GT750 starter clutch woes

[jabcb]

New plugs & it idles ok. Now to fix the brakes …

[jabcb]

Brakes rebuilt with new pads. Put on 60 miles & it runs great.

Just needs fresh coolant & prepped for winter storage.

[sonnyjim]

The nut was loose. Apparently wasn’t properly torqued down.
GT750_1970 by jabcb, on Flickr

Well. The same thing happened to me yesterday. I was using the starter to check for spark, check for compression, etc. on a bike that has been sitting for 5-10 years. Wasn't really having an issue. Then, for shits and giggles, I thought I might as well spray a little quickstart in the airbox and see what happens. It fired for a split second, but then the starter stopped working. it was still spinning the points cam, but not turning the engine over.

After i took the right cover off i saw that it looked the exact same as your's. The nut has backed off and the woodruff key was sheared. I was glad i had found this thread before i started taking things apart.

I saw the discussion about torquing that nut. The trick is to use something soft (folded shop towels) and wedge it between the two gears at the top right in the back. Worked very well and I got it to 40 ft/lb without issue. I just hope it doesn't loosen up again...

[Alan H]

The joys of 50 year old bikes eh? I feel your pain.

[jabcb]

As I mentioned in one of the posts, Suzuki used red paint as a thread lock. I used Loctite.

Didn’t think of using a rag when torquing the nut down.
Used an impact driver. Pretty easy to get enough torque without doing anything to stop the turning.

[sonnyjim]

As I mentioned in one of the posts, Suzuki used red paint as a thread lock. I used Loctite.

Didn’t think of using a rag when torquing the nut down.
Used an impact driver. Pretty easy to get enough torque without doing anything to stop the turning.

yeah, once you get the torque limiting extension for it!

I missed the part of the loctite, i guess i'll go back in!

[jabcb]

Agreed.

I tested the torque limiting extensions before deciding which one to use.
Supposedly, their ratings are based on using an old school compressed air driven impact driver.
The torque they deliver with cordless impact drivers varies depending on the driver characteristics.