just started the wiring on my 84 fltc evo

I have had it running couple times, I over tightened post on solenoid when I noticed it was kind of loose
disconnected the battery to replace it .....had a short ( major sparks @ battery cable)
put on the new solenoid still getting the sparks!
unplugged the front harness and every thing I could find
rear light harness is disconnected

solenoid is still wired ( correctly ....according to the book!)
no change

I have the + battery connected
but the ground cable still lights up my tester when touched to battery -

what is my next step???
\\\\\\\\ not related but \\\\\\\\
also have a yellow in line fuse wire coming off of my instrument panel harness no idea where the other half of that is or where it leads

 

What exactly does "I have the + battery connected but the ground cable still lights up my tester when touched to battery -" mean? What are the 2 points your tester light are connected to? Where are the sparks coming from? I am suspecting a bad ground strap and/or cable or a corroded connection.

 

Do you mean you over tightened the post on the starter relay under the seat?

 

This is the most confusing thing I have read . First start with your problem ie: not cranking , slow cranking , starter staying engaged . Then what you have replaced so far from there we should be able to get you headed in the rite direction

 

my tester is clipped to the ground cable and lights up when touched to the neg post of the battery,
I didn't have the neg cable connected to the battery, because I know there is a short somewhere and don't want to fry anything trying to start so don't know if it will crank or not when I did touch the neg cable to battery it sparked but didn't kick in the starter solenoid

 

Ok I think I know where your at you have a draw on your elec. system . Unhook your b+ solenoid wire and see if test light goes out if not start working your way forward on your wiring diagram .

 

The '84 has a large starter relay(or solenoid) under the seat, correct?

Where the positive from the battery is connected to the relay, there is a smaller wire also connected there, running to the main breaker, disconnect that wire from the main breaker and see if it still draws or sparks when you touch the battery (-) to the battery.

Looks like the hot wire from the regulator runs to that post also, on the unprotected side of the main breaker, could be a shorted regulator, caused from the arc welding that went on.

 

I unhooked the main breaker and the starter relay sill drawing
if I disconnect the battery + from the solenoid it will completely disconnect the battery from the system. there will be no power to draw from

 

OK, your test light (I hate those things) lit because of your short, and, in this case, I think that is an acceptable use for a test light (did I mention I hate those things?) Find/fix that short first. Start disconnecting breakers until your test there doesn't light. Better is to get a proper ohm meter and check with the battery disconnected between the battery cables on a low ohms scale. When you disconnect whatever is shorting, the reading should go high.

 

Did you disconnect the wire from the regulator from the main breaker?

Is the solenoid you replaced under the seat?