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.
'Put The Plugs Back In',...may sound a bit of a one off flippant answer, BUT, I did have a 79 FXS & I span it over on the starter with the plugs out & it engaged everything & also wouldnt stop or shut down until I was able to disconnect the battery,
luckerly being without resistance it didnt cause me any damage to the leads or motor over heating or melting,
& as it wasn't built fully the battery was easily accessed to disconnect it,...
from what I gather,
the starter gets sort of stuck in the ring gears when engaged, & relys on the engine firing speed to help start the bendix/starterclutch gear to withdraw, which in turn also allows the solenoid to pull back & disconnect the feed to the starter.
all my starter parts were new, so wasn't sure what to do,
so I put the spark plugs back in it & tried again with the loading of a running motor, & it worked as it should, never had a problem again,
BUT I did fit an Issolator switch under the battery tray, so if it ever went again I just needed to throw a switch & disconnect the battery feed. plus if I needed to work inside the primary cover I can easily isolate the electrics so I dont lose me fingers !!
OK, I was not online for a while. The new way to wire up the starter puts the Ford relay between the battery and solenoid, just the way Ford intended. Harley used that huge relay to energize the tiny wire on the solenoid, and the battery is hooked directly to the solenoid. The jumper is needed for this re-wiring so the solenoid coil gets energized to pull it in. You need to buy a third heavy gauge wire to make this work. The square Bosch relay is used between the button and the Ford relay to avoid damaging the button.
edit: I need to give @johnjzjz credit for this wiring change and cardboard display.
Got to be careful here. That relay I called a Ford relay is not the same as on a car. I think but can't remember the exact difference but Harley's is like those on old boat motors motors.
That is a Ford relay, you can still buy them from Ford. They sometimes come with a second small terminal that is used to provide full 12v to the coil when starting a car. Maybe that's what you are thinking Ripsaw?
That is a Ford relay, you can still buy them from Ford. They sometimes come with a second small terminal that is used to provide full 12v to the coil when starting a car. Maybe that's what you are thinking Ripsaw?
Your right. Been many a years.
I was working on a old Gail 40 HP outboard a friend had brought over. He had grabbed the relay and a switch at the the auto parts.
The Gail looked the same but the extra terminal was a ground.. The one for the Ford was to throw 12 volts at the coil instead of the 6 it normally got while running since the other running lead goes thru the big resistor. That preserves plug and point life in the cars of those day.
So you can guess what happened when we hooked it all up. That ground wire now was positive straight to ground.
Of course it smoked the wire.
Funny thing is it saved him some money. He was buying it and the seller immediately cut his asking price since he had told my friend that's all it needed.
And it was. Just the right one.
Caught a lot of flounder out of that old $400 boat. I was a apprentice toolmaker at Newport News Shipbuilding. About going on 20 and had just got married.
Last edited by Jackie Paper; Apr 2, 2022 at 12:45 PM.
OK, Ripsaw. I jumped a shutoff toggle into the little wire to the solenoid, and just touched the starter button, the starter kept cranking the motor so I shutoff the toggle and it quits. When I click the toggle back on, the motor starts to crank again without touching anything. If I disconnect the battery, I can reconnect it and the motor does not crank again until I touch the starter button. So, what does this tell you???.
OK, Ripsaw. I jumped a shutoff toggle into the little wire to the solenoid, and just touched the starter button, the starter kept cranking the motor so I shutoff the toggle and it quits. When I click the toggle back on, the motor starts to crank again without touching anything. If I disconnect the battery, I can reconnect it and the motor does not crank again until I touch the starter button. So, what does this tell you???.
I read that three times. Usually, it takes me two to three to get things right. On the third read, I think your problem is the start switch on the bars.
And that was the problem on an identical similar problem awhile back.
It sounds obviously that when you click on the switch you have in there, it like you at the same time are holding in the start button. (It's sticking from the very little amp draw but 12.6 volts or so. When you disconnect battery, it falls out. So it good till it sticks again.
My guess.
Interesting what the logic of some of the real experts on here say.
was this done with th spark plugs in the bike, or out of the bike,....
I can't explain it better than before, but i have had it jam on spinning,..... but only when the plugs were out,
With all the people that have been in and out of it, is the solenoid spacer still there? If not, that will make it stick.
(pulled this pic from an old thread for illustration)
OK, the spacer is between the solenoid and the case.
I always do this with the plugs IN.
Can I just short out the terminals behind the starter button to see if this is the starter button or something else?
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.
