R100GS starter removal question

[how much for a service!]

Hi
My starter motor has started screeching for a short time after firing up so want to remove it to give it a good clean.
I am not near home and have not got access to all my tools or manuals but a quick look under the top cover showed me the starter
held by two bolts (the left hand one looks looks fairly inaccessible)
does the air cleaner housing need to be removed? any tips on removing left hand bolt? anything else i should know?
cheers

 

[Rob Farmer]

The air box is easy to get off if it's been taken off regularly. If it hasn't the rubber tubes inside the air box could be in a bit if a state and make it difficult to remove them.

To be honest you could be opening a can of worms by striping the starter motor. If you are going to do it I'd have a contingency plan in place for getting a replacement. Those early valeos are prone to dropping the magnets into the armature.

 

[how much for a service!]

The air box is easy to get off if it's been taken off regularly. If it hasn't the rubber tubes inside the air box could be in a bit if a state and make it difficult to remove them.

To be honest you could be opening a can of worms by striping the starter motor. If you are going to do it I'd have a contingency plan in place for getting a replacement. Those early valeos are prone to dropping the magnets into the armature.

Thanks Rob I was hoping to just whip it off and clean the splines and the plunger to stop that run on squeal but as this is my only form of transport at the moment
I might get someone else to do it
Many thanks as usual

 

[Comfy Old Boots]

Plus there are springs that spring and disappear... Maybe take it off and spray wd40 or similar and try and get some lubrication in there... Mine stopped screeching with no interaction. No idea why. Maybe practice push starting the bike for when it does go or when (like) me the cleanup does not work.

 

[ianboydsnr]

Buy a new one, cheap enough, then strip the old, and buy new brushes, clean and rebuild for less than a tenner off eBay, as a back up, they are simple to strip and rebuild, you can even buy the body with new magnets,

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STARTER-M...pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts_13&hash=item3a91fce5b1


Brushes set,

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/REPAIR-KI...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item258850fea6

The bolt is a bit of a mare, replace with an Allen screw on replacement, then use a ball ended Allen key!

I think I used a quarter drive 12 point socket together with a wobbly extension (oo err missus) and a ratchet, after managing to loosen it slightly with a 12 point ring spanner!

 

[ChasF]

WD 40 may be a get you home fix. i wouldn't go for a full strip down and repair as, as Rob says, it'll just encourage the magnets to fall off.

 

[how much for a service!]

Great advice thanks guys