I am having starter trouble on my 2003 trailboss 330. When I turn the key, it only clicks. It sounds like the drive is not engaging. The battery is good and I also tried to jump start it. I started to take the starter off this weekend and ran into trouble. The starter is on top of the engine. I could get to the bolts, but could not get them all the way out. It looks like the belt cover, pulleys, and backing plate have to come off to replace the starter. Anyone have any suggestions or shortcuts? Could it be something besides the starter?

 

MOST LIKELY STARTER BRUSHES. ABOUT $50.00 + OR- A FEW.

 

I too have a 2003 Trailboss 330 with the dreaded click-click. I've traced it back to the starter. I don't have a service manual........how do you get the starter off without removing the clutch pulleys and backing plate?

It almost seems like it would be easier to get out the cutting torch and cut the atv apart and weld it back together........

 

Mine did the same thing. You need to bypass the solenoid and see if the started turns over. Mine was clicking but it was not making contact. I almost took the starter of but decided to jump it first. Use jumper cables from the positive side of the battery to the red pole on the started and see if it spins. Mine did and all I had to do was replace the solenoid (magnetic switch). I have the shop manual for my 04 if you really need to pull the starter let me know and will copy / scan the pages and send them to you.

 

Bad2WD, I'm interested in more about these....Hot Seat Hyperdrive Clutch Kit
4" Collars on Front Struts
1.5" Stiffeners on Rear Shock
42 Tooth Sprocket

Please PM me. I'll be back Wed..

Thank you,

Luke

 

I checked the shop manual. It tells you how to remove the starter drive and rebuild the motor but not how to actually remove or reinstall the motor. It says you need to remove the recoil housing to get to the starter drive but it does not say this is necessary to remove the starter motor. I can print the pages and scan them for you if you need me to but I don't know how much help it will be.

 

Bad2WD,

I opened up your "MyPics" and am very impressed. That is a Bada$$ quad. Thank you for the shots.

 

thanks for the replies. Bad2WD, I had already did a voltage test at the battery and before and after the solenoid. I also tried jumping the starter straight from the battery. As well as the old car trick of tapping on the starter to see if I could get it to spin. Anyways, it doesn't sound like the manual will help, except for the part about the recoil housing. When the electric start didn't work, I tried using the pull rope and lucky me.....it pulled out and didn't recoil. So, I'll pull the recoil housing and maybe I can fix both problems. Hopefully the recoil mechanism is designed for maintenance as well as the starter (ha ha).

 

an update on my starter problem. I have been able to remove the starter without removing the automatic clutches and the backing plate behind them. I did remove the airbox and pushed the aire inlet tube out of the way by removing the screws behind the right side cover. When I removed the recoil housing, I did not have to remove any more bolts (the starter comes out just by removing its own 2 bolts), however I did have to tap on the end of the starter shaft (in the recoil housing) to get the starter backed out enough to remove it. In the process, one of the starter bolts broke a little piece off the backing plate, but it doesn't look it will affect it.

I cleaned the starter internals, put it back together and tested it. Seems to work.

I can't wait until the starter fails again........and I get to do this all over again. I was thinking I was wanting a new Polaris Ranger.....now I think I want a Rhino or a Mule!!!!!

 

this really sucks. It appears the starter is spinning in the wrong the direction and thus the gear drive (bendix) mechanism is not engaging the flywheel. fyi, I have a brand new gear drive. Is it possible I reassembled the starter wrong somehow??? I realize reversing the DC current would change the spin direction......but I think I have the positive and ground hooked up correctly. The ground is to one of the starter mounting bolts, and the hot is to the post up on the starter body....so it looks correct. Looking at the flywheel from the right side of the ATV, I think the flywheel has to turn forward/clockwise to start. And the gear drive must turn counter/clockwise to force the engaging cog to push out. Which means the starter would need to spin clockwise to turn the gear drive correctly. But the starter is spinning counter/clockwise and the gear drive is just spinning.

Any ideas, other than seeing a pyschologist? What did I do wrong???

When you don't do something right, experience is what you get! I'm getting plenty.