82 KZ750 won’t start, just clicks

F64 wrote: Your ground connection looks good.

I want you to take one more reading before I say it's the starter.
It's not fun pulling the starter and finding out it's a wire connection.

meter on DC V
Red probe on positive battery post
Black probe on the starter terminal post( the post will be the bolt the terminal will attach to. This will check the terminal on the wire as well as the wire)
Crank the engine and take the reading. Should be less than .5 volts dc. If higher than .5, then there is high resistance on that section of wire.

Reading is 12.43 V before clicking starter.

~162 mV after clicking starter.

Your positive cable to starter is good.
You are below .5 v.

It's looking more and more like a mechanical issue with the starter

F64 wrote: Your positive cable to starter is good.
You are below .5 v.

It's looking more and more like a mechanical issue with the starter

So I'll pull the starter out and follow the manual to disassemble it? I'm assuming there will be specific protocols to test the individual components so hopefully I just have to replace one as oppose to the entire unit.

Yeah, That's the path I would take. Grab the factory manual and a clean work bench.
Take plenty of pictures with your phone to help with reassembly and take your time.
It may just need a good cleaning.

F64 wrote: Yeah, That's the path I would take. Grab the factory manual and a clean work bench.
Take plenty of pictures with your phone to help with reassembly and take your time.
It may just need a good cleaning.

So I took the starter out and started disassembling it according to the manual.

It wasn’t looking good....


Then I tried to “unhook the brush springs” and found this...



Think I found my problem

Yeah,
I think you found it.
Thankfully, there are rebuild kits for not much money out there.

F64 wrote: Yeah,
I think you found it.
Thankfully, there are rebuild kits for not much money out there.

Order the rebuild kit from Z1. Any suggestions on what cleaner to use? Manual says "high flash point" but thought you'd have a preferred one to use.

I pulled the motor apart the rest of the way and the other parts look okay, just dirty. Will post pictures later once I get home.

It"s tricky because you don't want to use something that will soften the insulation on the wires.
Just in my quick google search turns up water or steam followed by drying in an oven or a vacuum/heat for an extended period of time.
Before and after the cleaning some will use an insulation tester to test the insulation quality.

So choose your solvent carefully. Or you can take it to a motor shop to have it cleaned.

Use break cleaner.

F64 wrote: Yeah,
I think you found it.
Thankfully, there are rebuild kits for not much money out there.

Rebuilt the starter and installed today. Engine now turns over but the starter makes “dry rrRrrRrrRrr-ing” sound (best I can describe it). I don’t think it sounded like that before but maybe because it was on its way out. It didn’t start but I didn’t want to push my luck too much in case something was wrong. I will take video with sound tomorrow but wanted to give you an update.

This is something I just remembered. On the video below it's on a newer starter but it pertain to yours as well.
There is a pin that keep the ring gear from rotating.
Do you remember if that pin is installed?

Advance the video to the 2:43 mark

F64 wrote: This is something I just remembered. On the video below it's on a newer starter but it pertain to yours as well.
There is a pin that keep the ring gear from rotating.
Do you remember if that pin is installed?

Advance the video to the 2:43 mark

I don't recall see it but judging by the picture I took I'd bet it's not in there....which means I get to pull it all back apart again (yay!)