I'm trying to install electric start on a basket I bought a few years ago. I finally got the thing to turn the engine over but after maybe 7 or 8 revolutions, the ground wire is hot. Not glowing or anything, just a little hot. Seems like something is pulling a bit too much juice. I checked connections and everything is tight. Sanded on the ground connections. Any suggestions on how I should proceed?

 

the starter is using too much amperage or

add a second ground and see if that helps - alloy metal is not as good as steel for a ground wire

 

Thanks. I had the motor off and hooked it up to a battery, then loaded it. It seemed fine. Any suggestions on checking the motor for reasons that it is using too much amperage? I tried several different ground wires including some packing strap and another heavy starter/battery wire. They all got warm.

 

They start pulling big amps and heating ground cables the brushes are usually about gone in the starter and the armature is starting to burn & pit where the brushes ride.

 

The starter is definitely pulling to much amps . You said it's a basket case -- has it been stroked or something to give it more compression ??? to make the starter work harder ?? You really need a amp meter hooked between the bat and starter to check how much it's drawing and then find out how much it's supposed to draw ( a local rebuilder )
How hard is it to kick over ?? Do you know someone else with the same to compare with kicking it over . Remove the plugs dose it still turn over hard -- cables get hot ??
I hope it's the starter -- they make starters for high compression engins
Why was it a basket case ,maybe someone else could not get it kicked over enough to start
You could luck out and have a stroked engine