I have a 1988 sportster 883 thats been suffering from the dreaded click syndrome (starter wont turn, just relay clicking). narrowed everything down to the starter solenoid needing to be rebuilt but when i took it apart it didnt look that corroded to me?

Can anyone provide any input or maybe some pictures of other start solenoids to compare? I'm not sure what its supposed to look like, but the bottom copper piece seems a bit corroded with pieces missing..and the wiring on the right is out of the tubing?

 

Throw some more pics up, specifically the parts you removed.

If you take a look at the top copper contact you can see that it's pitted, this would cause a bad connection.

What you can try doing is cleaning up the carbon deposits and smoothing the areas where there is pitting, put it back together and see if it works.

EDIT: Also the Bakelite insulator looks broken and it looks to me that you have a broken piece of plastic stuck in there on the left.

 

Attachment 623608

Heres my plunger, from what ive gathered so far its in need of a light sanding.

could any issues arise from the broken insulator? i assume thats the yellow thin piece.

Also looks like the insulator on that wiring on the right is ripped also, but i dont think any wires are showing..

 

Since you already have the solenoid apart, you might as well replace the guts. You can find all those parts at your local starter/alternator shop. They will have just what you need at a much better price than the dealer, about 15 bucks.

Also clean all the connections, battery, solenoid, starter, relay, accessory breaker.

 

You can clean them and try them but this ^^^^^ is the best answer.