KTM Starter noise fix, starter clutch sprag. 

Great, I too use RU-vid for researching. Great stuff on here. Thanks for the reply!

Tim Cotter Awesome your very welcome!

All I can find on RU-vid is videos of people asking what that sound is but no fix so far

hortytuba 1213 the springs out of the seals are different diameters, so not all seal springs will work. This seal spring was the perfect size. A larger diameter spring won't work. Thanks for watching!

Hiya Mate, also from New Zealand here. Any chance you managed to find the right sized spring and could let me know where you got it? cheers!!

It's been 9 years since I did that but the crank rotates clockwise on that side if that helps.

If you have an impact it makes it easier but you can do it with out. That bike I believe has an lever decompression, if so make sure it's adjusted property. Just make sure 99% of the slack is out of it. You should be able to pull the side off with no special tools and check the starter sprag. As far as your starter, make sure all your grounds are good and the battery is charged and doesn't fail a load test. A bad battery will test good with volts but when you crank it, it drops to 10 or below. If the battery and grounds are good and it still has a hard time cranking, double check your timing. Also check all connections from the starter button to the starter. If all that is good the starter is probably bad.

First thing I would do is check your valves, if the exhaust is loose it won't activate the auto decompression and the starter isn't strong enough to push past it. If the valves are set properly and the battery is good the starter may be bad/worn out.

the starter is new, the battery is the same and the valves are adjusted. is the unidirectional bearing to blame? is such a thing possible

@@ghermanalin3353 When the sprag is bad it usually slips. Sounds like you're dealing with something else, possibly a broken auto decompression mechanism.

Aldean Louis only when you use the electric start.

I use a flex torque wrench for reverse nuts and use a gear jamber so it doesn't turn.

PatVince Feder No puller needed, it will pull right off. Lock tight never hurts but it's reversed thread to prevent it from coming loose. Be sure to torque properly and you'll be fine.

Rems Possibowl I know the spring size and tension is important so that may be the problem. I tried other springs that didn't work.

thanks Tepco Cycle Repair for this quick reply, i have also spring with the same size, but i do not know if it is the same tension. I will test it tomorrow. It is that the hard thing to do, it is to find the right spring for replacing the oem spring, thanks again for your help

Rems Possibowl I see, I put the SKF part # in the description but not sure how easy it is to get if your out of the US.

No fit, tension and size (diameter and thickness) is very very important for a starter clutch sprag spring economic repair, so bad, i saw the SKF seal #19993, and you're right, it's not easy to get it there i am from. I forgot to say you i would to switch this repair on YAM motors, starter clutch systems are the same but maybe not the same parts. But for this time, i have to order a new starter clutch sprag. After that, i will do some researches. Mauururu from Tahiti

I would need more info. Is it clicking into gear? With the bike off shift through the gears while rolling it, if that works. Remove your clutch cover and pull the clutch to see if the pressure plate is moving out then release it and see if you're getting pressure on the plates. (Sometimes you can see this through the oil fill). Then while looking at the clutch plates and bike off, click it into gear and roll the bike with the clutch out and see if both the fibers and metals are turning together. If so, the clutch is operating and your problems is somewhere else.

Great, thanks. Yea I wish I would have but wasn't sure of the problem at first and already had it off. I also wish I would have recorded the noise it was making before I started. I record everything now..lol..Thanks for watching!

Does it kick easily? I'm thinking maybe your decompression is not working, or the starter sprag is jammed up. It's not hard to pull apart if needed and see what's going on. But yes please let me know what you find out.

@@TepcoCycleRepair Kick starts very easily. Pulling my decompression lever helps the electric starter turn over but its minimal. clutch cover currently off, I need to pick up an impact drill to get off hex nut on outer clutch and the "left" starter gear to pull everything apart. everything just spins when I use my breaker bar. Ill keep you updated.

@@trevormcguff1697 ok, stick a penny between the gears and use a breaker bar. If it kicks easy, make sure your getting full voltage to the starter as well, could be a wiring issue.

@@TepcoCycleRepair Picked up a impact gun and that did wonders. No issues with the sprag and no signs of wear or damaged parts. Spring wasn't twisted and was almost a perfect circle. Everything was functioning as it should. I've verified its not the starter as i tried a new starter and same issue. The bike would feel like I had a dead battery and barely have enough power to turn over. I verified battery was good and even replaced it with a new one, charged it and same issue. I looked at the starter relay pulling the fuses out. One felt normal with tension when pulling the fuse out and pushing it in. The other came out and went in extremely easy, almost to the point of being loose. This is my next guess, I am quickly running out of ideas.

Yeah I'm going to say your having a current flow issue. Put a volt meter on the positive of the starter and see how many volts it's getting. Also check your plug connections, I've had the starter plug from the starter button corrode causing similar issues.

I came here to ask this.

No problem, something went together wrong. I dont have that bike any more but its easy enough to pull back apart and check. I would pull that side off and double check everything especially the kick start gear/spring it has to sit in a specific hole. Pull up a manual and compare or even a parts diagram. Also I just did a video on KTM not shifting, watch that yours should be very similar.

Thank you very much! You have great videos

The electronic start was making a metal clanking noise and not working. With the new spring it works perfectly.

Heidi Vleisides make sure you can turn the sprag freely. If a paw is dragging or the spring diameter is to big, it will hang up.

Nascor Gz yes if the spring is bad or broken it won't work, but it usually rattles quit loudly as it tries to engage. If the metal tabs are stuck down for some reason it could free spin.

So i understand that if the starter spins but just "slips" and doesnt engage it means that i have to change the gear and the sparg clutch? Thanks mate

Nascor Gz Probably just the sprag. You will have to see it the inside of the gear where the sprag slides is not damaged. I wouldn't do anything until I pulled the side off and had a good look.

i took a look inside and the free wheel gear is damaged so i think i'm gonna change only this and wait if the sprag works. thanks 4 ur answers mate.

Nascor Gz Sounds like a plan, let me know if it fixes it.

Bak RD it sounded like metal getting hit by a hammer only when cranking to start. No noise at all when idling. The noise was from the sprag tangs engaging the drum at different times.

Yes just dropping it in is fine it should spin freely with no drag if assembled right. The grove is there so the spring will fit in it when the Sprague is engaged.

Mine kind of "clicked" in, like it was supposed to fir like that.

Really not sure. Would love to travel there to find out though!

Only replace it if it starts to go bad. It can handle many years or hours.

If you have everything else off, clutch, reverse thread but, it should slide right off. If not you will have to use a puller.

@@TepcoCycleRepair will KTM fly wheel puller work cheers thankyou

@@alaneggins4556 So here is the deal, try to get something under it that will apply even upward pressure, then LIGHTLY I mean lightly tap the crank end and it should pop off. If you hit it to hard you will damage the threads and have to replace the crank. Any puller that can grab the outside and apply pressure to the crank should work. It's not on there tight.

@@TepcoCycleRepair ok thanks will give that a go. Thanks again for your help

I encountered the exact same problem. I found myself a blow torch and heated the hub up, and then gave it a tap with a rubber mallet before i levered it off with two flathead screwdrivers. Came right off !

+Gravstein Did you use the same seal as he did in the video?

No, the spring i use was smaller. The husaberg sprag is way smaler then what Ktm have.

do you remember what spring that was? I have issues with the e-starter on my Husaberg

Its not the seal size its the spring size inside the seal you would need. I tried others and they wouldn't work. I dont know the dimensions but NAPA auto parts carries the seals if your in the states. Order on line if not. GL

Steve Florez I'm not sure, I would jump on Rockymountainatv.com and see if the OEM sprag part #s are the same. If so you should be good to go.

Cool thanks.

MagicMoneyMike3 if your taking the reverse threaded nut off be sure to turn it to the right. Put a penny between the gears to stop them from turning. An impact is much easier.

Tepco Cycle Repair so clockwise right? (I'm dyslexic and always get that mixed up)And I was using an impact screwdriver, and broke it. This is my first time messing with the flywheel/sprag clutch, exactly how do I put the penny? My starter just spins and engages very rarely, do you think this is the solution? I really appreciate the response .I've been working on this for a few days now and it's killing me that it's not running.

MagicMoneyMike3 no problem your doing good if you got that far. Yes clockwise to loosen. Turn it clockwise, look at the teeth, put the penny where the teeth mesh with the next gear to jamb it in place.

MagicMoneyMike3 If you have it apart this far there won't be another gear the wedge the penny so an impact is a must, or slide the clutch hub and other gears back on/wedge the penny to crack the nut loose.

Tepco Cycle Repair I have a 2013 duke 690 so it's a little different but this is the best video I've found so far.

I see. I have a seal/bearing shop near by and I had them pull a bunch of seals for me so I could measure the spring and the SKF seal was the only one that would work.

You certainly can, I use a impact wrench and haven't had any issues.

local crimeSA if you used the spring in the video, you have something together wrong. I would pull the cover and double check everything.

Tepco Cycle Repair I have used the same spring. it was a bit tight to get in but either way the kockstarter is not suppose to affect the electric starter clutch am I correct? im still puzzled to which part could be in wrong. when I use the kick starter I can hear the starter clutch turning

local crimeSA if I remember correctly you can put the paws in the starter sprag in the wrong way and they will drag. It should spin freely one way when installed.