[AT] OT: non-tractor covid-19 activates

[Spencer Yost]

So I mentioned a little while back that I was doing a valve lash adjustment on my 1989 Kawasaki 454LTD. It is been awfully hard to start, and valve adjustment is a common culprit. I’m glad I did it because the adjustments were definitely out though I could tell they were not so far out to affect starting to a degree its been happening.  So I started looking for other explanations.  I seem to have spark and had the smell the fuel on spark plugs. So I didn’t think it was fuel or spark. I then did a compression test:  For a 30-year-old bike it’s got startlingly nice compression. 135 both sides cold with no oil. But I also noticed that it took 15-20 seconds of starter time to actually get the four or  five compression strokes you need to get a max reading.  Hmmm.   That’s suspicious.

So while the alternator crankshaft “peep-hole” cover was off so I could rotate the crankshaft for the valve adjustment, I took a look see at how fast the starter was spinning the engine.  The engine wasn’t spinning at all except about every 5-10 seconds it would catch and turn over once.  Clearly the starter clutch was slipping.   This would explain why I had better luck roll starting it than using the starter. But the engine is big enough and I’m small enough that I need a pretty big hill to roll start it and that just isn’t viable where I live or wherever I might stop so I have to fix it to be in “riding” condition.

So I took this opportunity to order a few things on eBay like flywheel puller and a fuel petcock that this bike desperately needs. They should be coming in a few days.  My guess when I get it disassembled is to find weak springs in the clutch.

The goal is to have this bike starting and running smooth  before the covid-19 zombie comes to get me so I can out-run it. :-)

Spencer