Wife's bike 1989 Custom Softail, FXSTC. Recently the starter began to spin freely on occasion, like it wasn't engaging every time. I just removed the primary and hit the starter button a few times. The gear jumps out and engages everytime, but it doesn't always turn the motor over. Sometimes it just spins the gear, like something is slipping inside the starter. I'm guessing it's the starter clutch. Here's my problem, my 23 year old shop manual for this bike is missing a few pages, and wouldn't you know it's the pages pertaining to the starter. Do I have to completely remove the starter from the bike to replace the starter clutch?? I removed the small gear that engages the clutch hub, but that's as far as I can go. With a flashlight I can see a snap ring on the shaft. To pull that shaft out on the primary side, it looks like I would have to remove the entire clutch and clutch hub, or do I remove the two bolts on the other side of the bike that are holding the starter on and take it out from that side???

 

All the internals of the starter can be removed with the body still on the bike. BUT, you have to remove the starter body to do the starter clutch.

 

Sound like the bendicks solenoid is shot, and the starter needs replacement or re-building.