Topic: play in cb550 kickstart assembly

[paulages]

While I have the cases split, I decided to investigate what I knew to be a less-than-fully-disengaging kick start ratchet in my engine (it's made I whining noise since I started running it. There was no wear and no metal in the pan, so I decided I could live with it for the time being). Sure enough, the ratchet teeth still touch when the lever is released, causing the ratcheting whine when running.

Anyway, my question involves the shaft as it passes through the case. If the shaft is bottomed out against the case, there is about 1/4" protruding into the inside of the case before the the gear. I can't help but feel like there should be some sort of spacer here, but the fiche diagrams show no such thing. According to the diagrams, I have it assembled right, but I can't get the gears to fully disengage when relaxed.

Suggestions anyone? Brent?   

[paulages]

nobody?

[bwaller]

Hey Paul,

The first thing that comes to mind is that the rachet guide bracket (or whatever Honda calls it) is bent?? The kickstarter rachet gear is forced to disengage by a cam on that rachet gear contacting a part of the guide bracket. It's held right on the end of the shaft by a circlip.

Clear as mud?  I'll take a look later.

[bwaller]

You've probably fixed the thing and are off for a ride by now, but in case not there aren't any shims and it sounds like your shaft is sitting correctly. Honda calls that piece on the end of the kick start shaft the "ratchet guide plate" and it has an arm that locates in a recess in the bottom case. Stupid question but...this is in the right spot? Otherwise if the springs are in correctly I'd check that guide plate. The rachet cam should run up against that spot on the guide plate enough to pull it away from the pinion with lots to spare.

[paulages]

Hey brent- I haven't fixed it yet, actually.... for some reason, my girlfriend wanted a romantic getaway to the coast after my being gone for two months. 

All I could think of was either that arm being bent as you mentioned (how thw hell that would happen, I don't know), or the shim behind the big spring being wrong and too thick. Anyway, I have another assembly somewhere, I just have to find it when I get home.

[paulages]

Sure enough, brent, that piece was the problem. I found a spare arm and it fixed the problem. It wasn't the arm actually, but the little tab that rides against the ramp on the ratcheting gear. I don't know how the hell that gets bent, but it did.


Now to out this damn thing back together and ride...

[bwaller]

Go Man Go. You're due some better luck.

[paulages]

Go Man Go. You're due some better luck.

...well I didn't get it. Fired it up and have a loud tapping noise from the top end. All mmy logic tells me it has to be an exhaust leak (those pipes are hard to seat well), but it sounds a little loud to be just that. Gonna recheck the valve lash tomorrow, but I don't know what else it would be. The noise is only when running, not when turning it through, and it runs smoothly. Doesn't seem like it could be much.