Engine Locked. Starter motor will not pull out.

[Tuckerbag]

Hi

I have a 1996 750 SRAD (carbs) that I have owned since 1998.
It has been in storage for 2.5 years.

I went to start it one day and it turned over about half a revolution and then locked solid.
At first I thought that maybe some fluid had leaked into a cylinder and was preventing the engine from turning over (hydraulic-ed)
So I pulled out all 4 spark plugs and tried to turn it over but the engine was still locked (in both directions)

So I thought maybe the starter motor had jammed?
I read the manual,..section 7-14 (page 280 of 557).
It states that you just detach the lead wire and undo the (2?) mounting bolts.
Then pull it out.


Well my starter motor will not pull out and I am about to investigate further.
Thus far I have only tried pulling it out by hand.
Next, I will try rocking the back wheel back and forth a bit as I apply withdrawal force to the starter motor, and then try to somehow apply much greater withdrawal force?

I have posted up here to see if anyone has had this issue before and has any words of wisdom?

 

[Tuckerbag]

Not going to be a simple one

Today I took the Starter Idle Gear Cover off and pulled out the Starter Idler Gear.
The engine was still locked.

With the bike in 1st gear I rotated the back wheel back and forth a bit and could gently 'hammer' the engine over backwards but not forwards.
Every time I rocked the back wheel back and forth the engine would rotate ever so slightly backwards about 1/100th of a turn.
I figured that this was not a good thing to be doing but I was curious to see just how locked up the engine is.

So it looks like it is going to be a lot more work to find out what the problem is.
I am guess it is something to do with the clutch or crankshaft as the rear wheel spins freely in neutral.

For now I am going to re-assemble the bike and put it back into storage.
I have other projects that are much more appealing at present.

But I would love to know if anyone else out there has had a problem similar to this and what the cause was.
Back into my hole,...

 

[Underdog]

I haven't had this issue but I'd lean more towards the clutch. Does the wheel spin when in gear with the clutch in?

 

[Tuckerbag]

Yes, rear wheel turns (with the expected amount of resistance) with the clutch in.

 

[Underdog]

That rules clutch issues out. Could coolant of leaked? I'm thinking of maybe rust