I have a SL175, 1970 kick-start is slipping and not engaging.

[Raysaway]

Hi all, what do I have to do to fix my SL175 kick start which slips and most times does not engage at all. Will this mean a total engine strip down?
Any tips or info we'll received. Thanks.

 

[ancientdad]

Hi all, what do I have to do to fix my SL175 kick start which slips and most times does not engage at all. Will this mean a total engine strip down?
Any tips or info we'll received. Thanks.

As I explained in your introduction thread, to do the repair your engine needs, only the bottom end needs to be disassembled but the engine must be removed from the frame to do so.

Do you have the FSM (factory service manual)?

 

[Raysaway]

As I explained in your introduction thread, to do the repair your engine needs, only the bottom end needs to be disassembled but the engine must be removed from the frame to do so.

Do you have the FSM (factory service manual)?

All right mate, Where's the service manuals?

 

[ancientdad]

All right mate, Where's the service manuals?

Did you look at the Welcome Package link I posted in my reply to your introduction? Lots of good, helpful information in it, including a link to our FSM library. We try to provide most everything you'll need to get started.

 

[Richard Pitman]

One bit of good news is that it's much easier to remove the engine from the SL frame than the juggling act involved in getting the engine in and out of the CB/CL/CD frames. Once all the mounting bolts and engine plates are out of the way the motor lifts out very easily.

Once out, the side cases need to be removed, then the bottom end of the motor can be accessed without needing to disturb the cylinders and cylinder head, cam, etc. Ideally need to remove the oil spinner, special socket required for the crankshaft nut hidden inside, then clutch and oil pump lift off together. They need to come off so that the gearchange shaft can be withdrawn. It might be possible to split the cases without removing the above parts, but probably not advisable, thinking about the gear selector mechanism.

One gotcha is the bottom case bolt which is hidden under the oil drain plug, all the other bottom case bolts are clearly accessible.

I'm wondering if your kick start problems are due to missing teeth from the kick start idler gear, or worse, a completely broken idler gear, which was the reason that the kick start in my CL175 engine wasn't engaging. Missing teeth or break up caused by PO operating the kick start when the engine was running. Different pinion in the SL engine, still available here:

28211314010: PINION, KICK STARTER Honda - buy the 28211-314-010 at CMSNL

✓ In stock now PINION, KICK STARTER ✓ Manufacturercode: 28211-314-010 ✓ Quality part

www.cmsnl.com

 

[Richard Pitman]

Thinking about this, the SL kick start works differently to the CB etc one. On the SL, it looks as though the idler gear runs permanently engaged with the gearbox, ratchet mechanism normally disengaged. When the kick start is operated, the ratchet slides along the kick start shaft and engages with the ratchet on the idler gear, thus turning the crankshaft via the gearbox. If the ratchet mechanism didn't slide freely it wouldn't engage properly. I played around with my SL gearbox whilst it was apart, and that was the conclusion that I came to.

Disengaged

Kick start operated

 

[Richard Pitman]

Whole SL transmission

 

[Richard Pitman]

Tool for oil spinner nut removal

 

[Raysaway]

Richard, thank you so much for the excellent photos and descriptions. I feel more confident now about the task ahead. Looking at the photos showing the ratchet, I'm pretty sure mine has its teeth missing!
I'll keep you updated with my progress.
Ray.