XV1000 Virago Starter

Nov 30, 2003

XV1000 Virago Starter

Filed in Motorcycling, XV 1000 Virago Technical Topics

This post is part of a series. The index is here.

The infamous Virago starter stuff lives here, at the front end of the left sidecase.

The starter motor shaft is at the left.
The alternator ring gear is at the right.
The rubber-and-metal bushing between the starter and ring gear retains one end of the starter gear shaft.
The small hole (top) above the shaft and bushing retains one end of the starter fork.

The magnet (bottom middle) lives on the end of the starter oil catcher, under the starter gears..

Both the starter shaft and large ring gear rotate clockwise to start the engine.

The starter gears.

From left to right: washer, gear ‘A’, gear ‘B’, spring, and the spiral gear.

Gear ‘A’ (larger) is normally fixed to the end of the spiral gear by splines.

Gear ‘B’ (smaller) is moved along the spiral gear by its fork.

The starter gear shaft runs through all these parts.

The splines that fix gear ‘A’ onto the end of the spiral shaft are visible.

The shifter fork slides gear ‘B’ along the spiral shaft.

These parts rotate counterclockwise to start the engine.

The large gear ‘A’ (top) is always meshed with the starter clutch.

When the starter solenoid is engaged, the fork pulls gear ‘B’ into the flywheel/alternator ring gear, compressing the spring.

If the gear ‘B’ teeth don’t happen to mesh with the ring gear teeth, the edge of (spinning) gear ‘A’ grinds against the edge of the (stationary) ring gear; the spiral gear increses the pressure to gear ‘A’, and the magnet catches some of the filings.

We’ll start the assembly by placing the washer near its position by the bushing.

The starter gear ‘A’ is placed over its washer.

We’ll use a small screwdriver to center both the washer and gear over the bushing, and keep the washer in position with the gear.

The remaining starter shaft parts are installed together.

(The shaft can’t be installed first because the gears would hit the side of the alternator.)

While holding the washer in position, and holding the smaller gear ‘B’ on the splined shaft against spring pressure, we meshed gear ‘A’ splines with the end of the splined shaft, started the shifter fork shaft into its hole, pushed the gear shaft into its bushing (through the washer), and finally added the O-ring onto its shaft to hold everything together.

This took us several tries over several minutes.

While no single step is particularly difficult, this is an excellent finger coordination exercise.

The O-ring around the shaft counteracts the spring’s tendency to disengage the splines between gear ‘A’ and its spiral shaft.

If the O-ring slips, and the splines on the spiral shaft and gear ‘A’ unmesh, the end of the spiral gear will stick out too far, preventing installation of the sidecover.

The starter one-way clutch and circlip fit over the starter motor shaft.

This assembly turns clockwise. The clutch free-wheels if the gear is rotated faster [clockwise] than the splines, but locks when the splines are turned faster (clockwise) than the gear.

This prevents a running engine from [rapidly!] spinning the starter motor.

The one-way starter clutch and circlip are installed on the starter motor shaft.

The larger gear ‘A’ is meshed with the starter clutch gear.

The smaller gear ‘B’ is held offset from the ring gear by its spring.

The black rectangular magnet directly under the starter gears (bottom center) catches the metal shavings.

We’re done with the starter.

This post is part of a series. The index is here.

13 Comments, Comment or Ping

steve

Great job on documenting the starter work. Does it solve the problem?

Oct 15th, 2007
Brian Thibault

I will soon have a website, but not yet. Anyway, pictures and explanation are great. the stupid repair manual and pictures on the Yamaha site aren’t very clear. I am at my wits end on this 1984 XV1000 Virago. I am fixing this for some one. I had him order the spiral shaft, slider gear and spring. Yamaha sent him the correct spiral gear and spring, but the wrong slider gear. I used the original one, it looked good. I tested the clutch assembly. it turned free one way, and not the other. It felt like there was dirt in it when I spun it in the free spinning direction. I put it all together, still doing the same thing, Spins free and not engaging. I also had the shorted out starter rebuilt. don’t know what to do now, except maybe C$. lol
Any ideals?
Brian

Nov 4th, 2007
Linda R. Moore

Steve: it looks as though I missed your comment earlier: I’m sorry. I was offline for a great big chunk of October.

Yes, it solved the problem. Shame about the rest of the stuff with this bike. ;)

Nov 8th, 2007
Linda R. Moore

Hello Brian

I’ll ask Don and get back to you soon :)

It looks like you are having as much of a nightmare with your bike as I did with mine…

Nov 8th, 2007
tony

you guys rock - wish i had found this before i tore everything out. Yes i have had the typical free wheeling crap that never ends and also sometimes it gives me a rubbing whine - just did all this work with a camera and a bible by my side. one or both seemed to do the trick - no issues so far - the starter is being rebuilt as i type this and i will be saving the page on my favs list. Take care and thanks for the hard work!!!!!

May 15th, 2008
Linda R. Moore

You’re most welcome! Hope it works out for you.

May 20th, 2008
Rod

Great job! I have a XV 750 1983 I am trying to do the same but having problems. Mine is back together but the starter will thud instead of cranking. I am guessing that the gears are not put in just right as you described. I will pull cover off again and try your method of one item at a time install. How can I verify that the metal rod slider shaft mates with the side cover on install?
Thanks Rod new biker

Jul 4th, 2008
Linda R. Moore

Hello Rod

I’ve forwarded your question to Don and we’ll get back to you :)

You’re welcome!

Linda

Jul 10th, 2008
Dave Polom

HELLO, I USED YOU FOR MY ‘88 XV1100. 2 SLIGHTLY LARGE PROBLEMS. 1) CAN’T GET THE BOLT OUT THAT HOLDS SOLENOID FORKS IN, ANY IDEAS ? BOLT HEAD STRIPPED. 2) BOUGHT A 3000 MILE STARTER CLUTCH ASSEMBLY FROM A ‘86 XV700. ACCORDING TO ALL PARTS SITES THE PART #’S MATCH. PROBLEM IS THAT NEW CLUTCH HAS 19 TEETH AND SPRAGUE IS LARGER. ORIGINAL HAS ONLY 18 TEETH. WHAT NEXT??

Jul 18th, 2008
Linda R. Moore

Hi Rod

Sorry for the delay. We were wondering, could you point us at the picture where the rod you’re referencing is shown? We’re not 100% sure which one you mean, so it’d really help.

Cheers!

Jul 23rd, 2008
James Gaines (2 comments.)

I am having the same problem as Brian Thibault. I have reassembled The left side three times and stiill the same problem of the starter motor spinning, but not turning the engine. The solenoid does pull the gears into mesh with the alternator ring gear. Could this be a bad clutch on the starter gear even though it seems to be working OK (respins one way aand locks or turns the starter shaft the other way)?

Dec 31st, 2008
Brian Thibault

I just read the posting from James Gaines. The starter clutch can be missleading. Mine spun one way, locked the other way when it was out of the bike and in my hand. But under pressure in the bike, it didn’t work. I replaced it and it worked. I hope this helps.

Jan 3rd, 2009
James Gaines (2 comments.)

Thanks Brian, That is what I was afraid of. I think I am going to try to rebuild mine, if it is not too bad. I can’t afford the $250+ for a new one.

Jan 3rd, 2009