I'm planning to remove the starter on my 1993 FLSTF (Fatboy with 102,000 miles, OEM starter). The starter seems weak, so I plan on rebuilding it with the HD starter repair kit (HD #31604-91A).
I have a couple of questions before I tackle this repair.

1. Do I need to physically remove the oil tank or will there be enough room to just remove the locknuts from the rubber mounts and shift the oil tank?
2. I've recently rebuilt the starter on my 2011 Ultra. With that motorcycle, HD offers two different repair kits, one for the solenoid and one for the starter clutch. For the 1993 Fatboy, I only see the one repair kit for the solenoid. While I have the starter out, are there any other components I should replace, like the starter clutch, etc?
3. Are there any other parts I should replace, like the battery wires, etc?

TIA

 

I have a Dyna so I don't know about the oil tank but did have my starter out to rebuild the solenoid recently. I needed to replace the thrust washer and locking tab for the jackshaft bolt too but they were easy to find at a local independent shop. I also opted to install a starter button on the solenoid, it could get me home someday if something upstream (like the handlebar button or the starter relay) fails.
(No help in your case but FWIW the job was MUCH easier on my Dyna with the battery and battery box removed, that was definitely worth the trouble)

 

Understand that you need to remove the primary cover, so you can first unbolt #6, to remove the front end pieces from the primary side, before you remove the positive cable from the siliond with battery disconnected, then unbolt the starter two main bolts from the primary's other side, to pull the starter out.

As for tank, take a look and see if you you have the room, or will need to remove it before hand as well.

 

As for solenid rebuild kit, not sure what price you are paying for the kit, but is just a standard denso solenoid, and most of the time, all you need to rebuild that, is just a set of contact pads, and in most case, can just chuck the plunger assembly in a lathe, to take a light pass on the inside of the contact ring, to clean it up in the end.

As for starter, often just a mater of cleaning and re-greasing the bearings, re-greasing the 37 part (*if one way bearing clutch is still fine), lathing up the rotor 11 so you can clean up the brush contact pads, use razor knife to clean out the slots between the pads, then solder in new brushes. Hence $7 in parts, and just hit up a motor rebuild shop, with old parts in hand, to match what you need in the end,

* if you need to replace the starter clutch,

plunger contact pads look like this, and just need to figure out which two you need,


Replacemet brushes,




Or if you want the plunger assembly as a kit, then here, since again, the solenoid is just a standard denso type in the first place, with the ones marked for HD, are the same kits that go for about $10 less when not marked with the HD mark up tax. Hence going to come with a lot more parts, that your not going to need or use in the first place

So to sum up, if you just clean up what needs to be cleaned up, replace what is so worn that needs to be replaced, rebuilding a starter should cost about $10 max, unless one one clutch is toasted and it needs to be replace, or teeth on 18 worn to hell, and it needs to be replaced as well.

To add, if starter is just clicking when you go to use it, that is the solenoid with worn pads and burnt mark on the plunger contact ring.

If motor is weak when it spins, that is bearing that need to be clean and lube, and brushes and contact surface on the rotor that need to be cleaned up instead.
Also to note, check the ground cable to primary case, that is part of the bolt that holds the starter on to the case in the first place. Case is aluminum, channel threads can oxidize and be less than a stellar grounding point to the starter body (where starter gets is ground) in the first place.

 

You will have to remove the oil tank. There really isn't enough room to move it up or front to back. I have no wires running through my oil tank. I can kinda roll mine out to the side and leave all of the oil lines connected.

 

It's very seldom that the brushes need to be changed in a Nippondenso gear reduction starter. Disassemble the starter first before you order the brushes. Replace the contacts in the solenoid and make sure that they are level and replace the starter drive (overrun clutch) and you'll be good to go. Won't hurt to clean up the commutator if you have access to a lathe, either. Grease the things that need to be greased as well.

 

HD Part Number: 31604-91A, Starter Repair Kit. I purchased it a few years ago for $54.80
Instruction Sheet attached.

 

The part number for the starter clutch seems to be: HD #31663-90. I'll price it out and order one.
Thanks!

 

You can purchase the starter clutch from an auto electric rebuilder as the same starter drive was used in many automotive and industrial applications. Nippondenso offset gear reduction starters are very common.

 

Anyone have a part number, cross reference or similar for the brushes? This is the only item I don't have for a complete starter rebuild. I have found the entire brush plate, but just really only need (want) a set of brushes. YD