Apologies to everybody, as I know this subject has already been done to death, and this is quite a lengthy post, but if it stops anybody else making the same mistake, it will be worth it.
For some considerable time, the kickstart on the A7 has been jamming. If I am honest, it’s been doing it from day one, but just lately it has been getting worse and worse. My usual method of dealing with it is to free it on the clutch, and then give it even more GBH with the size 11 boot. Yesterday, it jammed completely, half up and half down, and would not move an inch either way. Uh oh, not good. So I spent what was left of yesterday reading the various posts on the subject on this forum.
Finally, I plucked up courage this morning, and took the gearbox apart. What a mess! A badly chewed kickstart quadrant, and piles of swarf and other sundry particles in the bottom of the cases. The strange-looking extra shoulder in front of the stud hole casting in the first picture is not reinforcement, it is in fact a pile of swarf and filings! Some of the more sinister looking bits can be seen further back in the bottom of the case. Uurrgh!!
On examination I discovered all the bushes in the casings were worn, which had probably exacerbated the problem by allowing the kickstart shaft to slop backwards and forwards slightly, thereby increasing the likelihood of the teeth not meshing properly. There was a lot of play between the ratchet pinion and the ratchet pinion bush ( over 0.008 at least ), again not helping matters. Once the ‘grinding down ‘ process had started, it was only a matter of time before the inevitable happened – check out what happened to my kickstart quadrant in the pics.
Anyway, it appears I had done the unforgiveable.......I had matched a ‘ flat top ‘ ratchet with a ‘ pointy ’ quadrant, obviously a recipe for disaster. Instead of checking it earlier, I had just carried on regardless, giving it more and more welly each time, without stopping to think what might be going on in there. What a bonehead, eh? What is more annoying is that I paid a lot of money for this ‘ completely refurbished ‘ gearbox from a so-called specialist, although I have had it for some time, but only fitted in 2014, and only done 1000 miles. So, another lesson learned there, then. Do it yourself next time, Thompson.
However, it is not all bad news, as I have a NOS quadrant and shaft, and three of the four new bushes I need, so it won’t be too expensive. I shall order a new ratchet pinion and bush, and a new inner case kickstart shaft bush from my old friends at Lyford Classics tomorrow – always good service from them. And a couple of gaskets too, as I had to take the inner cover off as well. I couldn’t run the risk of swarf being in there too. Good job I did, as some swarf had managed to get into the inner case bearing, so I’ve stripped the box and cleaned it thoroughly. All in all, a lot of unnecessary work caused by me being stupid, really. Anyway, let my stupidity stand as a timely warning to others, I say.
All the best
Norman T
