J&P Community

 My Ironhead has electric and kick start. I have replaced all the electric start components that need to be replaced according to wear and damage (needle bearings, thrust washers, shifter lever... on and on. However, there is still a bump and grind that I haven't figured out, yet. Yes, of course, my battery is charged, silly. Anyway, I don't mind opening her back up to work on more elements, I just don't want to have to replace what I have already replaced. Can anyone help?

I have been told these ole' sporty's are just like that and I will never fix the problem. They all have starter problems and brakes are an issue. I refuse to quit. I wish I had a primary cover cut out, so I could see what was going on in there.

 hi, it sonds like your bendix gear on the starter is moving up and down like the cover bearing in your primary cover and or the bushing on the end of your starter shaft that fits into that cover bearing it  bad, broken or someone has put a sub. in its place making it a lose fit letting the starter shaft move up down ect. . get a cover bearing its only a $12.00 part pull your starter and check the fit on the starters end, if it looks and feels right a very little drag when you turn it then be sure of the one in the primary. i have a 75 iron head that i got in a basket, missing half the parts and worked on by god only knows who,  the starter would do something like what your talking about, and it was that bearing or lack of one in the primary cover. now it cranks great and runs better than my other bike. i was told the same crap you are the bike is junk it will never work right  money pit the iron heads were like that learn to live with it ect. thats crap Repair it  Don't fix it  and you will have a good bike. i have posted picks don't know when they will be put up. 75 iron head check them out. hope i was some help don't give up. tom

 I have already replaced all those bearings & bushings. Everything felt & looked tight. Could the pinion shaft itself be worn by thousandths and need replaced? However, the drive gear (gear starter nose sits in) did have a little play sitting in its position on the pinion shaft, (the inner part of the gear to the pinion shaft, not the teeth to the starter nose). The ring gear looked fine. The needle bearing on the solenoid side was completely trashed, so I replaced it. I did bite the bullet and replaced the entire starter at the same time I put in all new bearings and thrust washers. It sounds like I might need to replace the drive gear and the pinion gear and shaft.

By the way, I do want to repair it, not just fix it...that is why I am on here picking you guys brains. The guy I bought it from always took it back to the Harley dealer. Costing him alot of money. I twist my own bolts and buy my parts, I know what is getting done and what hasn't been done. I don't trust someone else to do my work for me. If you click on sporty_bitch there is a pic of my scoot at the bottom of the page. Check her out, let me know what you think.

Hey, thanks for all your help tmmobile.   sporty_bitch

 Pull your primary cover off and watch your starter gear engage, (it's easy just a few screws, a gasket and about a half a quart of oil make sure you pull your plug wires off so it does'nt start on you) I'll bet you'll see a couple of teeth missing or damaged on either the starter gear or on the clutch gear. No these old iron heads don't just bump and grind for no reason.

 Sporty

To improve the brakes on my '77 (single disk) I changed the diameter of master cylinder when I went to 82up controls - I reduced the diameter of the master by 1/16 of an inch. 

Before the change, I didn't know if I would be able to stop it - you had to pull the hand control so hard just to make a difference (the rear drum was a better brake).  With the smaller master you have to pull the leaver farther to move the same amount of fluid to the wheel but you are able to put more pressure (combination of fluid mechanics and mechanical advantage).

the result is I can lock up the front wheel at 30 mph (yeah - I was lookin' arround rather than ahead)

hope this helps

PS good luck with the starter

 Thanks ya'll.

 check the big gear on the jack shaft to see if the gear splines are flat if they are pointed and sharp the gear is bad also check the shaft  i had one that got bent trying to start my 72 stroker.  Belive me have had many starter problems with it  finally went to a all balls starter.  That baby really starts now but still goes through selinoids   good luck    let me know might be able to help

 the gear spines are flat but the inner part of the gear has a little play where it sits on the starter shaft. i don't know if it is the gear worn or the shaft. i am making my parts list and they are both on the list. so if anyone has anything else that i have forgot or haven't thought of ...please post, i want my scoot right. i cringe everytime that bump and grind happens. if i have to replace the entire guts of it, i will...but i want my scoot with no bump and grind noise.

 have you replaced the starter drive that ingages into the clutch hub yet some times they slip and grind when  you try to start the old iron head beast very common problem       Good luck   Bruce

 Hi, thanks Bruce,

No I haven't replaced the starter drive yet, but it is on my list. As a matter of fact, I am going to replace the starter drive gear, and the entire starter drive shaft and all of its components, and the ring gear on the clutch hub. I have been babying the clutches for a while now, so I am going to replace them with some brand new kevlar disc and plates.

I don't mind to open her back up for a new problem but I don't want to open her back up for the same problem. I am really excited about all my new parts. I am still working on my list. J & P is going to love this extensive order.

 sounds like you sre going to fix it right. Since your replaceing the clutchs and plates i would also recomend new hub bearing and a Tamer. The tamer is great it ingages the clutch more so it doesent wnat to crawl at stop lights. I wouldnt put one back together with out one      Good luck    Bruce

 yeah, i already replaced the hub bearing and needle bearings but may go ahead and order new ones again. i know the engagement of the starter has pulled on them a bit. i have been reading about the tamer in j&p book, so they do work? i was wondering about them, cause my scoot does like to crawl.

Yea the tamer is a must for a iron hed       Bruce

 I have 75 Sporty that took 4 years for me to rebuild.  I recently got down to the starter.  I had bypassed my relay and then found it was needed.  Fried my selenoid without it.  Either the starter would spin and not engage, or it would engage and not spin.  Once that was fixed, I had click when it would engage, then spinning with no turn over.  Found a bad Bendix gear.  One way to verify the bendix is kicking out is by placing a socket over the shaft and pushing the starter button.  Remember to remove plugs like someone else stated in am earlier post.  Good luck!