So i split the case on my 74 DT250 and shes all ready to be put back together but im having trouble figuring out how to wind up the kickstarter spring? I know how the spring goes into place as seen in picture 1 but im not exactly sure how the shaft should go in? its got this "cam lobe" on it as seen in picture 2 and im not sure where that lobe should be positioned?
Am i supposed to put the cases together and then shove the shaft into place and wind the spring up?
 
 
 

 

They're a pain!!. Looking at your pic i think you have the cover back to front. The piece the shaft engages with on the spring is preloaded against the tab on the cover. Sort of a one shot only & when assembled & operating it doesn't come back to that preload tab. Sorry i'm woffling not explaining very well. I'll go researching, only 50 years since being inside one but had be thinking back as is different for sure & a bugger if you break a spring.
Edit--or is the spring back to front!! but if the other way winding goes the wrong way i think. Trying to show an ebay one but pic won't copy.

Study these pics & 3rd one across & spring ear is preloaded to sit behind the tab withing you can see there--even though this one isn't being preloaded as it sits.

partsfortress.com/products/75-yamaha-dt2...-start-spindle-shaft

Then by memory you engage the shaft & turn it while 'just' sitting out from the stop then bring it around away from the tab the push the shaft home so stop takes over.
I 'think' if the spring got off the tab you could still engage onto it but have to turn it more to get around to where the shaft return stop fits into place hence holding the spring preload. Hope someone can tell it more simply.
Bit hard to see in your pic but think in hindsight you need to turn your spring about half a turn then let it come up behind the tab--looking deep in your pic. Tab might be bent closed & need a tweak.

Im not quite following you i may have to make a video tomorrow. I have the cases currently split, picture 1 shows the spring from the inside and is installed correctly its just not wound up. Im just not sure exactly how the shaft should be installed because it has that "lobe" that im pointing to in picture 2. I think the lobe is actually a stopper so that you can only kick so far? but im not sure. I wish i never even unhooked it or at least payed more attention. The only reason i did was because the spring was wound so tight it wasnt sitting down into the case flush as seen in picture 1 so i was unable to get the other half of the case on. So frustrating! i need this done soon because i wanna take it to vintage motorcycle days even though i have at least 5 other bikes i could take lol

Sorry i talk in riddles sometimes. Time to let someone help that's been there done that more recently than me in 1974 lol. Just thinking though there's probably no reason why you couldn't insert the shaft now & eyeball how it works & observe if the spring is tensioned enough when the shaft is held back against the 'stop in the case' as takes plenty of tension to return the kick lever. I'm guessing there's a dot on the stop you're pointing to & a dot on the shaft to give correct spring preload at rest with kick lever up. If you've 'not' had the stop off the shaft then it should be ok unless someone before you did it wrong. Yes you're pointing to the stopper & if engaged with the spring it should be under plenty of tension to get it around to where the stop will get in behind the steel piece bolted to the case in the lower pic. The steel piece pulls the stop on the shaft away from the gear. In other words engage the shaft then pull it around maybe half a turn, [that's if the spring is sitting back before the hook in the tin cup & 'not using the hook' & spring is at rest with no tension in your pic]. You'll know straight away if it's not pre-tensioned enough & you can only be 180 degrees [half a turn] out with the shaft in winding the spring enough to bring the lever back. Back tracking a bit sorry, why do you not have it behind the hook [or yet to do it]. You'll need the kick lever on the shaft to pull against the spring, or a pair of vicegrips at least.

I believe i figured it out. I have a video but it wont upload so hopefully i can explain it in a way that makes sense. The way i did it was with the kickstarter shaft removed i inserted the spring and then put the cases back together because you need the other half of the case to hold that spring in place when its under tension.
Next i inserted the shaft to line up with the spring but with the lobe pointed towards the top left hand side as seen in picture 1. Theres only 2 ways to line this shaft up but only 1 way it goes.
Next i found you have to lift the shaft out just enough to clear the gear behind the clutch but not too far that you come unhooked from the spring, once your at that point you simply attach the kickstarter lever and turn the shaft counterclockwise until that lobe reaches the stopping position which is where im pointing in the 2nd picture. Just to the right of that bolt down there the case is cut out where the lobe will drop down and rest against it, once you reach that spot while twisting you need to push the shaft back down so that the kicker gear is in mesh with the gear behind the clutch. Having the lobe butt up against the case stopper keeps the kickstarter from rotating any further clockwise which is why this needs to be in that position.
I believe i have this correct, from what i can tell with the engine out it feels the same as the kicker on my other 74 DT250 so i think im in the clear if not hopefully someone will correct me before i stick her all back together.
 
 
 

You have to post video to YouTube, Vimeo, etc and then link it here.