Tiger Sprag Clutch Disagnosis And Repair

Hey guys.

Got a bit of a problem with the old steamer. I think I've knackered the sprag clutch. It's a 96 Tiger. Makes a nasty noise when trying to start. Sounds like a bag of ball bearings in a cement mixer. I've had the starter motor off and it's got all it's teeth. The sprocket it meshes with also looks good. Can't find anything metallic in the oil. Unfortunately I don't have the removable plate to get the the sprag. Is there a way to diagnose the problem with the engine in the frame or will I need the engine out ?

I read somewhere there is a spring that fails but it's not a part you can order. You have to have the whole clutch assembly at £££££'s

Any advice would be welcome.

 

That's some great info. Thanks guys.
Unfortunately it is going to be the crank case split to repair but at least I can find a replacement spring for the clutch. Just need to read up and check gaskets/seals required etc and clear a space on the bench. (Think that might be the biggest job ). Fingers crossed I don't find anything else on strip down....

 

I have been thinking along the same lines. I'm not sure how long I intend to keep the bike. I have been thinking of getting it going again then putting it on the market. Obviously a new sprag clutch would be a winner for a new owner, but not sure if I want to chuck another wad of cash at a bike I may not be running long. I think I'll break it down, evaluate the sprag, clean everything up, throw a can of paint at the plastics and give the lump a good clean then rebuild. Should look a lot better than at present. (It's not currently very pretty )

 

Well. The engine is out and on the bench. Is it a bad idea to turn the engine upside down to work on it ? I have built a cradle to hold it right side up but attacking the bottom of the engine would be a lot easier if it was inverted. Any opinions welcomed.

 

Ok.
Seems I misunderstood the Haynes manual. Think I'm going to have to start from the top and strip the engine down to get to the sprag. This could be a more expensive and technical job than I had at first thought. Might be a longer term project. I can check everything as I strip it and see what needs doing.
Gonna give this bike a good going over I think.

I'm also gonna have to look into Clive Woods T3 course.

 

I can confirm you can remove the sprag clutch by splitting the crank case and leaving the top of the engine intact.
The lead time on a new sprag clutch is about a month and a half so I'm going for a spring replacement for now.
The rubbers for the tiger forks are also out of stock so I went for a similar sized rubber pattern part for a ZX7-R. Seems like a reasonable fit but it is slightly wider so sits slightly higher in the grooves machined into the clutch.

Now I need to check which gaskets/seals I need for the rebuild. Get them ordered up and hopefully rebuild the gearbox.

Also need to order a new engine pickup sensor because I knocked mine off when rotating the engine to get to the timing marks. (Doh!).