2004 Yamaha Grizzly 660 Starter Not Engaging

[Ajmboy]

Disconnected the plow yesterday on my 2004 Yamaha Grizzly 660 and am getting ready to do some riding yesterday and the battery went weak, Starter cranked a few times but week. Put my trickle charger on that I bought and went to the garage today to start it up, but the starter is just spinning and not engaging. The solenoid is clicking. The pull start sucks and is hard to pull (never use it and need to look into that). Quick video of the starter spinning. Could it be the starter or  the starter clutch one-way bearing? I guess I need to take the cover off to see what's going on.

[06kfx440]

What’s the voltage on the battery? It is possible it never charged


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Also. Clean the silenoid. It could be a bad connection


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[Frank Angerano]

It sounds like a shot battery to me, i would start there first before i take anything apart. 
Maybe time for a new battery!!! 

[Ajmboy]

5 minutes ago, 06kfx440 said:

What’s the voltage on the battery? It is possible it never charged

It's above 12V and on drain never goes too low...see video:

19 minutes ago, Frank Angerano said:

It sounds like a shot battery to me, i would start there first before i take anything apart. 
Maybe time for a new battery!!! 

I am really not in the mood to take anything apart...lol. Its times like this I wish I had a 12v booster back or a charge with an engine boost option!

[06kfx440]

What about your grounds? Maybe tap on the starter and help it engage


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[Ajmboy]

6 minutes ago, 06kfx440 said:

What about your grounds? Maybe tap on the starter and help it engage

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I tried that as well, going to try it again. It’s spinning though. Usually when a starter lands on a dead spot it won’t do anything, but when you tap it you move it just enough to make a connection. 

[06kfx440]

Can you crank it by hand? The starter might be stripped.


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[Ajmboy]

I tried jumping it with the car...same.

[Ajmboy]

I took the starter out and the gear looks good. Also jumped it direct (too lazy to take it to a bench...)

I'm leaning on the starter clutch.

 

[spock58]

Yeah, I agree on the starter clutch diagnoses. Since the starter doesn't use a bendix, it should always be connected to a gear. If it is spinning, then that's the only thing that makes sense.

[Ajmboy]

2 minutes ago, spock58 said:

Yeah, I agree on the starter clutch diagnoses. Since the starter doesn't use a bendix, it should always be connected to a gear. If it is spinning, then that's the only thing that makes sense.

Thanks, that's what I'm thinking. Gonna put the starter back in and I guess take the cover off this week to see what's going on.

[Ajmboy]

The gear you see there which engages with the starter...I can spin it freely with my finger.

[06kfx440]

Doesn’t that spin the fly wheel? Is it directional?What happened when you pulled it in. Or was it parked there while running? It’s funny to me that it works then doesn’t. I’d pull it by hand to see if it spins


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[Ajmboy]

11 minutes ago, 06kfx440 said:

Doesn’t that spin the fly wheel? Is it directional?What happened when you pulled it in. Or was it parked there while running? It’s funny to me that it works then doesn’t. I’d pull it by hand to see if it spins

Spins freely both ways like not engaged. Its been parked and did crank the other day but never started. Cranked a few times and then started to do this free spinning.  Its odd to me too, almost thought it had something to do with the way it was parked. I pushed it in gear to move the flywheel a bit and see, but same scenario.

[06kfx440]

Did you hear grinding while cranking. It may have broke teeth trying to start it. Was it sitting for a while? Drain the oil and put a magnet in it. Or pull the flywheel cover and inspect it.


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[spock58]

Weird, eh? Usually when I've run into those failures there's been skipping/ratcheting sounds as they try to engage.

[Ajmboy]

1 minute ago, 06kfx440 said:

Did you hear grinding while cranking. It may have broke teeth trying to start it. Was it sitting for a while? Drain the oil and put a magnet in it. Or pull the flywheel cover and inspect it.

I didn't hear any grinding. I think that's the next step this week, pull the cover to see.

1 minute ago, spock58 said:

Weird, eh? Usually when I've run into those failures there's been skipping/ratcheting sounds as they try to engage.

Yeah its just completely not engaged. something must have broke under the cover.

[Frank Angerano]

Nothing broke per say. That's the one way clutch.
They go sometimes plain and simple. That part #6 should be what you need but its behind the flywheel and bolted to the flywheel. Going to need the side cover gasket and most importantly is loctite for 6 allen bolts holding  it to the flywheel.  @Ajmboy The flywheel needs a special puller to get it off. If you don't have one i can mail you mine.  Its not big and you can mail it back.   

Edited April 6, 2020 by Frank Angerano

[JacobSlabach]

for the pull start issue i would check for a decompression valve on the head of the machine- sometimes they are there- sometimes not but that would make it easier.  if not its prolly just jammed up in your pull start assembly which is usually an easy enough fix

thats a nice bike though- heard good things about the torque those 660s make.

[Ajmboy]

2 hours ago, Frank Angerano said:

Nothing broke per say. That's the one way clutch.
They go sometimes plain and simple. That part #6 should be what you need but its behind the flywheel and bolted to the flywheel. Going to need the side cover gasket and most importantly is loctite for 6 allen bolts holding  it to the flywheel.  @Ajmboy The flywheel needs a special puller to get it off. If you don't have one i can mail you mine.  Its not big and you can mail it back.   

That's nice of you, I'll let you know definitely when I get into it. I have a few pullers for cars and may have one from an old yamaha I worked on years ago. I have to look.

So you think it just went like that? Once I get the cover off I'm going to check. I think what's going on is something like this video I found on youtube:

 

2 hours ago, JacobSlabach said:

for the pull start issue i would check for a decompression valve on the head of the machine- sometimes they are there- sometimes not but that would make it easier.  if not its prolly just jammed up in your pull start assembly which is usually an easy enough fix

thats a nice bike though- heard good things about the torque those 660s make.

I'm going to get into it later today or tomorrow to see what's up. Thanks for the tip!

[Frank Angerano]

Yep thats it and the part is behind and attached  to the flywheel with some allen bolts. FYI the flywheel os deeper then the allen key so you have to use the longer stem on the allen key. Problem is its a bi*** to try and turn so you should have a set of good "T" handle allen keys.   

[Ajmboy]

2 hours ago, Frank Angerano said:

Yep thats it and the part is behind and attached  to the flywheel with some allen bolts. FYI the flywheel os deeper then the allen key so you have to use the longer stem on the allen key. Problem is its a bi*** to try and turn so you should have a set of good "T" handle allen keys.   

I have t-handle allens, good tip!

[Frank Angerano]

I didn't lol. I went out and got some good ones though.  

[Scott M]

On 4/6/2020 at 6:23 AM, Ajmboy said:

That's nice of you, I'll let you know definitely when I get into it. I have a few pullers for cars and may have one from an old yamaha I worked on years ago. I have to look.

So you think it just went like that? Once I get the cover off I'm going to check. I think what's going on is something like this video I found on youtube:

 

I'm going to get into it later today or tomorrow to see what's up. Thanks for the tip!

I bet it's #6 on your diagram, a one-way clutch. They wear out/fall apart

[Ajmboy]

So I spent a little time on it today, put the starter back in and took off the cover. I hit the ignition with the cover off and it seems to be working...

 

 

[Frank Angerano]

So you pulled the cover off and checked things out and its working again? 

[Ajmboy]

6 minutes ago, Frank Angerano said:

So you pulled the cover off and checked things out and its working again? 

yep, looks like that to me. Hit the starter and the flywheel is turning like it wants to start.  That chain looks loose to me but no sure if its supposed to be like that.. The videos in the post are mp4. here are .mov files from my iphone.. I'm tempted to just get a gasket and put it back to gether but don't know.

IMG_1671.MOV

IMG_1672.MOV

[Frank Angerano]

Theres no doubt shes grabbing again. It's common for them to stick and get stuck and work again.   The problem is it keeps happening.  I would go with your gut and slap a nee gasket on and see how it goes.  Worst case she acts up again you know what to do!  

[Ajmboy]

1 minute ago, Frank Angerano said:

Theres no doubt shes grabbing again. It's common for them to stick and get stuck and work again.   The problem is it keeps happening.  I would go with your gut and slap a nee gasket on and see how it goes.  Worst case she acts up again you know what to do!  

I think I'll do that and see. Oil looked pretty dark, so just ordered it online with a filter and will get a gasket and some loctite for the bolts and see what happens.

[Frank Angerano]

Loctite you will only need if you swap out the starter clutch.  I tend to stay away from Loctite on the engine cover bolts and put a tiny dab of silicone on the threads instead, especially the longer bolts at the top of cover. That loctite sh** works good and the longer bolts have to much length on them so they twist and snap coming back out so choose wisely.  
 

Spray the stater clutch with carburetor cleaner if you can get to it. Maybe its gummed from dirty oil.  Prob not but cant hurt.   
My guess is you will be changing down the road, and of course it will go on a snowy day!!!! Lololol.  
 

May be best to have one on hand and a gasket just in case.