WLA kicker problem

[Clark]

I'm having an on and off problem with kick starting my 1942 WLA. It feels like the kicker is just slipping through and the starter clutch is not catching or skipping across the counter shaft teeth. It's the same whether the tranny is hot or cold. I replaced the starter clutch, counter shaft gear, starter clutch spring, counter shaft spring, all bearings and spacers (all aftermarket). The counter shaft is OE and shows little wear. I still had the problem and tore it apart again. I can see the wear just on the tips of the starter clutch. Everthing seems to work fine on the bench. The counter shaft gear and starter clutch mate nicely. Once assembled I have noticed that the counter shaft has a small amount of side play. I can push it to the left and it will spring back out after a few kicks. That seem to help, but not much and soon it's back to slipping through. I am running 3/4 pint of straight 50w in the tranny. Am I looking in the right place? Could this be something else all together? HELP, my shin and ankle can't take this much more!

[B. Rodencal]

There are a set of tripper bolts in the case on the countershaft end, you need to replace or rotate these 180 degrees, they get worn and don't allow them selves to catch the starter gear. FatDog

[Clark]

Thanks Fatdog!
I don't see them in my exploded view of the tranny, but I do see them in the parts listing (2172-26). Will it be pretty obvious how to remove and reinstall them once I tear it down?

[AdminGuy]

Thanks Bill. Much appreciated.

From looking at the exploded view from 45 Resto Co. - It appears that your going to have to gut the tran. to get to it. Which is a great opportunity to inspect other parts. Specifically the bushings.

I know nothing of HD 45s.

[Paps]

I'll take a shot on the answer for ya Fatdog. The answer is yes. When you remove them look closely at the backsides of the tapers on the tripper bolt heads. You will plainly see the wear on each of them. When reinstalling them rotate them 180 degrees away from the starter clutch gear so only the unworn sides of the tapers now face the starter clutch gear. You will need either the special lock nut tool or a home made one to loosen the lock nuts in the outer side of the transmission case. The flat slots on the heads facing the inside of the case are for rotating the screws and to hold them steady while removing and installing the lock nuts. I made a tool from a standard 1/4" drive socket which was about the same diameter of the lock nuts. I just ground away the excess stock on the socket I needed to remove leaving only the two lugs needed for fitment to the lock nut slots. Paps

[joe]

hey paps that is the same way that i made my special tool to remove the old rusted one's. and i must say it worked great. joe

[Paps]

We must have like minds Joe. LOL!! Paps

[joe]

hey paps what do they say great minds think alike.i looked all over for a socket to fit those crazy things and well you know if you can't find it make it. joe

[Paps]

My Ole Lady probably wouldn't agree with that great mind statement Joe. LOL!! I made mine before the aftermarket ones came out. I went and got me one of those aftermarket ones later on but, wouldn't you know? The darn thing was made wrong and wouldn't fit anyway. The O.D. was to large and I had to turn it down to fit. This reduced the lug sizes on it also. It was hard enough though. Just the dimensions were wrong on it. IRI ....Improvise, Revise, Invent ! LOL!! Paps

[B. Rodencal]

Thanks for the input guys I don't check this board as regularly as I should. The tool is the same as early HD case bolts f-head and JD, RL ,DL VL etc. FAtDog

[Clark]

Problem solved

I got the tranny torn down and with the help of the folks at Way Back Wheels we determined that the kicker gear I bought thinking that it was OE was a crummy aftermarket piece. A new OE gear combined with resetting the tripper has got me back on the road.

Thanks for the fast help guys!

[HarleyCreation]

I had a 45 tranny once that had those 'tripper' bolts worn clear through if I remember correctly.

OT: Why didn't they put a drain plug on the 45 tranny?

I know one time I asked an old guy from Harley-Davidson why the old bikes didn't have a fuse in the electrical system and he replied: "Ed Kiekbusch didn't think it needed one."

That's how they operated back then.....

[len dowe]

45 kicker problem.

On the kicker not going all the way thru,,,can you pull the top inspection and maybe the side cover to fix? i'm having the same problem but my tranny is in a servi-car and everything on it is mounted and together. i was hoping to just remove the battery box, sprocket and clutch arm. or am i dreaming that it's going to easy.

[Paps]

If the problem is the tripper bolts, you will need to remove all of the primary side, all the way down past the clutch hub. You will also need to remove the kicker side cover, mainshaft and components, and countershaft and components. The tripper bolts are installed from the inside of the case outward and the nuts which retain the tripper bolts are on the outside of the primary side of the case. Those nuts will be staked into position. You will need to scrape the case material from the staking out of the slots in the nuts before attemting to remove them. You will need a tool for those nuts as well. The tripper bolts can be rotated with a decent flat bladed srew driver. It takes two tools to remove and install the bolts and nuts. I posted a nut driver I made on another topic. Use the search feature to look it up. If you don't find it, yell again and I will put a photo of it up again for you. Paps

[len dowe]

45 kicker problem

Thanks paps, i really appreciate the advice. I'm familiar with the trip bolts and will try to deal with it this wkend. I kinda figured i had to take the primary side off which is no big deal. I was just hoping i didn't have to pull everything off on the right side. exhaust, chainguard, etc...as with servi-cars, Everything is a huge job to get off and on again. so thank you so much for the help. len #765.
p.s. it's a 41 semi police servi and it's going on a 11 yr build. But it's coming out really nice. All oem parts and hardware. Not correct for judging as i parkerize just about everything. right hand shift w/ left hand throttle.