When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I'm having some issues figuring out how this starter mech works. I am fairly sure it is not the stock equipment. So, should the starter shaft fit snugly into the case housing or does it float in there? The reason I am asking this is because I cant seem to get the starter to engage properly. If the shaft is in the case hole (which looks right) it is pushed back out when I try to attach the housing cover. If I leave it that way then the arms on the lever don't travel far enough to properly engage the starter motor. It is as if the shaft is 1/2 inch too long but everyone keeps referring me to part number 31310-80A. This is 7& 1/8 long and the same length I currently have.
I couldn't pull up the photo's. The stock shaft fits into a gear in the starting housing. It is held on the outside end by the primary cover bearing. The difference between 31310-80 and 31310-80A is a shoulder where you have a snap ring groove. If you have an 82 you probably already have the newer shaft. Make sure that the splines in the shaft engage the ones in the gear fully and that the shaft is through the bearing and into the seal behind. The shaft remains in the same position during operation and the bendix gear is pulled forward by the shift lever along the worm gear of the starter shaft.
Try to get a service manual and parts manual that covers your model. You can compare it to what you have.
Starter gear on hub is in different spot on Sturgis
models . I also remember the outer Primary
differs slightly . I'll see if I can find reference for you !
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.