MKII Starter clutch and starter removal

Hey guy's i removed my starter and starter clutch today. figured id get rid of a bit of weight from the bike since it wasn't in use anyway. man these KZ's are so easy to work on. i mean i just needed to go on a trip to ace hardware and everything came off easy. while i was there i got a plug to plug the starter hole.

I was curious when i found the panel that the counter shaft sticks out of though, can you remove the entire transmission from there?

side view

the panel

Nope!!!

The cases must be split to remove the tranny.

Buzz

damn they really trick you there.

You can get some parts out from the oil pan and by taking off that cover there. I've read about "trap door" modifications to the cover to make shift fork changes easier. Not sure how that works exactly. I wore out a shift fork a while back and the trans had to come out so the cases were split - that was a good time to have the gears undercut.

It sounds like you had a lot better luck getting your rotor off than I did. I nearly killed myself and my crankshaft getting that thing loose. Any special tools / tricks you could share?

how about an impact gun and threaded bolt type puller.works for me.

mark1122 wrote:

how about an impact gun and threaded bolt type puller.works for me.

I tried that too - that's how the puller got broken off in the rotor :ohmy: :ohmy: Oh yea, it was not pretty...

Mike, I used the puller with an impact. I also placed a smaller bolt down inside the crank end to prevent damaging the crank. Use a little heat around the center. Stay away from the magnets though. Dont hit on the rotor outside at all. Drive the puller bolt in and leave under pressure,then heat, and repeat until it pops off. Just be patient. I had to replace mine and finding that rotor is getting harder.

I plan on trying again real soon. I have to rebuild the starter clutch after all that trouble getting the rotor off before. :ohmy: Anyway, I plan to use the ball bearing trick inside the rotor this time and hopefully it will come off easier this time since it's only been one for a year or less compared to 15 years this last time.

79MKII wrote:

mark1122 wrote:

how about an impact gun and threaded bolt type puller.works for me.

I tried that too - that's how the puller got broken off in the rotor :ohmy: :ohmy: Oh yea, it was not pretty...

Holey sh*t!
That must have made your heart stop. How did u get it off then?
great advice arai60 . Thanks.
Its amazing how u think a job is easy, because u haven’t had trouble doing it before. Then u read something like this and realize that u have just been lucky.

I had to use a dremel and slice the rotor down to the crank and it dropped off. Good thing I had a spare rotor! I HATE doing butcher jobs like that but I had no choice. I even bought a big hammer type puller and couldn't get it off. I think if I had a hotter torch it would have worked. I only had map gas in a very small cylinder.

After that experience, I was curious how the captain got his off so easily. It sounds like some are easy and others are not - not sure why? Mine was on without any starter parts for 15 years, so maybe the time is a factor and maybe the rotor slid onto the tapered shaft a little further without the starter parts pushing against it? I don't think having a starter clutch or not would make a difference really, but it's a thought.