V-Twin Forum banner

88 FXR 1340 EVO starter clutch, EZ fix!

20K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  evosteveo 
#1 · (Edited)
I recently bought this 88 FXRS and within 2 weeks the starter clutch started going bad. After a couple weeks of hoping it would heal it's self, I bit the bullet. It was a very easy repair and wanted to pass it on to others as it's common. I have no manual to work from but I'm a gear head so who cares.
First thing I did was a lot of stuff I didn't need to do. I removed the rear exhaust, starter and the gear reduction from the right side of the motor. All could have stayed on.
The first smart thing I did was to drain the primary side cover oil. The drain is a plug under the foot peg area and looks like all the rest of the allen headed screws. I found it by accident.
Next, after removing the side case and doing a quick inspection of the chain, I bumped the starter to make sure that was my problem. My bendix came out, engaged, and sat there as the starter motor turned. Note, there is a brass washer that goes over the end of the bendix, mine came off with the side case then fell onto the floor, don't forget to put it back when you reassemble.
I then unhooked the battery for safety.
Next, there is an allen screw on the top of the case, bigger than the side case screws, I removed it. This will allow a pin that holds a wishbone looking assembly to come out later.
Now, at the starter solonoid, you need to depress the little spring and cap, remove the tiny pin that holds the cap, and remove the spring and cap. This will let the wishbone part out of your starter clutch.
At this point, I took needle nose pliers and moved the pin up and out of the wishbone, through the large allen screw hole. This lets the wishbone all the way out.
On the end of the starter clutch assembly, there is a sholdered nut with 2 flat sides, it is reverse threads. Righty loosy, lefty tighty. I slid the bendix gear out into the flywheel and held it with vice grips clamped onto the smooth barrel. (Even if you mar it, it just slides into a hole in the outer case for support, shouldn't hurt anything. Mine didn't even scratch.) Came right off. Once this is off, it's smooth sailing.
Now the clutch just slides off into your hand. It looks like there is a small pully on the back side of the unit but it's for the forks of the wishbone to bring out the bendix. I had to have it for my new clutch as it had none. It's held on with a snap ring and transfered over easily.
I put the new clutch on and everything else, in reverse order. It went so well, I was sure I'd done something wrong or missed something. I didn't. I hooked up the battery and gave it a try. Works perfect. So now I put the side case back on, mine had a nice gasket in good shape so I RTVed it and reused it. All together, I had about 1 1/2 hrs in it. I had a little over $80. in it.
I fretted over this job because I had no manual and had never tried it. I'd read as much as I could on this and other sites about it but didn't know what to expect. I hope this will help anybody who needs the fix. Trust me, you can do it.
 
See less See more
#4 ·
Yea, 2000 would be a TC motor not an EVO. I'm not even sure all the EVOs are the same. (84-99) Mine is an 88, all the links I found must have been for later motors too because I removed my starter motor and gear reduction for nothing, basing it on what I read. Mine was a cake walk.
 
#7 ·
I recently bought this 88 FXRS and within 2 weeks the starter clutch started going bad. After a couple weeks of hoping it would heal it's self, I bit the bullet. It was a very easy repair and wanted to pass it on to others as it's common. I have no manual to work from but I'm a gear head so who cares.
First thing I did was a lot of stuff I didn't need to do. I removed the rear exhaust, starter and the gear reduction from the right side of the motor. All could have stayed on.
The first smart thing I did was to drain the primary side cover oil. The drain is a plug under the foot peg area and looks like all the rest of the allen headed screws. I found it by accident.
Next, after removing the side case and doing a quick inspection of the chain, I bumped the starter to make sure that was my problem. My bendix came out, engaged, and sat there as the starter motor turned. Note, there is a brass washer that goes over the end of the bendix, mine came off with the side case then fell onto the floor, don't forget to put it back when you reassemble.
I then unhooked the battery for safety.
Next, there is an allen screw on the top of the case, bigger than the side case screws, I removed it. This will allow a pin that holds a wishbone looking assembly to come out later.
Now, at the starter solonoid, you need to depress the little spring and cap, remove the tiny pin that holds the cap, and remove the spring and cap. This will let the wishbone part out of your starter clutch.
At this point, I took needle nose pliers and moved the pin up and out of the wishbone, through the large allen screw hole. This lets the wishbone all the way out.
On the end of the starter clutch assembly, there is a sholdered nut with 2 flat sides, it is reverse threads. Righty loosy, lefty tighty. I slid the bendix gear out into the flywheel and held it with vice grips clamped onto the smooth barrel. (Even if you mar it, it just slides into a hole in the outer case for support, shouldn't hurt anything. Mine didn't even scratch.) Came right off. Once this is off, it's smooth sailing.
Now the clutch just slides off into your hand. It looks like there is a small pully on the back side of the unit but it's for the forks of the wishbone to bring out the bendix. I had to have it for my new clutch as it had none. It's held on with a snap ring and transfered over easily.
I put the new clutch on and everything else, in reverse order. It went so well, I was sure I'd done something wrong or missed something. I didn't. I hooked up the battery and gave it a try. Works perfect. So now I put the side case back on, mine had a nice gasket in good shape so I RTVed it and reused it. All together, I had about 1 1/2 hrs in it. I had a little over $80. in it.
I fretted over this job because I had no manual and had never tried it. I'd read as much as I could on this and other sites about it but didn't know what to expect. I hope this will help anybody who needs the fix. Trust me, you can do it.
I did the same thing: removed my starter expecting the starter clutch to be part of the assembly! Once I got it out I couldn't find anything that resembled the Harley pictures of starter clutches I had seen on the internet. Fortunately I found this thread and it saved my ass. The starter clutch is part of the pinion gear assembly! In my genuine Harley Davidson service manual, the illustration of the part is simply labeled "pinion gear" with no mention anywhere of it also being a clutch which often needs replacement. Now I need to put everything back together (what a waste of time), order the part, then take the primary cover off, etc, as detailed here.

Thanks!
 
#8 ·
I did the same thing: removed my starter expecting the starter clutch to be part of the assembly! Once I got it out I couldn't find anything that resembled the Harley pictures of starter clutches I had seen on the internet. Fortunately I found this thread and it saved my ass. The starter clutch is part of the pinion gear assembly! In my genuine Harley Davidson service manual, the illustration of the part is simply labeled "pinion gear" with no mention anywhere of it also being a clutch which often needs replacement. Now I need to put everything back together (what a waste of time), order the part, then take the primary cover off, etc, as detailed here. Thanks!
Here's a tip: if the new pinion gear does not go right on, remove the starter shaft and stick it in the freezer for a while. Then, after it is good and cold, see if the pinion gear doesn't slide right on.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top