Yamaha xs400j Starter Motor Removal.

[Henry]

Hello,

I am just checking that I am not missing anything important here. My goal right now is to remove my starter so I can diagnose it and rebuild it. I have a Yamaha 1982 xs400j. Can I just remove the starter? Or do I need to open the engine case to ensure no flywheels fall off during removal or something weird?

Probably seems like a dumb question but I just don't want to remove the starter and somehow drop a gear down in the gearbox.

Many thanks,

Henry Bryant

 

[CaptChrome]

There is no chance of dropping the gear into the gearbox, but it will drop into the side cover. So you will need to drain the oil and remove the left side cover to remove/install the starter.

BTW, a brief, but better than nothing instruction of how to inspect and rebuild the starter can be found in the Honda Common Service Manual. Scanned copies of old versions of this are available if you search the web. All of the Japanese companies used the same suppliers and component designs, so the Honda manual will cover things. Be careful when you take it apart to notice where shim washers are installed on the shaft so that you get the correct ones back into the correct locations.

 

[Henry]

There is no chance of dropping the gear into the gearbox, but it will drop into the side cover. So you will need to drain the oil and remove the left side cover to remove/install the starter.

BTW, a brief, but better than nothing instruction of how to inspect and rebuild the starter can be found in the Honda Common Service Manual. Scanned copies of old versions of this are available if you search the web. All of the Japanese companies used the same suppliers and component designs, so the Honda manual will cover things. Be careful when you take it apart to notice where shim washers are installed on the shaft so that you get the correct ones back into the correct locations.

When you say left side cover, do you mean the left side if you were sitting on the bike?

Thank you by the way.

 

[Henry]

When you say left side cover, do you mean the left side if you were sitting on the bike?

Thank you by the way.

I forgot to add that this is the DOHC yics engine not the SOHC.

 

[CaptChrome]

I forgot to add that this is the DOHC yics engine not the SOHC.

Ah, good clarification. I was thinking SOHC - sorry about that. I don't have any experience with the DOHC starter. I think it is geared to the alternator as both are on the top on the gearbox. Hopefully one of our DOHC owners will respond (we are getting a lot of DOHC questions lately - a good thing). Also, you can probably look in the service manual. A link to that is at the top of the Garage forum and it should have the procedure to remove the starter.