KTM 450-530 Won't Start with E-start Problem. Torque Limiter Fix How To Article

[Hodakaguy]

Around the 50hr mark my 09 530exc developed a problem with the E-starter. The starter would turn the engine over fine but it wouldn't fire, it would fire right up with the kick starter though. After doing a lot of reading on the net it sounded like the torque limiter was slipping just enough that the engine would turn over but not quite fast enough to light. I ended up removing the limiter, tightening it up a bit and re-installing it again. Problem fixed! Now my bike would even start in gear with the clutch in! I now have 130 hrs on the bike and the E-Starter is working like a charm. I posted all this in another thread a while back but have had several people contact me with questions on exactly what was involved with tightening the torque limiter.....Fast forward to today....

My friends 530 recently developed the same problem with the E-starter...would turn the engine over ok but wouldn't start, it would start just fine with the kick starter. He ordered the parts (gaskets etc) and we decided to take pictures this time so people could see what's involved if they are having the same issue. Now that we tightened the limiter on this bike the E-starter is working like new again!

Tools that you will need on hand:

*Torque wrench in In/lbs (for the smaller bolts) and ft/lbs

*Clutch basket Holder Tool - Like this one: CLICK HERE NOTE: This tool works but not correctly on our baskets. You have to use the tool on the inside of the basket to make it work.

*Misc hand tools. Wrenches, Sockets, Breaker bar.

*Impact Gun is nice to remove the Clutch Basket Nut but not a necessity, you can use the Clutch Basket Tool and a Breaker Bar as well.

Supplies to have on hand (08 530EXC Referenced on Part#'s):

*CLUTCH COVER GASKET: KTM Part# 78030025000

*RETAINING PLATE: KTM Part# 77332018000 (Lock Tab For Clutch Basket Nut) Note: It can be re-used but it's cheap to replace and you don't have to worry about it.

*HEXAGON NUT DIN0936-M18X1.5 R.: KTM Part# 0936181505 (Clutch Basket Nut..manual says to replace, a lot of people re-use the old one)

*Your favorite oil to re-fill the transmission with

*Your favorite coolant to re-fill the cooling system

*Shop Manual. Nice to verify you have everything in the right spot and order upon re-assembly. If you don't have a manual you can use the parts diagrams as reference...example KTM Cycle Hutt Parts FicheFinder: CLICK HERE

Handy Torque Values:

"Screw, Torque Limiter" - M6, 7.38 ft/lbs Loctite 243

"Nut, Inner Clutch Hub" - M18x1.5, 59.01 ft/lbs

"Screw, Clutch Spring" - M6, 7.38 ft/lbs

"Screw, Clutch Cover" - M6x25, 7.38 ft/lbs

"Screw, Clutch Cover" - M6x30, 7.38 ft/lbs

"Screw, Kickstarter" - M8, 18.44 ft/lbs Loctite 243

Start by draining the coolant and the transmission oil. Next let's remove the clutch.

Here's a shot of the Retaining Plate "Yellow Arrow" and clutch basket nut that lives under the clutch pack. Bend down the ears on the plate till they are flat so you can remove the nut. If you don't have a impact gun you will have to use the clutch basket took to hold the basket while you use a breaker bar to remove the nut. The Tusk tool won't work on the outer part of the basket but will work if you place the tool on the inside of the basket at the Red Arrows.

Next remove the kick start lever, loosen the hose clamp on the water pump hose connection, and remove the rear brake lever.

Now remove the clutch cover. Here's a shot of the inside of the cover. You can see the water pump drive gear in this shot. Note: When re-installing the cover don't force it. The plastic water pump drive gear has to line up and mesh with the other drive gears inside the case for the cover to go completely on. If the cover isn't wanting to slide on easily reach behind the cover and turn the water pump drive gear slightly, then try to slide the cover on again. Repeat this until the gears line up and the cover slides on smoothly.

Almost to the Torque Limiter. Now just slide the clutch basket off and place it to the side. Be careful to keep track of the order of washers etc as the parts come off.

Ok...with the clutch basket out of the way we can now see the offending Torque Limiter. Remove the bolt holding the limiter in place and remove the limter. Note: There is a thin shim behind the limiter, keep track of it as you remove the limiter and make sure it gets re-installed during re-assembly.

Removing the Torque Limiter. The yellow arrow is where the thin shim goes.

A side shot of the Torque Limiter. I've added the numbers 1 & 2 to help explain the tightening process. KTM says the Limiter is "Non-Adjustable" and is pre-set at the factory, if the Limiter is slipping just replace it at $130 a pop. The Limiter is installed in the bike so if the bike backfires it will slip and prevent damage to the starter and the engine case....knowing this we now have to decide how much we want to tighten the limiter? From what I've read people have just snugged them down until they are fairly tight and called it good....this is the method I used on my 530 and it's worked great for me. You can decide how tight you would like to tighten yours, just need it tight enough where it will transfer power to the engine with out slipping.

You will see three holes in the front of the Limiter "Area 2 in the picture above", you can build a spanner wrench that fits these holes or use the channel locks method to tighten the limiter. Place a piece of leather around the teeth "Area 1 in the picture above" and clamp "1" lightly in a vice. Then use the channel locks to tighten "2" a 1/8 or 1/4 turn. I normally would take the time to build a correct spanner wrench but nothing touches area "2" once the Limiter is re-installed so any teeth marks from the channel locks won't hurt anything.

That's it! Now just re-assemble everything, re-fill the oil, re-fill the coolant and enjoy having your E-start back again. ?

Hope this helps.

Hodakaguy

Edited March 12, 2011 by Hodakaguy

[Mike in Fresno]

this is great, you get points from me for this

mods make this a sticky

[FLT]

Nice work.

[welive2ride]

good idea. nice to know these kind of things before buying a bike.

[LeadDoggy]

subscribed for future reference

[kvanderende]

I did this work to my bike today and after it was all said in done the bike fired right up. So cool. If I had taken it to the dealer the part is $140 and who knows about the labor. It took me 2 hours total and I took my time. Anyway if you lean the bike on it's side, it will not spill any gear oil. If anyone has to do this to their bike don't worry is is very straight forward. If you have any question I would be happy to help. Send me a PM.

[kimberley rider]

hey hodaka, did you get symptoms before failure. my 530 turns over slow starts in nuetral but not in gear , batteries ok

[kvanderende]

Bingo! That is how it starts. When mine first started to have problems, it would only start when it was warmed up. Soon after it stopped starting with the E-start all together.

[Dave Hopkins]

I broke down and had a machine shop make a tool to turn it with a hex on it so I can set tension with a torque wrench. Very simple deal in that the drive gear and driven gear are sandwhiched together with clutch disc like lining in between creating a slip clutch intended to slip should the engine kick back.

Seams like KTM changes the design of this with each engine;

On this, the XC4 when you tighten the part he has pliers on it loads the spring that squeezes the clutch, however if it kicks back that unscrews the threaded tensioner, when you hit the starter it should tighten the thread???? Anyway I am setting them at 15 inch pounds, so far so good.

On the RFS it had the clutch but there they compress the spring and put in a snap ring, I think the RC4 is similar,

On the RF4 they have 3 small screws that appear to pinch the spring

Also interesting to note, the XC4 parts listing shows a part number for that lining material. So they will sell us the part but tell us its not servicable?

[XG5766]

2002 EXC 520. Is the adjustment the same in the RFS? If not, can anyone direct me to some instructions with photos.

Thanks,

Todd

[XG5766]

Around the 50hr mark my 09 530exc developed a problem with the E-starter. The starter would turn the engine over fine but it wouldn't fire, it would fire right up with the kick starter though. After doing a lot of reading on the net it sounded like the torque limiter was slipping just enough that the engine would turn over but not quite fast enough to light. I ended up removing the limiter, tightening it up a bit and re-installing it again. Problem fixed! Now my bike would even start in gear with the clutch in! I now have 130 hrs on the bike and the E-Starter is working like a charm. I posted all this in another thread a while back but have had several people contact me with questions on exactly what was involved with tightening the torque limiter.....Fast forward to today....

Hope this helps.

Hodakaguy

EXC 520 2002, any advice on e-starters for the older models. The e-start work only some times. If I hold the magic button the system will engage crank the motor some then disengage. If I hold the button for a little bit longer the motor will start craning again for a bet then disengage again.

I found holding the decompression lever helps keep the starter engaged.

Any words of advice would be appreciated. Photos would be more helpful.

Thanks for any assistance you can provide regarding the matter.

Todd

443.538.8633

[qualityfishing]

is this the same deal on the 2010 450exc?

[ktm450guy]

is this the same deal on the 2010 450exc?

Look on the ktm parts list to see if they superceited the part.If they have not than i would say its the same problem.

[badbrp]

The other week I put a new piston and rings in my 530 at 120hrs, the piston I used was a Woosner with slightly higher compression than standard (12.5:1 versus the OEM 11.9:1). As soon as I did this the bike refused to start on the E starter when cold, it sounded like it was turning over fine but just would not fire. One quick stab at the kick starter though and away it would go. Prior to this the bike was having some difficulty getting going when cold at times as well.

I remember seeing a thread TT on this anti kick back clutch slipping more than it should and in my case would probably be as a result of a combination of both normal wear and tear and the now higher compression.

So off with the side case, tighten the torque limiter clutch by 1/4 turn and hey presto now it is like new again. Fires first time when the button is pushed hot or cold.

Thanks to the OP as this fix certainly worked for me

cheers

[ateam14]

I just purchased a 2009 450xcf and well it doesn't start with out a jump (cold or hot), i installed a new battery and the result is the same. Could this be done to my bike? When it comes to electric all i know is red to red and don't stick a fork in the plug-in.

[450clown]

Im experiencing the same problem. I took my torque limiter off last night. The small shim was on the outside of the gear. Is it supposed to be located behind the gear up against the case? Also, to tighten you rotate counter clockwise, correct?

Thanks for any input I really appreciatte all the helpful info here!

[FreerideFanatyk]

Just did this fix.  Bought a used 2010 530 Six Days, and almost lost my mind trying to start the darn thing.  E-start just flooded the engine, and then you basically had to bump-start the thing, because your leg would fall off before kick-starting it worked.  

This fix turned it into a brand-new bike!  Starts immediately, every time now!  Thanks!

[GUMBE RACING]

Hi, my 03 525 has a similar problem where it only turns over quite slowly and absolutely hates starting while cold as soon as its warm it starts within 2 seconds. from what i understand i have the rfs motor? would this fix work in my application or do i have another problem? 

Thanks. 

[wyattdog2]

I just did the torque limiter on my 08 530excr but after putting the clutch back together something aint right since the inner clutch basket does not spin free, anyone know what the prob might be?

I was told (and saw video of the inner clutch easily rotating) mine does not spin when the nut is torqued down. I think I need to stop and find the problem before I continue

[Tristan Wellington]

On 3/12/2011 at 6:15 PM, Hodakaguy said:

Around the 50hr mark my 09 530exc developed a problem with the E-starter. The starter would turn the engine over fine but it wouldn't fire, it would fire right up with the kick starter though. After doing a lot of reading on the net it sounded like the torque limiter was slipping just enough that the engine would turn over but not quite fast enough to light. I ended up removing the limiter, tightening it up a bit and re-installing it again. Problem fixed! Now my bike would even start in gear with the clutch in! I now have 130 hrs on the bike and the E-Starter is working like a charm. I posted all this in another thread a while back but have had several people contact me with questions on exactly what was involved with tightening the torque limiter.....Fast forward to today....

My friends 530 recently developed the same problem with the E-starter...would turn the engine over ok but wouldn't start, it would start just fine with the kick starter. He ordered the parts (gaskets etc) and we decided to take pictures this time so people could see what's involved if they are having the same issue. Now that we tightened the limiter on this bike the E-starter is working like new again!

Tools that you will need on hand:

*Torque wrench in In/lbs (for the smaller bolts) and ft/lbs

*Clutch basket Holder Tool - Like this one: CLICK HERE NOTE: This tool works but not correctly on our baskets. You have to use the tool on the inside of the basket to make it work.

*Misc hand tools. Wrenches, Sockets, Breaker bar.

*Impact Gun is nice to remove the Clutch Basket Nut but not a necessity, you can use the Clutch Basket Tool and a Breaker Bar as well.

Supplies to have on hand (08 530EXC Referenced on Part#'s):

*CLUTCH COVER GASKET: KTM Part# 78030025000

*RETAINING PLATE: KTM Part# 77332018000 (Lock Tab For Clutch Basket Nut) Note: It can be re-used but it's cheap to replace and you don't have to worry about it.

*HEXAGON NUT DIN0936-M18X1.5 R.: KTM Part# 0936181505 (Clutch Basket Nut..manual says to replace, a lot of people re-use the old one)

*Your favorite oil to re-fill the transmission with

*Your favorite coolant to re-fill the cooling system

*Shop Manual. Nice to verify you have everything in the right spot and order upon re-assembly. If you don't have a manual you can use the parts diagrams as reference...example KTM Cycle Hutt Parts FicheFinder: CLICK HERE

Handy Torque Values:

"Screw, Torque Limiter" - M6, 7.38 ft/lbs Loctite 243

"Nut, Inner Clutch Hub" - M18x1.5, 59.01 ft/lbs

"Screw, Clutch Spring" - M6, 7.38 ft/lbs

"Screw, Clutch Cover" - M6x25, 7.38 ft/lbs

"Screw, Clutch Cover" - M6x30, 7.38 ft/lbs

"Screw, Kickstarter" - M8, 18.44 ft/lbs Loctite 243

Start by draining the coolant and the transmission oil. Next let's remove the clutch.

Here's a shot of the Retaining Plate "Yellow Arrow" and clutch basket nut that lives under the clutch pack. Bend down the ears on the plate till they are flat so you can remove the nut. If you don't have a impact gun you will have to use the clutch basket took to hold the basket while you use a breaker bar to remove the nut. The Tusk tool won't work on the outer part of the basket but will work if you place the tool on the inside of the basket at the Red Arrows.

Next remove the kick start lever, loosen the hose clamp on the water pump hose connection, and remove the rear brake lever.

Now remove the clutch cover. Here's a shot of the inside of the cover. You can see the water pump drive gear in this shot. Note: When re-installing the cover don't force it. The plastic water pump drive gear has to line up and mesh with the other drive gears inside the case for the cover to go completely on. If the cover isn't wanting to slide on easily reach behind the cover and turn the water pump drive gear slightly, then try to slide the cover on again. Repeat this until the gears line up and the cover slides on smoothly.

Almost to the Torque Limiter. Now just slide the clutch basket off and place it to the side. Be careful to keep track of the order of washers etc as the parts come off.

Ok...with the clutch basket out of the way we can now see the offending Torque Limiter. Remove the bolt holding the limiter in place and remove the limter. Note: There is a thin shim behind the limiter, keep track of it as you remove the limiter and make sure it gets re-installed during re-assembly.

Removing the Torque Limiter. The yellow arrow is where the thin shim goes.

A side shot of the Torque Limiter. I've added the numbers 1 & 2 to help explain the tightening process. KTM says the Limiter is "Non-Adjustable" and is pre-set at the factory, if the Limiter is slipping just replace it at $130 a pop. The Limiter is installed in the bike so if the bike backfires it will slip and prevent damage to the starter and the engine case....knowing this we now have to decide how much we want to tighten the limiter? From what I've read people have just snugged them down until they are fairly tight and called it good....this is the method I used on my 530 and it's worked great for me. You can decide how tight you would like to tighten yours, just need it tight enough where it will transfer power to the engine with out slipping.

You will see three holes in the front of the Limiter "Area 2 in the picture above", you can build a spanner wrench that fits these holes or use the channel locks method to tighten the limiter. Place a piece of leather around the teeth "Area 1 in the picture above" and clamp "1" lightly in a vice. Then use the channel locks to tighten "2" a 1/8 or 1/4 turn. I normally would take the time to build a correct spanner wrench but nothing touches area "2" once the Limiter is re-installed so any teeth marks from the channel locks won't hurt anything.

That's it! Now just re-assemble everything, re-fill the oil, re-fill the coolant and enjoy having your E-start back again.

Hope this helps.

Hodakaguy

Hey man I tried this yesterday on my 2009 KTM 450sxf & this is what it looked like.. ?