The Hodaka Club Forum

Purchased new kick shaft and beefier retainer to cure kicker slippage on a B+. Original shaft had 0.2mm shim at splined end and 0.5mm on left engine case side. With new shaft I kept the 0.2mm shim at splined end. The other end now has (2) 0.5mm shims and a 0.3mm. With cases back together and held in place w five case screws, shaft free play measured w a dial indicator shows 0.15mm. While it doesn’t seem too sloppy it is a lot more than the spec of 0.10. What is collective experience out there on whether this much clearance is ok or not.

I would recommend talking to who you bought the shaft from and get their thoughts.
If it were mine, I would shim it up from both sides until you get the play that you are looking for. At the same time making sure that the starter gear is engaging the transmission in an acceptable place.

Thanks Dale. It’s a SoCal Hodaka kick shaft sourced through Terry Larson at Hodaka Parts. I’ll check w him

Engagement or kick gear w 2nd gear looks really good to me.

Looks better, than any I have ever seen before. Clarence

What Clarance said...
I was hoping that Greg and Terry were your source. Either one will be able to answer any questions you might have.

Thanks Clarence and Dale. Plan to connect w Terry tomorrow.

This is very important to me if the kick roller pins are not centered and seated in the kick gear, they would damage the kick shaft and ruin the kick roller retainer. I have machined seventy five thousands off the kick shaft just to center mine. It keeps the hodaka from making the skritch sound, the kick crank slipping and you having to split the cases and order parts. --------Clarence

Thanks Clarence. That noise is exactly why everything is apart right now. Thought it would be the roller retainer and it was not. Retainer is fine. But the ramps on the kick shaft were in bad shape. Purchased new kick shaft and also purchased the beefier roller retainer and a new retainer clip. Interesting you put focus on centering the kick shaft. I like the engagement the kick gear has w second gear. That said most of the shimming I’ve done is at the blind end. 0.2mm at splined end and 0.13mm at blind end. But based on engagement of the gears it seems good enough. I needed another 0.2mm shim to be able to get into spec of free play and am going to make that change. It will change current free play of 0.15mm to 0.05mm.