I'll have to go look at my bike but if i recall correctly thats a ground ? Pretty sure i have my rectifier ground to that bolt in addition to the starter ground ?

 

There is nothing in that hole on mine, although it is threaded.... maybe something fell off?

Just put a new battery in mine and spent an hour rebending the barkbuster where I layed it over trying to bump start it (for the 10th time).

 

On my '09 the battery negative cable is bolted to the engine at that hole.

 

Thanks guys, I'll wait for a final verdict, but I dont think mine had anything there unless it fell out a long time ago. Just by how dirty it was.
Ol'klxr is your ground at that hole, or the next one down? My neg connection to the battery is on the next bolt down from the one with the arrow. that next one down also has the vent hose keeper attached to it on mine.
thanks guys

 

Dan, I just took another look and yes my ground goes to the hole with the arrow. The next one down (and a bit further in toward the center line of the bike) has only the vent hose clip. Minor assembly difference of no consequence. If it were to matter where the ground went, right to the starter would be best I think.

 

Neat deal on the axle/flywheel puller deal, dan. On reassembly I found you don't need any holders or such if you use a sequence of tightening the cranknut, clutch hub, and flywheel nut in a sequence that allowed holding one while tightening another. Sounds weird, but it worked perfectly. I don't remember exactly what sequence, but when you're standing there looking at the whole mess, it becomes evident. And...nothing in the "arrowed" hole in mine either. My ground and hose clip are on the lower bolt...but as Ol'K suggests, nothing consequential as long as everything has enough slack to fit.

 

OK thanks guys looks like they may have been saving themselves a bolt when they put the 06-07's together.
Yeah neat deal on the axle puller, I couldn't even find a puller for sale from kawi, and all the other universal dirt bike flywheel pullers i looked at, had the wrong threads or an internal thread.
I get what you are talking about with the proper sequence TNC. Basically keep the wrench on the last thing you tightened and you can use that to hold it all still, in order to tighten the next one. I almost took it apart out of order, and almost screwed my self into not having the flywheel to hold onto, while i loosened the primary gear.
Dan

 

I'm so sorry for your trouble. I use to burn 87 octane/ 10% alcohol fuel in my 2001 GMC Pick up and it would hiccup going up hills. So I changed to 100% gasoline and I have had no trouble since. It runs smooth all the time now. I use 93 octane/ 100% gasoline in my 2010 KLX250S. It runs good, but I still run the gas out each time and keep a battery tender on it to start in cold weather. Thanks for the information on this site.

 

Thanks Sam , welcome to KF. I plan to run premium exclusively after this, and see if I get any less "hiccups" . I don't think it is all of my problem but is one variable that I can try.
DAn

 

Hey Dan, Hope everything is coming together for you.

Since I've been experiencing a similar problem as to what Dan has described, curiosity (and worry) got the better of me, and I decided to pull the alternator cover and have a look.

First thing I discovered after removing the case is that the bushing in the cover looks quite good. When I held the washer from the gear up to the opening everything looked symmetrical and no wear was apparent.



The next thing I discovered is that the idle gear is not removable without pulling the alternator rotor. Lacking proper tools, this is where I stopped. Considering the bushing in the cover doesn't look anything like Dan's (sorry Dan), I'm 'assuming' the one behind the gear is fine also.



Hey Dan, how many times do you think that you've experienced this situation during starts and low idle? I myself have had it happen more than a dozen times. Less than 20 though I think. I've got an '09 with 7,000 miles. 2,000 on the bb351.

I agree that the 'lock up sound' seems to be occurring when the engine is being forced backwards upon starting or when the engine suddenly dies at low RPM, especially under a load and when the engine is running hot.

Being a weekend mechanic only, I try to figure out how everything works. So...I started playing with the gearing to see how it operates. When the starter button is engaged, the starter motor shaft spins clockwise. Which turns the torque limiter counter-clockwise, turning the idle gear clockwise, and than the starter motor clutch gear counter-clockwise rotating the crank shaft to turn over the engine. Once running, the alternator rotor spins independently (freewheels) from the starter motor clutch gear, preventing the rest of the starting gears from continually turning.
Image below shows all mentioned gears in relative positioning from top to bottom.



Now if the engine were to be forced backwards due to the above mentioned scenario, the starter motor clutch gear stops freewheeling and turns with the alternator rotor. Which in turn will force all other gearing in reverse. Luckily the starter motor shaft freewheels in both directions unless engaged by the starter button.

Here is where I think the 'lock up' or 'loud pinging sound' is occurring. I noticed when reversing the gearing back and forth by hand that a tinking noise occurs due to the 'play' between the gearing of the starter motor clutch gear and the idle gear. It's not a lot of play, less than a degree or 2. But take that under load with a sudden reversal of direction and 'ping'. Is this enough force to cause damage to the bushings? Anythings possible. I also need to clarify that I don't recall any of this happening before the bb351. (Higher compression?) But most of my riding on the klx was not off road oriented before the bb351.

Now to what's causing this. Low octane levels? I'm hoping it's something as simple as using a higher octane fuel. Would adding an octane booster to regular lower octane fuel be good enough if this is the cause? Only asking because at the pump how much higher octane fuel is actually pumped into such a small tank if 'sharing hoses between fuels' is the setup.

I don't think it is a timing issue because I pulled the valve cover and it appeared spot on. Good thing I did too because one of the intake valves was very tight. Doubting that's the cause, but remember, weekend mechanic here.

The problem is, due to living in the lower Arctic, I won't no if any solutions actually help until after everything thaws out next spring. Guess I'll get a couple replacement gaskets and put it back together for now. At least I have a little piece of mind knowing that my case and cover aren't in immediate danger of being damaged beyond repair.