741 starter problems

[Chuck#1848]

Well I am going to give it a shot ......for the past few months, when I have started the 741 it seems that the kick start arm doesn't want to return.
My first thought was the return spring but first I disassembled the starter arm completly cleaned and regreased everything and reasembled it it returned once and hasn't since so could it possiably be the spring and where would be the best place to get one.
I am looking into Jerry Greers for the gas and oil cap gaskets but before I bought one I figured I would ask
I should say, that aside from the problem mentioned above this little bike AKA puddle jumper has been the easiest bike to start although the left hand throttle is still a bit of a trip I do like playing around with it

[c.o.]

Chuck, when I sold my Sport Scout I gave the new owner most of the literature I had collected for it. That included an original shop manual that I was told early on that I'd never find! It would have most certainly have had an answer to your problem. I do have a little bit of Scout info left and will dig it out to see if I can find something. Just curious, does the kicker actually jam in the down position or does it come back up easily?

[Chuck#1848]

Hi Cory,

The starter works fine till the motor fires up,that is when it will not return like I said earlier it just started doing this a few months ago the only way to get it up inplace is to pull it up while the motor is running,that's not going to be good for the starter gears.
Of all the bikes I have had with a kick starter this is the only one that has done this

[c.o.]

O.K. when you installed your current spring did you wind it up to get sufficient spring pressure? I'm really racking my brain here. A friend had the same problem with his Chief this past summer. I fear that I didn't pay close enough attention though. I was nursing a really sore leg. I got a little sidetracked starting the Pan and it bit me!!! Maybe Red Fred will read this and provide a thought or two. In the meantime I'll keep pondering.......

[Chuck#1848]

Yes I did then took it apart and wound it tighter I think I may just get another spring but looking at the starter gears they seem a bit rough to.

heck I have had 2 triumphs a honda twinstar and 5 hd's all with kick starters and not a problem...ever...then I buy an Indian.................

[pisten-bully]

Doesn't the stop also keep the starter from going too far on the down stroke? Maybe it's bent a little?
engineRH_side2.jpg

[Chuck#1848]

Doesn't the stop also keep the starter from going too far on the down stroke? Maybe it's bent a little?
[ATTACH=CONFIG]5811[/ATTACH]

Hummmmmmmmm.........I don't remember seeing one now that you point that out,I thought there was a "stop" configured to the frame although the picture of the motor isn't quite the same as my 741 I am going to have to take another look at that tonight see if there are some holes to mount something like that

[c.o.]

Yeah, I think the Chief is a little different. I don't believe there is a stop like that on the 741. It certainly couldn't hurt to order a spring.

[fillibuster]

Isn't there a little hole in the chain guard? big enough for a squirt can? Drill it out to about 3/4", weld a funnel to it, and pour in a quart or so of 5-wt. ( bring floor- dry).... ..... /sarcasm

On my chief, I had to pay attention to the shaft that the starter gear rides on, to make sure it would slip more freely than the spring's tension would provide for. The extra lube proved this for me. .. but leave the drill on the shelf.

[Scott Parker]

on the kiwi website there is a tech area that addresses the kick starter issue you describe.http://kiwi-indian.com/tech.html

[fillibuster]

Yep, I see oil on the Kiwi trouble-shoot.
Another common (to me) problem on the scouts is the kicker shaft bolting plate, which will incur fracture and bending, and thus misalignment away from proper mesh.

[Chuck#1848]

Isn't there a little hole in the chain guard? big enough for a squirt can? Drill it out to about 3/4", weld a funnel to it, and pour in a quart or so of 5-wt. ( bring floor- dry).... ..... /sarcasm

On my chief, I had to pay attention to the shaft that the starter gear rides on, to make sure it would slip more freely than the spring's tension would provide for. The extra lube proved this for me. .. but leave the drill on the shelf.

Well, my starter arm shaft has a grease fitting in the end of it I have disassembled it cleaned and reassembled it together then greased everything so now I guess I will try it all over and sub the grease with oil and see how that works maybe tomorrow we are getting pounded with snow here so maybe I won't make it to work..........

[fillibuster]

Chuck, i mean the tranny main shaft, that's what the "driven" starter gear rides on. Squirt some oil in there on that main shaft. Do you hear any growling with the ratchet-ing? That would be the driven gear running dry on the shaft after starting, in a semi-sieze. That fights the return spring on the kicker arm.
Maybe we're not talking about the same thing... is it an embarrassing problem? ... I know embarrassment

[c.o.]

After reading your post Phil it hit me! My buddy did exactly that when his kicker was sticking down and "growling". It seemed to do the trick! Hopefully that'll do the trick Chuck.

[Chuck#1848]

Chuck, i mean the tranny main shaft, that's what the "driven" starter gear rides on. Squirt some oil in there on that main shaft. Do you hear any growling with the ratchet-ing? That would be the driven gear running dry on the shaft after starting, in a semi-sieze. That fights the return spring on the kicker arm.
Maybe we're not talking about the same thing... is it an embarrassing problem? ... I know embarrassment

Hi Phil,

well we wern't talking the same thing earlier, but I do understand what you are refering to now I kept reading the Kiwi tech list last night and it just didn't sink in........well now it did
Thanks everyone I will give it a quart or two later today.