Silver wing Starter motor replace ??

Hi all, I'm new here. A google search for how to replace a starter motor motor on a silverwing brought me here. Hopefully someone can offer some advise.

I have a 2004 SW 600. Recently I'm just getting a click when I go push starter button. The battery is good so I assumed it was the starter, and I believe that was confirmed when I smacked the case with a deadblow hammer and then it started. So for the last week thats what I've been doing, about every other time I try and start it, it just clicks...I smack it with the hammer and it starts right up.

My question is has anyone replaced the starter motor?, and how big of a job is it? I really don't have the 500$ I'm sure the dealer would charge me to fix it.

Anyway thanks in advance for any help.

jr

todo,

Boils down to R and L side covers, Battery, Battery housing, Air Cleaner, Tail Pieces, Luggage Box under Seat, Air Cleaner Housing, then you'll run up on it. I just got mine back together this past Sunday - down for a week. New starter from Amazon $70.00.

Have fun -- I did! (I don't see a tongue in cheek emoticon)

Jon

Welcome to the forum...

Ok janitor thanks for that. Once you get to the starter, is it just a mater of unbolting it and pulling it out? and I assume wireing is just plug and play

The starter is held in with 2 bolts and slides out. Each bolt also holds a ground wire terminal. The positive lead is bolted to the starter solenoid near the starter.

Before buying a new starter you might want to check the solenoid. This can be done by putting a volt meter on the output lug of the solenoid and seeing if you get voltage when the starter isn't working.

Pm me if you need a service manual. I have I is as a pdf.

Yeah Kenny service manual would be great. Can't send a PM yet (to few posts) maybe you could PM me...   thx

Done

I've repaired several GW starters at my old shop. Worn brushes and dirty commutators seem to be the most common faults if it really is the the starter. A volt meter connected to the starter's stud should show what's going on. If you have more than ten volts at the starter terminal when hitting the starter button and the starter doesn't operate the problem is the starter. If there's much less than 10V at the starter it's either the starter relay, battery, or cabling. Check the battery with the voltmeter. You need more than 10V there when hitting the start button. Less than that the battery most likely is dying. You can also use a heavy cable to connect directly from the battery to the starter, if it cranks the engine that way you know it's not the starter.

If it is the starter they aren't all that hard to repair. Normally just taking it apart, keeping track of the spacer washers on each end of the shaft, checking the brushes, if they're about gone they're not hard to replace. Check the commutator and clean it up. Some wet/dry sand paper to burnish off the black carbon and clean it up good often makes a big difference.

One other way to avoid the high price of a new starter is to take it to an automotive electrical shop. Usually they can turn the commutator, replace brushes and all the other little things it might need at a reasonable price. Unfortunately these kind of shops are slowly disappearing with our modern throw away society. If you look around there are still some around.

Yeah starters are super easy to rebuild. I actually really enjoy doing them. It's nice to take an old worn out piece of junk and make it basically new again!