Ok ...but I still dont understand how the compensator is causing extra drag on the starter. What part of the compensator do I need to look at to see if there is a failure?
I don't want to trash another starter.
Attached is a drawing of the SE compensator - page 3 of the PDF..
Parts 6 and 7 are "Belleville" spring washers. They create the clamp force.
Part 3 is the sliding cam. Part 4 is the compensating sprocket.
Part 3 is driven by the crankshaft via the splines. Part 4 drives the primary chain to the clutch. So the transfer of power from the motor to the drivetrain via the clutch happens between these parts.
Parts 3 and 4 are clamped to each other with force created by the spring washers. Part 3 has three ramps that protrude between the three webs on Part 4.
The idea is the spring pressure is adequate to keep the Part 3 ramps from ever bottoming on the Part 4 webs, eliminating shock load on the crankshaft (and starter during when starting the motor).
The stock compensator does not have adequate spring pressure to prevent this from happening on the stock 110, much less on an improved stock 110.
If the ramps do bottom on the webs, it is a solid "clunk" that gets transferred to the crankshaft like hitting it with a hammer. It doesn't produce a "grinding" noise, just a solid "clunk".
The only real weakness in this design is part 9. It is a fiber washer. As the fiber washer wears, it will get thinner, and reduces the clamp force the spring pressure creates. Over time, this fiber washer should be replaced. I replaced mine after about 8,000 miles. It had reduced in thickness by about .010 after 8,000 miles.
I've seen the fiber washer disintegrate before. Broken into pieces. Most likely because the "mechanic" tightened fastener #9 with an impact wrench instead of following the torque procedure in the instructions. Previous compensators were supposed to be tightened with an impact wrench. The SE compensator fastener cannot be tightened with a impact wrench, because it could crack and fracture this washer - and eventually fail and fall apart. So if there is anything that could be done wrong during installation, that is it.
One other thing that could be done wrong during assembly is to install the spring washers wrong. They have to be orientated exactly as shown, otherwise the spring pressure would be reduced, which would result in insufficient clamp force. That is why they have a separate picture of the orientation of Page 1 of the PDF. It is critical the spring washers are orientated correctly.
A compensator that is to weak for the application, or a compensator with weakened springs can damage a starter just like it can damage the crankshaft. As the motor is started, if the compensator is weak enough to "bottom out" - the starter takes the same shock that the crankshaft experiences. This can easily damage the clutch within the starter.
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Topic: Screamin' Eagle Big Twin Compensator (Read 49342 times)