Rickman Kwak Rotor - Rotor/starter clutch assy slipping

[Ssnake]

Bought a Rickman Kawasaki Z10001A (bored out to 1105)couple of years ago, as a hobby after being out of biking for 20 odd years!
The problem is that on and off I have had a problem with the rotor/starter clutch assy with the securing bolt in the end of the crank coming loose and then the rotor spinning and shearing the Wooodruff key, this occured the first time as a result of the insert in the rotor itself having excess play. I replaced this and though it was good for a few months the same happended again. This time it ended up scoring the internal taper so I got a guy to lap the rotor and then rebuild it. Ok after this for a while but has happended again. Any ideas on how I can stop this occurring again? Cheers Ssnake

[Mark O C]

Try a drop of loctite on the thread of the bolt, only a drop though just to stop it coming loose.

[Ssnake]

Cheers Mark, I forgot to mention that I had put Loctite on before, still didnt help

[london calling]

Make sure that the mating surfaces that are being loctited are spotlessly clean and get the air gun on the bolt to do it up.It needs to be "F.T."

[ash]

Jackie do you mean forever tight,

[london calling]

What like your wallet Steptoe?? I think you've had that welded up!! It's only you and the Queen that don't carry cash and now i come to think of it similair hairstyles and clothes as well,mmm makes you think??

[Auld Git]

one of the problems with running a big bore,higher compression motor is is that when using the starter it puts alot more strain on the starter clutch/rotor and if there is the slightest bit of wear on the tapers its only a mater of time before the woodruff key gives up the ghost,rotor starts to move then the bolt slackens off,ive lapped in before then used bearing fix on the tapers before assembly,seems to work.The same thing can also happen to standard motors,best of luck

[Mark O C]

Happened to my ST and that hasn't got a woodruff key to hold it.

[Garn 1]

Ssnake, I've heard of this before (happening twice) on another forum about 12 months ago. If it wasn't your machine!

It has got me beat! The only thing I can think of, is that the retaining screw and washer are bottoming-out before pressure is applied to the taper, or something is not letting the taper seat correctly. Check that it can be sercured without the woodruff key in place. As Mark says, some don't have the key!

RegardZ

[Iain marshall]

no key fitted from Z1000A2,also a bigger bolt,early one 8x40 then 10x40

(Edited by Iain marshall at 8:27 pm on Dec. 10, 2005)

[Garn 1]

So Ssnake, how did you get on with your loosening rotor? any feed-back yet?
RegardZ.

[chrisNI]

Sorry, I didn't see this post earlier - it's quite likely that the bolt's not looseing and letting the rotor slip, it's the other way round. The rotor's breaking off the taper and snapping the key, spinning and loosening the bolt. The key really only positions it, it's too flimsy to do anything else that's why they did away with it and the bolt just secures it, it's the fit on the taper that should really hold it on. If it keeps coming off it's because the starter clutch is worn on the boss on the big sprocket at the back - it doesn't have to be really even visible - then the rollers catch and snap it off the taper. It is more of a problem with high compression because starting a high comp motor tends to wear the starter clutch more so this is more likely to happen. Try and get a new complete starter clutch it should fix it. I had the same problem about eight years ago - hasn't happened since.

[Ssnake]

Garn,

Not managed to get round to doing it due to Xmas getting in the way plus studying part time for a degree so takes up loads of my spare time. Was interested by Zedhead's comments so I shall also look at clutch assy and see about pricing up and getting a replacement. Will keep you posted, Ssnake

[Ssnake]

Chris (Zedhead), Im interested to know does your m/c still have it kickstart or do you just use the starter only?
Cheers

Ssnake

[chrisNI]

I took the kickstart shaft out quite a few years ago and put on one of those APE blanking plates because it looked purty. But having said that the bike has had rearsets on it since about 1980 so they got in the way of the kickstart and it never got any use for that reason anyway.
Here's a look at the starter clutch gear's hub - it was still lying in the scrap box under the bench. You can clearly see the wear marks it's rough as a badgers arse