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1980 R100/T Starter Replacement Question

N

nevadaslim

New member
This question is for anyone who has replaced a R100 Airhead starter. Everything has gone smooth except for the two back bolts.

How did you get the bolt below(see photo), and the bolt on the other side out? What type of wrench did you use, brand, specially manufactured tool, ect. Where did you buy it? Sears, Home Depot, Lowes, Harbor Freight, ect?

Were you able to loosen the bolt-end, or the nut-end?

Thanks...
 

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It's been awhile, but I'm pretty sure I used the tools in the tool kit to get mine out. I think it was easier to work from the bolt side (Allen wrench?) than the nut side.
 
Well, not an R100/T, but my R90/6 looks the same. I used a 3/8" drive, thin wall, 12 point, 13mm socket, plus a small, 3/8" drive breaker bar (no room for a ratchet or a U-joint adapter). The socket I used is 1" long. It is from a cheap, no-name, probably Chinese, socket set that I have had for at least 20 years.



There is just enough room for this to slip onto the nut where your arrow is pointing in your picture. I could turn it a fraction of a turn, slip the socket back off the nut, reposition the socket for another "bite" and do it again. I think after it broke loose, I finished removing the nut using the wrench I was born with -- my thumb and forefinger.

Ray
 
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fxray said:
Well, not an R100/T, but my R90/6 looks the same. I used a 3/8" drive, thin wall, 12 point, 13mm socket, plus a small, 3/8" drive breaker bar (no room for a ratchet or a U-joint adapter). The socket I used is 1" long. It is from a cheap, no-name, probably Chinese, socket set that I have had for at least 20 years.



There is just enough room for this to slip onto the nut where your arrow is pointing in your picture. I could turn it a fraction of a turn, slip the socket back off the nut, reposition the socket for another "bite" and do it again. I think after it broke loose, I finished removing the nut using the wrench I was born with -- my thumb and forefinger.

Ray
Click to expand...

Thanks for the replies guys.

I figured it out about an hour after I made this post. Take out the air-box! Duh... I was pretty much able to come straight at the nuts with a 3/8" ratchet and extension after I got the air-box out of the way.

Anyway, I read three different online replacement instructions plus the ones that came with the starter from EuroMotoElectric, nothing about taking out the air-box.
Even the Cylmer's manual doesn't suggest you take out the air-box! It's a bit of a run-a-round if you don't have the right tools, but it works.

The 12-point socket was a very good suggestion Ray, thanks.
 
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Well, it's done, but seems like more trouble to remove the airbox. When I had this problem, I ended up using a 1/4" drive ratchet with a swivel end to the socket. I think when it goes back together, you should reverse the direction of the bolt so it is easier next time.
 
Taking out the air box in my view is the way to go ..... it will give you a chance to replace that old gas line that is shown in the photo.....(the one under the air box)...... Happy wrenching
 
starter bolts

Fingers for the first few turns then two cheap 13mm wrenches ground down to fit. 1/16 of a turn at a time but done in a minute or two. No need to take off the air box. The wrenches com in handy for other tight places. The wrenches kept in a separate spot in the tool box with the ground down swing arm nut socket, the ground down fork tube nut socket, ground down driveshaft bolt wrench etc. Heck, even though I haven't done it with the starter bolts, I've crazy-glued the odd nut to the tip of my finger to hold them in place while I tried to fiddle the bolt through them.
 
FELAW said:
Fingers for the first few turns then two cheap 13mm wrenches ground down to fit. 1/16 of a turn at a time but done in a minute or two. No need to take off the air box. The wrenches com in handy for other tight places. The wrenches kept in a separate spot in the tool box with the ground down swing arm nut socket, the ground down fork tube nut socket, ground down driveshaft bolt wrench etc. Heck, even though I haven't done it with the starter bolts, I've crazy-glued the odd nut to the tip of my finger to hold them in place while I tried to fiddle the bolt through them.
Click to expand...

That 'Crazy glue' idea is a great one. Never heard it before and seems better than an hour or so of dropping the nut and the accompanying frustrations!
 
That might work, but what do you do when you want to retrieve your finger? Maybe you need one of those magnetic finger gloves . . .

 
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