Starter Issues (Switchback)

[Chevra]

2013 Switchback Assault. I havent used the electric start on it since I have owned the thing. The battery froze on me and I never bothered to get a new one. Now I am getting ready to sell the thing and I put a new battery in it. But when I use the electric start it locks the engine up solid right away. I have to pry on the primary to get it free again. Is something just not lined up properly? Im hoping its an easy fix. What should I do first? Thanks in advance!

 

[JMCX]

You can see the small starter gear in front of the clutch, is it not spinning? Not retracting? Can you pull the clutch and then try the starter?

 

[Chevra]

You can see the small starter gear in front of the clutch, is it not spinning? Not retracting? Can you pull the clutch and then try the starter?

Okay I think that I see how things go now. I honestly had no idea other then where the actual starter was. So is that small gear supposed to retract after its running? I dont hear it spinning, its basically just a click and then the motor is seized. But I will have to watch next time and see what is going on there now that I know where to look. It must be binding somehow. What would cause that I dont know.

 

[JMCX]

The small gear should always be disengaged unless you are cranking. It is designed so that even if you continue to hold the starter button after the engine runs the gear retracts. You can start the engine with the rope?

 

[Chevra]

The small gear should always be disengaged unless you are cranking. It is designed so that even if you continue to hold the starter button after the engine runs the gear retracts. You can start the engine with the rope?

Okay that makes sense. I can start it with the rope when it is not locked up yes. If I try the starter then the rope is locked tight after that. Then I break the primary free again and I can pull start it once again. So that gear is obviously jamming

 

[JMCX]

Have you pulled the clutch cover so you can actually watch what the starter gear is doing when you try it or when you free it up by qorking the primary back and forth?

 

[Chevra]

I haven't yet but will be doing that on my days off here. See what I find and go from there I guess. Been searching around a bit tonight and haven't found anyone else with this issue so far.

 

[Chevra]

Well I think I fixed it. Worked perfect the last 5 times I tried it at least. Seems like it was just seized up a bit, could have been some rust in there. It wasn't retracting properly which caused it to jam on the primary gear. I first just used my hands to wiggle it back and forth to free it up and that got the starter to actually spin and retract when I turned the key. It worked once and then jammed the second time. So while it was jammed I sprayed some lubricant in behind the starter gear on the shaft that it slides on. Unjammed it and its been good so far. I sprayed a lot more lubricant in there and on the starter gear now. Hopefully it is good to go now and the info can help someone else in the future.