the correct oil. Car oils now are sometimes literally too slippery for the clutches to grab properly.
 
Similar problem to creekwater's - when I start it, sometimes I get a sound that is like an ooga hron from a model T. Could that be the starter clutch too? Creekwater, did you fix your problem?
 
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