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Hi all, just a quick question. I have a 1992 Dyna FXDC - all pretty standard.
My question is...if i need to remove the starter for whatever reason do i have to open the primary?
I have spent the last few weeks taking the primary and inner primary off and changing all the gaskets (including the quad seal and 5th gear). At the same time i took off the starter motor and gave everyhting a good clean. At long last I have put everything back together and when i go to fire her up there is nothing except the click from the starter relay. - all the lights work, indicators brakes etc. Ive changed the starter relay and still the same.
I have explored the other threads on this of which there are many and I am about to do all the tests I've read up on to check the solenoid and the starter getting current etc.
I know I should have checked it before closing her up but I didnt expect anything to have "broken".
So can I? or do i have to drain the new fluids, remove the new gasket and take off the primary. Hopefully i can find the problem before getting to this but knowing will help me sleep at night!!!!!
Yes, the primary has to be opened to remove the starter, the jackshaft gear (#17) has to be removed before the starter can be pulled. However you can probably get away with reusing the gasket so long as it is in good shape, I have on my Evo big twin once and Sportster twice, no leaks on either.
Could be a simple fix...did you misplace #11 in the diagram? It's a tiny little ball and can be easily lost, left in the parts cleaner, on the floor, etc. Another common mistake is putting #30 in backwards. Good luck with the mystery.
OK thank you gentlemen. If I have to I have to! Appreciate the quick response.
I didn't actually open the Solenoid/Starter, I simply cleaned it on the outside as it had a lot of grunge from a long time inner primary leak so I don't think I've lost the little ball. I did have it standing on its end for a couple of weeks but don't think that would affect it.
Thanks guys I'll start today to carry out the testing while it's on the bike with the various connectors to make sure I haven't pulled a wire or got a bad ground.
I'll come back when i find the problem!!
Just remember to make sure you have that jackshaft correctly reinstalled before buttoning it all back up and putting oil back in the primary. I've been bitten before 😄
Thanks Greaser, will do!
I did a test of the 3 points on the Solenoid (Spade connector from the Starer Relay, the tall post from the Battery Positive and the short post from Solenoid to Starter) which apparently should all read the same as the battery output of 12.9v and the short post is reading 0.3v. I will continue to do some test before opening the [primary and taking the Starter off to check but this is where i am so far.
Ive also ordered a Push Button cover for the solenoid anyway as future back up.
Will report with more as i go along.
By the way the white tape around the short post was me last week (dont understand why i didnt use black tape!!)
But you can pull the solenoid cover and push in the plunger with a wooden block to see if it will spin over. Lots of us have done it before buying the cover with the push in plunger. Just realize that if you want to try it, make sure you are in neutral as it will jump if in gear.
1. Get a HD Service Manual for your bike if you do not have one, it will explain the process of removing the starter and what needs to be accomplished prior to removing/replacing it. If you are going to work on your bike having the service manual is invaluable.
2. Check your battery, it can show good voltage but not have the amperage if the battery is old. May want to get a load test to see what the Cold Cranking Amperage (CCA) is and compare that to what is listed on the battery.
3. Double check all battery/cable connections for corrosion and tightness.
Thank you gents for all your comments. I found the problem and were good to go.
I checked all the external wiring, starter relay, and I also tried to jump start her from my car (engine off) to see if the more powerful CCA's would shift it and nothing.
I then opened opened the Solenoid - having not done it before I left it till last but honestly this should have been one of the first things to check (and i should have done it when i removed the starter system and had it on my bench - As you can see from the photos the inside was not good....the points were very dirty, the plunger copper was also very dirty and the curved copper connector seems to have actually worn away. You can make out where the plunger would make contact which is not brilliant either.
Anyway...sanded it all down, cleaned and polished it all best as possible - closed her up and we are good to go!
When I pressed the plunger back in it needed a bit of a push to kind of click into place so not sure if perhaps when i had it on the bench and "upright" the plunger may have slid back out of this point and so wasn't even pushing all the way in - as well as all the dirt.
I have ordered a button cover for future safety and I will now order a rebuild kit to change the internals as I don't trust the connections for long and at $20-30 it makes total sense and i think i can do this without having to remove it from the bike.
It really does look bad in there. Hasn't been opened in years...so give your solenoid a bit of TLC when you can!
Thanks again guys.
Last edited by monchidog; Jan 29, 2025 at 03:05 AM.
Reason: adding a comment
Yes that would have been one of the first things to check and sorry, the only reason I did not mention it was because of the following statement:
" At the same time i took off the starter motor and gave everyhting a good clean."
At least I can see the little ball is still in place. Yes those contacts are done. They are no longer contacts. They became "resistors".
Careful when installing the new contacts. The studs are copper and can easily break if over torqued. In a pinch a little sand paper and flipping the copper ring will get you back on the road yours are finished.
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Starter Motor Removal
As you can see from the photos the inside was not good....the points were very dirty, the plunger copper was also very dirty and the curved copper connector seems to have actually worn away. You can make out where the plunger would make contact which is not brilliant either.
Yes those contacts are done. They are no longer contacts. They became "resistors".