I have an 1985 soft tail with the 9 hole primary. And need to know why my starter isn’t engaging the bendix. It’s a evo 1340 with the silonoid on the top side of the primary. How does the jack shaft slide back in the starter .? I changed the inner primary seals and put it back together and now the starter isn’t engaging the bendix. I think I didn’t put it back in the starter right.

 

There were 3 versions of starter workings that year, so it totally depends on precisely which of the 4 different Softails versions you have to make a guess what you did wrong...

Basically, the shaft the bendix is on slides into a gear that sits in the gear housing (that the starter motor bolts on). When you pull the bendix shaft out of the inner primary, the gear flops down and the shaft won't go back in until you pull the motor off the gear housing and position the gear so the shaft will engage, or remove the whole housing/motor unit and line it up that way. Otherwise, "not engaging" could be a number of other things that I can't guess about without knowing which version of Softail it is to know which setup it has.

 

Ok I will get a photo and send it to you. And thanks for your help. Now if I pull the starter housing, Can I ; if it’s the gear you are talking about. Can I set it flat inside the housing. Put the shaft in and install it through the back . Or will the bendix clear? How do I make the gear stay in the right position so I can stab the shaft the right way?

 

Depends what all you have already assembled (clutch?). With the shaft and bendix already in place in the inner primary behind the clutch, take the motor off the gear housing. Then you can maneuver the gear thru that opening to get the shaft in it as you put the housing into place. Install starter.

I wasn't sure what problem you were having - whether something wasn't back together or bendix wasn't kicking out.

 

It’s not together right. But I’ll try and finagle the starter housing back out and look down in it to see if that gear is sideway. Thanks for the help. Hopefully I get it in time for little Sturgis

 

Ok , I listened to your advise. I went out to the shop/garage and took my starter, solenoid, and bendix shaft all out. I studied my starter housing and seen the gear that slides around. I could see that it would and was probably keeping the shaft from seating down in the ( I guess ; the bushing?). After I moved my exhaust out the way. I reinstalled the housing and the bendix shaft back together with the fork. My solenoid was covered in oil. From and old oil leak from primary. So I took it apart, rotated the studs so they had more contact with the ; for lack of words: the contact pad. And I flipped the plunger disc over to the new side and sprayed out the casing and dried it out. Sealed the solenoid up and reinstalled it. I hit the start and away it tried to go. But it was strapped to one of my trusses in the shop. And it did a wheelie and came back down and sat there and idled. I think she was tired of sitting in the shop and wanted out. Nothing was hurt, but I already knew the garage was coming down. Hell I was ducking and nowhere’s to go but under my bike. But she came back down and sat there trotting, all I could do was laugh and get a Michalob. But just wanted to tell you how it went and thanks a bunch. Now I can do the Little Sturgis on the 15th to the 18th. After the wheelie and attitude I now need to name her. As of right now I know it’s on the tip of my tongue. But I might could use some suggestions.

 

Thought about something like quiver, because she just about had me quivering. Lol….

 

Or Sorry, oops, wrong hole. Made her jump.

 

Have you ever seen the 1983 movie "Christene" ......

Glad you got it sorted out. I felt it was something simple, but often the most obvious and simple things are discounted or overlooked and give us the biggest problems. Happens to us all

 

Yea, it was an experience, bought brought the house down. But wouldn’t of wanted it any other wAy. Kept me on my toes. Lol. 👊🏻