RE: starter motor lubrication

["John Dancoe" <jdan@xxxxxxxx>]

"Steve Makohin" wateredg@xxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:wateredg@xxxxxxxxxxxx>  wrote:

>Speaking only for myself, the lack of big factory cases is pretty well the
only
>reason for me not to replace my current S with the new R1200S.

Yeah, that gives me pause also.

Oh well, I've still got to put another 23,000 miles on the RS before I can
think about a new bike.

But between finally getting my carbs running pretty nicely and the dangling
carrot of the R1200S, I might be inclined to put a lot more miles on in the
next couple seasons...!

Below: my notes on starter motor lubrication (pertains to '93 R1100RS, but I'd
bet the same, or very similar, starter is still used on R1200).

John D

STARTER MOTOR LUBRICATION

If you're contemplating servicing your starter motor, be aware of the
following:

1. If you plan to lube the back armature shaft bushing, you'll have to drill
out the rivets that hold the front plate on, and replace them with machine
screws or new rivets, in order to remove the armature from the case;

2. If you're not planning to lube the rear bushing, there's no point in even
removing the brush holder cover unless you just want to blow the dust out;

3. Contrary to the implications of the Haynes manual instructions, the E-clip
on the back of the armature shaft DOES NOT retain the brush holder.  The
E-clip will, however, be easy to remove from the shaft once the brush holder
is removed.  It's nearly impossible to remove the E-clip prior to removing the
brush holder, as the Haynes manual instructs, and chances are good that you'll
break the brush holder trying because THE BRUSH HOLDER IS MADE OF A VERY
BRITTLE PLASTIC WHICH CHIPS VERY EASILY.

4. To remove the brush holder, after disconnecting the lead from the solenoid,
simply remove the two nuts (8mm hex flats) from the studs and remove the brush
holder cover.

5. The brush retainer spring has a central loop which clips the brush holder
to a tab extending from the side of a slot in the back of the armature
housing.  I haven't actually disassembled the brush holder using the following
method, but after doing it wrong this is my best guess as how a right-handed
person might do it correctly:  while holding the starter with your left hand,
CAREFULLY twist the right-hand sping coil clockwise with a needlenose pliers.
The aim is to slip the central loop off of the tab WITHOUT LETTING THE SPRING
FLY LOOSE.

6. At this point, the spring will want to snap up and away from the brush
holder, and the SMALL, WHITE, PIE-SHAPED insulator between each spring leaf
and the brush it retains will probably want to go flying.  THE INSULATORS CAN
EASILY GET LOST, possibly within the armature housing, so be careful, try to
keep the spring under control, and hold the starter back-side-down or at least
sideways as you remove the spring. Keep your work area clean so you can easily
find the insulators if they do get ejected.

7. Once the spring has been removed you can easily lift the brush holder off,
leaving the brushes dangling out of the brush holder.

8. The Haynes manual is correct after this point: "Assembly is the reverse of
disassembly...".  However, replacing the spring while trying to hold the
leaves down over the brushes, and getting the central loop back over the
retaining tab, is a good trick.  I'm still not quite sure how I finally
managed it.  In retrospect a good idea might be to 1) slip the brushes into
their slots, 2) fit the gasket in place under the brush holder (note one brush
lead fits into a slot in the gasket), 3) slip the brush holder in place over
the studs, 4) put the washers and if necessary additional spacers over the
studs so you can temporarily secure the brush holder to the back of the
armature housing with the cover retaining nuts, 5) install the spring using a
couple of fingers to hold the sping leaves on the small insulators and a
needlenose plier to twist the coil so that you can force the central loop down
the "ramp" in the brush holder until it snaps into place under the tab.

9. Make sure the brush holder and gasket are parallel and flush to each other
and to the back of the armature housing.  It's possible for the central loop
of the spring to slip over the tab in the brush holder, but not over the tab
in the housing, leaving the spring loop between the holder and the housing.
If this happens, the brush holder will break in two when the rear cover is
clamped down...trust me on this one.

10. Removing and replacing the "C" clip inside the collar that retains the
pinion assembly is another fun trick, which Haynes doesn't explain in detail.
Removing it involved knocking the collar off the clip with a deep socket and a
hammer.   Replacing it involved squeezing the clip into the collar between a
couple heavy-duty washers and three pairs of pliers (two of them vice grips).

------------------------------