New member here so please forgive any goofs.

I have a late '84 FXRT (that's one with a wet clutch) with about 106,000 miles on it. Over the last 10,000 miles or so the starter has been acting up. I push the button and hear a loud click from the solenoid, but the starter motor doesn't turn over. It doesn't happen all the time, and eventually the starter will turn over and start the bike. I have replaced the starter motor and the solenoid, but not fixed the problem.

I eventually pulled everything associated with the starter out of the bike, and the only thing that looked to be badly worn was the starter gear shift lever (number 11 on the diagram attached). The posts on the shift lever that engage the shifter collar (number 16) were badly worn. I bought new copies of both the lever and the collar and have started to reassemble everything, but I have hit a snag.

It seems to me that the collar should turn freely on the starter shaft, and it does until I install the retaining ring (number 6), but when I install the retaining ring the collar locks to the drive gear (number 9). That is why the shifter lever posts are worn, because as the drive gear turns, the collar turns and wears on the posts.

Should it be doing that? I could grind a little relief on the inside shoulder of the collar so that it is free of the drive gear, but is that the right thing to do? Does anybody know how this thing is supposed to work?

Any help is appreciated.

 

Is your starter clutch bearing bad? The starter clutch should spin, not the collar, #16. The collar is just there to push the clutch into the ring gear and after he button is released to draw it back off.

 

I don't believe you have a problem...at 106,000 miles I would expect the shift lever posts to be worn...if you let it turn on the drive gear...now it is going to wear out the drive gear and the collar...which is cheaper? None of these problems would cause the starter not to turn over...did you find that problem?

 

But if the starter clutch bearing is bad, it will wear out the collar or posts. And could bind up on the shaft and stop the starter from turning. Or it could be the end post shaft bearing in the primary cover binding up.

 

I think he has The Dreaded Click.

 

Yeah, thought that too. I'd replace the starter relay, a very cheap part. (follow the small wire off the solenoid to find it) or clean up the starter button and check all connections.

 

Thanks all. I did a search on "the dreaded click" and found that many have walked this path before me.

Some of what others have experienced seems pretty familiar, especially getting nothing but a click when the bike is hot, but getting the bike to start after cooling down.

Since I may not have been clear, let me restate my problem. When the bike starts, the starter motor turns over strongly, but sometimes, especially when the bike is hot, I push the start button and hear a loud click from the solenoid, but nothing else. To me, that seems to indicate the solenoid is energized but not pulling the plunger in far enough to complete the starter circuit. I pulled the solenoid, found the copper washer and contacts in bad shape, and replaced it with a new Accel solenoid. Put everything back together and get nothing but the loud click. Not a single electron seems to be getting to the starter motor.

When I pulled everything else out of the bike, the only thing I found that looked badly worn were the posts I mentioned on the initial post. That is what caused my question about the collar. After reading all the comments, I have decided to put everything back together with new shifter and collar and see what I get. I will look for corroded electrical connections as I go.

If the problem persists, I will try the parallel relay.

As an afterthought, I should be able to simulate a parallel relay with a jumper wire between the battery and the solenoid terminal.

If I get this figured out, I will let you know what I did and what seems to have fixed the problem.

Thanks again

 

Yeah, sounds pretty much like classic Dreaded Click. I, too, went with the new accel solenoid, with the identical results (went from occasional Click to Click all the time with the new accel solenoid.) The extra relay fixed me up.

 

Did you do the parallel relay method and it fix the problem?

 

I know this thread is old but I have a similar issue.

I’ve replaced the relay, solenoid, and new battery. And I can hear the click, which I know is the solenoid engaging the starter lever thereby engaging the starting gear. But the starter won’t turn. It’s like it doesn’t have enough current.

will the parallel relay method fix my issue?