When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Then try the jump across like I said on the solenoid. I bet it starts right up. I bet you have a variation on The Dreaded Click. If you want to fix this and not just biatch like a little girl, I'll help you. Do you have a volt meter?
Yes I have a volt meter, have tried to jump across sol. and no start (have touched small wire to pos of battery and get the same) Any help is Appreciated but I'm at end of my rope here and tired of not sleeping (3rd shift, 4 kids and working on this is getting to me, understand?)
Ok I have vented off, sorry but this has got me at the end of my rope and several other peoples ropes. Had to pitch a bitch somewhere, will work on it tomorrow after work. Thanks to all for their help.
Age has nothing to do with acting like a juvenile. Here's something any older shadetree mechanic will tell you:
Walk away from it for a while. Get some sleep. You might find that when you get back to it, your mind will be clear enough to figure it out. You already have been given good advise.
As Beemervet sez. Get some sleep and then come back to it (and here). AFTER YOU GET SOME SLEEP, connect the the negative lead of your meter to the battery negative, put the positive on the following points one at a time and record the voltages:
Battery + terminal
solenoid terminal from battery
solenoid terminal to starter
small solenoid terminal (pull in from starter relay)
cable connection from solenoid on the starter (if possible)
Give me the readings with the starter button not pressed and with it pressed. Then we'll see what's going on here. AFTER YOU GET SOME SLEEP.
Age has nothing to do with acting like a juvenile. Here's something any older shadetree mechanic will tell you:
Walk away from it for a while. Get some sleep. You might find that when you get back to it, your mind will be clear enough to figure it out. You already have been given good advise.
Patience, grasshopper.
Gonna do that, come back tomorrow but, I have been on this since the 3rd of January 7 days a week 6-10 hours a day and then got on this forum and a saying comes to mind.."The definition of insanity is doing something over and over again expecting a different outcome." Other than working on it I go over different stuff 8 hours a night at work with other riders and still.......It's a simple set up Battery to Solenoid to Starter to Starter Clutch to Ring Gear. All this has been checked, double checked, aw hell checked 10 times and parts replaced and then checked again. And same results starts with one plug and then put plug 2 in while running (hard but do-able) and let run till warm(enrichner off) and while it is warm it will recrank without pulling a plug but if it gets cold no-go starter grinds and motor does not roll.
Here's a few things you might want to try. First does the starter have a brace on the end of the starter to the tranny?? Second can you run a seperate ground from the negative terminal of the battery to a bolt on the case of the starter to ensure a good ground. Check to ensure that the battery is being charged while running. You might also want to remove a cable(with the bike off) and put a volt meter betwen the cable and terminal and see how much current is being drawn. Lastly how many amps is the starter drawing when it is turning over the engine. You said the starter was "new", is it new or just new to the bike. Ultima makes a high torque starter for your bike. The cables, what brand are they??? What brand is the battery and how many CCA's is it?? Looking forward to your reply.
I feel your frustration brother!! Stick with it, and after some rest, a clear head, and a new perspective it WILL work out. I'm very curious to see what it finally ends up being.
My buddy called me before work, he used to work for HD here before they went under. (He went to HD Mech. School in FL) He was helping me with it today. He called some ppl he knows with my prob. HD Dealership don't know and don't want to fool with it, but let em know what I find out. A mutual friend who has worked on HD for 30 yrs or so said go old school and install a kicker. And another said Trade it for a shovel.
Messed with it about an hour before work but no luck. Guy here at work owner of a Jap bike shop sez it sounds mechanical, too much compression or locking up.
@miacycle how do I support the Hitachi starter to tranny? And it is newly rebuilt, New field coils, brushes, bearings and a new (not turned) armature. There are 2 grounds off battery 1 to frame and 1 to motor block. 2 mechanics that helped me today (1 worked for HD and 1 works for a custom shop) both say electrics are great (checked with 3 meters 1 digital and 2 analog) no reason it shouldn't start (electrically) Starter clutch and ring gear mesh fine. Might spend the cash on the starter you mentioned.
I don't know what year/model your bike is, but you said it was a Hitachi so I am assuming it has a seperate solenoid. Take a look in a parts manual and you should be able to find it. It could just be a simple bracket that goes from the bolt that holds the starter body together(one should have a threaded end sticking out) down to a bolt on the tranny. On some its part of the battery box. Its not that hard to make one if you can't find one. This could be your problem as you stated your starter was "moving". One last thought, was the compensator sprocket changed to lower top end RPM's if so that can cause a harder start. Hope this helps.
Last edited by miacycles; Feb 3, 2011 at 06:18 AM.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.