Thanks for your reply on the starter, I'm still a bit concerned about any speial tools for the removal and installation of the recoil starter and the clutch. Manual says both can be pretty hairy to remove if you are not experienced at it. Are they simple to just take off, or do I need a special clutch puller and some insight on what to expect during the removal of those two...? And thanks to anyone else that would like to comment and of course I'm grateful to OPT for guidance. With no one around to bail me out, I'm a bit gun-shy on replacing a starter...

 

LEAVE the black cover and 4 bolts on,just remove the surrounding bolts and cover MAY be a little hard to get off,but just tap all around and it will come off. The starter bendix is at the bottom along with the TWO bolts holding the starter. YES you do have to have an internal clutch puller to remove the front clutch,then the rear clutch just slides off after removing bolt. Remove the backing plate and the starter bracket is right in front of you. Others have worked around doing this,BUT with my big fingers the bracket was a b*****************h with clutches on! Also I had a lift!! made it a lot easier! I'M sure others will tell you their way!! PS the bendix can come out with the starter and HAS to go back in as an assembly because flywheel is in the way,plus check and grease the bendix and see if it rotates out and back ok with NO binding OPT

 

O.K., clear as mud. I am perhaps a bit more dense than you imagined... IS the recoil starter going to stay together s an assembly on its way out, or do I have to carefully put the pieces in order as they come apart? Same for the drive pulley/clutches... do they stay together as a unit or am i labeling everything and doing my best to keep them in order?

Thanks for your patience!

 

Recoil comes off as an assembly. Same for the clutches,BUT you have to have the puller for the front clutch. The Polaris one I used has a 1" head for an impact socket and I used a1/2" impact and it would pop right off. Most after market pullers are about the same. PS you can also look on YOUTUBE under Polaris clutch removal,will show you a lot there. OPT

 

OPT - Thanks a bunch. I have now gone from a state of sheer panic to dangerous level of over-confidence. You make it sound WAY too easy... and hopefully it is. Undoing some bolts is no biggie, for sure. I'll look around at some clutch pullers to see who has what. Might even look on ebay for a Polaris unit. My manual shows a special "clutch holding tool" in addition to the puller... guess I'll try to find out about that as well.

You da bomb! I can see why everyone here feels fortunate to have you (and the others with similar knowledge and willingness to share experience) in the mix. - Doug