Recently acquired 84 FXSB Shovelhead:

I bought it knowing it had a bad bendix drive (it was slipping).

I also bought it knowing the starting circuit was a bit funky. The PO admitted that sometimes you had to press the starter button a few times to even get the starter to spin (unrelated to the bendix drive).

Replaced the bendix gear. No more slipping. Started up beautifully.

But, still have an electrical issue with the starting system.

Symptoms: More times than not, pressing the starter button gives a clunk. Pressing it enough times and it will then crank perfectly fine.

Tonight, I replaced the battery with a new Harley brand just for piece of mind (the old one had a buggered up terminal that I knew would be a problem in the future).

Same starter issue after the new battery.

Grounds are good.

I jumped the solenoid terminals. Doing this, the starter spins but does not engage.

Question: when jumping the solenoid terminals, is this suppose to push the bendix drive out to engage OR is this just telling the starter motor to spin?

It has a Tech Cycle starter.

Suggestions?

 

Forget what I said about asking "if the starter is just suppose to freespin when doing the solenoid jump test"..... I was doing it wrong.

Here's why:

When I get the clunk and no starter rotation, I grab a jumper wire, and jump between the small terminal (start switch terminal) and the big positive terminal on the solenoid. This activates the starter and turns the engine over perfectly every time.

I was jumping between the two big terminals before. This just activates the starter motor and does NOT engage the plunger (glad I didn't do this for too long!).

So with this, does this mean the start button is bad or the solenoid?

 

The starter switch (pushbutton on handlebar control) is working.

The problem is insufficient current getting to the small terminal on the starter solenoid. You know that because when you jump from the large terminal to the small terminal, the starter solenoid and starter motor operate properly.

I think the problem is in the starter relay circuit, either a poor connection or a bad starter relay.

Two wires in the circuit, one goes between the starter solenoid and the starter relay, the other wire goes between the starter relay and the main breaker.

The terminal numbers on the starter relay are 30 and 87 for this circuit.

If the relay is a 5 terminal Bosch type relay you might consider replacing it, they are cheap, even from the dealer.

 

Replaced the relay. No fix there.

Replaced the solenoid and that did the trick

Thanks!

 

Having issues again, I don't think it is solenoid related but more so battery related.

It's getting a little colder here in CT but it still isn't THAT cold (40-50 degree lows).

I keep my battery (which I installed about a month ago Harley 65991-82B) on a tender.

The engine slowwwly cranks over for a bit and then stops. As soon as I jump the battery it fires right up. I will ride a few miles, park to get gas or something, and it will fire right up.

Cranks fine unless it is first start of the day.

I verified that the system is charging while running. New solenoid, new battery, new starter relay, ground is clean, and the battery wire is an obvious new thick replacement by the PO.

I'm thinking I may have gotten a defective battery. Or maybe this 65991-82B Harley AGM battery does not have the CCA needed for my bike. Dual plugged heads.

What ya'll think? Load test?

 

Update:

If I take a jumper wire at the solenoid between key wire post and battery term (on solenoid) it cranks over nicely.

Getting a bad voltage drop somewhere.

Think this new solenoid I put in is defective? Worked well for about a week and solved the "clunk clunk clunk" issue of before with the old solenoid.

 

Have the battery load tested, once you know it is good (or bad) you can move forward with doing some voltage drops on the circuits.