cleaning a stator?

bultaco4ever · Post by **bultaco4ever** » 02:23 am Feb 17 2016

So, my engine has been reluctant to kick start. It bump starts OK. So, I decided to file and clean the coil contact points on the frame and cut back the lead from the coil and reinstall the spark plug cap. I am getting spark and it is better now than before. But still not kick starting. So, I decide to check the timing. The P.O. didn't use the correct size bolts on the stator cover and it wasn't tight against the case. Water and dirt could easily get to the generator components. The flywheel has a lot of rust in the outside. The retaining nut has rust. The threads for the flywheel puller couldn't be seen because of so much rust. I get the flywheel to break loose and pull it off and wow....all the stator components are covered with rust. What a mess. Is there a correct way to clean this up? Oh and the inside of the flywheel is really rusty.
And, the crank seal might be leaking...how would I check that seal.

eprovenzano · Post by **eprovenzano** » 08:26 am Feb 17 2016

I would use electrical contact cleaner on all the electrical parts, flywheel, and inside of the cases. You may need to use some steel wool to remove the rust. As far as the crank seal... check for movement in the crank, any up and down play. If the seal was leaking, your bike would have been running lean (too much air in the combustion chamber). As far as the hard starting, one issue could be low compression. You need to do a compression test on the motor. If its low, that could explain why you cannot kick start the engine, but can still be bump started.

bultaco4ever · Post by **bultaco4ever** » 03:12 pm Feb 17 2016

I had pulled the top end off and measured the piston and cyl clearance. Also the ring end gap. They were like new. Could anything else cause low compression ?

eprovenzano · Post by **eprovenzano** » 03:30 pm Feb 17 2016

There could be several causes... Is the piston in correctly.. make sure the arrow pointing towards the exhaust. Next I'd check jetting, incorrect pilot jet size can sometimes be an issue. Also check the reeds.. they need to seal properly

bultaco4ever · Post by **bultaco4ever** » 04:23 pm Feb 17 2016

Jets are all new...reeds are new Boyesen single stage. I was thinking the timing was off. That's why I pulled the flywheel.

eprovenzano · Post by **eprovenzano** » 04:25 pm Feb 17 2016

bultaco4ever wrote:Jets are all new...reeds are new Boyesen single stage. I was thinking the timing was off. That's why I pulled the flywheel.

What size jets and also needle and clip position?

Jaguar · Post by **Jaguar** » 06:53 pm Feb 17 2016

"Could anything else cause low compression ?"

yeah man, that leaking crank seal. a leak there lowers primary compression.
what's the difference if you lose gas/air from the crankcase or from the combustion chamber?

bultaco4ever · Post by **bultaco4ever** » 07:56 pm Feb 17 2016

45 pilot, 152 main, 1173 needle, clip in middle groove, FMF pipè.....I thought same thing about crank seal.

MotoArts · Post by **MotoArts** » 08:41 pm Feb 17 2016

Remove the stator plate from the engine case. Clean the plate and case bosses where they touch. LIGHTLY coat contact surfaces with silicone grease and reassemble. Coil to plate surfaces, too.
That's what was wrong with my recently acquired 220, it had intermittent spark. Would not kick start, would only bump start and then run erratically.
Bad ground.

Beware of breaking the windings on the coil(s) with aggressive cleaning.

A bad crank seal will not keep it from kick starting. Sure, a bad left seal will make it a bit lean, and a bad right side will make it oil rich... but I'd bet my lunch money that either side seal is not your issue.
And I like to eat ;)

bultaco4ever · Post by **bultaco4ever** » 09:12 pm Feb 17 2016

Good idea in the stator touch points. I had considered that as well.

bultaco4ever · Post by **bultaco4ever** » 11:02 pm Feb 17 2016

Well...I removed and cleaned up the stator and touch points on the case. I still didn't get it to kick start but it bump starts a fraction of a second after I pop it in gear. So I fiddled with the air screw and turned it a quarter of a turn. I'm done with it for the day. I want to give it a good twenty minute run and look at that crank seal again for blow by evidence.

bultaco4ever · Post by **bultaco4ever** » 04:21 pm Feb 18 2016

That rust turned out to be a combination on rust and dust. Imagine running the bike with no side cover at all. It would still run. It would just get dirty really easily. That's what I assume was happening to the previous owner. He never had the cover tight enough to seal out the crud. It cleaned up pretty easily with that contact cleaner and an air hose.

Jaguar · Post by **Jaguar** » 08:43 pm Feb 18 2016

make soapy water by putting some dish washing liquid soap in with water, and put the soapy water in a spray bottle.
take out the spark plug
spray the suspect crank seal
have someone press down on the kill button and another person crank the engine over.
look and see if the seal causes bubbles by gas/air getting blown out of it.
if that seal is bad enough then it can keep you from kickstarting the bike.

bultaco4ever · Post by **bultaco4ever** » 08:52 pm Feb 18 2016

Do all that with the spark plug out???.....Did you mean in?

bultaco4ever · Post by **bultaco4ever** » 05:07 pm Feb 19 2016

You meant 'out' didn't you? If it is left in it will suck air into the chamber under the piston, won't it? I can just take the flywheel and stator off for this test also, can't I?

bultaco4ever · Post by **bultaco4ever** » 11:22 pm Mar 14 2016

I took a gamble and bought a very clean appearing stator that came off an H series model. I kept and reinstalled my original flywheel. I checked the resistance of the newer stator with my handheld analog multimeter, ohmmeter. It checked out as a good stator. I did notice that my old stator was missing a wire on one of the exciter coils. So, I was hopeful that my problem of getting the engine to kick start would be remedied. It would only bump start before......now....finally....I am getting it to kick start!

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