Ok Guys...

I willl make this as short and sweet as possible.

I have a '95 custom ride with the guts of a '95 FXSTC. This is my first "Harley" style bike and I am quite new to the wrenching on two wheelers.

The problem:
1: I have a white wire that comes from a circut breaker fed by the power that feeds the starter which has gotten hot enough to melt the connector around that pin. When i bypassed that connection, thinking it was no longer good, the next connector in line got so hot you can't hold it with your bare fingers. this wire travels all the way up to the ignition/assecory switch on top of the tank. Thoughts?

2:The bike has a dyna s ignition system and a two coil pack on the left side of the bike wired to the Dyna s pickups. (I will apologize in advance for my lack of correct terminology) While troubleshooting a condition that was causing a loss of power (felt as if i was down to one cylinder) and an intermitant bucking back to full power. In two cases I found that the black and white wire from the Dyna S pickups had come loose of the terminal connections and with those connections repaired...the bike ran great...for a while. Further inspection revieled that a wire that appearently comes from the kill switch down to the positive side of the forward coil pack had been rubbing the cooling fins on the back of the forward cylinder. This caused three bare spots in the wire...(possible cause of the bucking in and out of full power?). I covered the bare spots with electical tape to see if that would correct the problem...hooked everything back up as it was originally...now I have no spark...at all.

I checked the coils...they test fine, and the plug wire test fine as well. Spark plugs are clean and servicable. In a test of the four wires that come out of the Dyna S pickups I get continuity on the black and white wires, but a resistance (no continuity) on ether red wire...this is just a test of of the wire from tip to tip for ground...I am probaly testing this wrong. However I bought a new dyna S pickup system (less the coils), but now I am affraid to put it on for fear that I am missing something that will fry $160ish buck at first start attemt. Thoughts?

I have been tracing the wiring diagrams that I have been able to find online and the fact that the a few of the "stock" harley parts are missing, i.e. stock coils...ignition module, etc. The wiring seems to look pretty basic, but alas I am confused and a bit dizzy from beating my head against the wall.

Sorry for the short novel...thank you for your help in advance.

 

1. I would shoot those wires looking for a short to ground and inspect for chaffing. Is the wire the proper guage? Also you may want to test your starter, not sure how to do that--something shorted in it? I know, thank you Cpt Obvious, you're welcome.

2. Is the ignition system propery grounded? You may have been completing the circuit in a bad way with the bare wires.

I would be hesitant try the new pick up system until the wiring issues were resolved.

Are the bars wired internally? I would probably start slaving (temporarily string it from point a to b with no intention of riding) in new wires to see if that resolves anything. Given what you have found so far, I would suspect the whole wiring job. Eat the elephant one bite at a time. Good luck.

 

I will likely get a chance to work on her tomorrow...wife said take the day off and work on your bike...I was speechless...not sure if it was a trick or a treat... But I will take it!

1. Is there a recommended gauge wire that should be used in these applications?
2. I know going to light on the gauge will be problematic, but are there issues with going too heavy?
3. Everything is wired through the handle bars...so I will work on the aforementioned jumpers....the kill switch still seems to work as advertised because the starter will not engage with the kill switch in the stop position.
4. Not a clue on how to test a starter...but I will research the options.
5. The ignition switch at the tank is a new one for me as well...I know that when I switched to ignition it would start and if I then switch to the off position it would kill the engine and lights...the accessories positions however seems to do nothing at all....

I can say that after three weeks of her being in pieces in my garage I am getting ready to strip her down and paint her in some thing badass...which would likely take me out of riding all summer at this rate... Ugh

Thanks for the input and suggestions.fdb2007

 

I wish I could help. But cannot.

Did want to compliment you on the use of the word conundrum, however.

First time I've seen it on the forum. Not that we're not an intelligent lot.

 

Thank you socalsoftailslim. Maybe that would be the reason for the lack of responses....or...everyone is out enjoying the Memorial Day weekend with a ride of thier scooters....now I must go troubleshoot mine...may the force of the spark chaser be with me. At least it's not 220v...that can leave a mark...

 

Getting a manual for the bike would be a good start if you don't have one. There should be a ohms reading for the starter to check if it is shorted or not. It would be as easy as removing the wires to the starter and checking the resistance,ohms, between the positive and ground of the starter. I do not have a manual for your bike but it should not be a dead short, 0 ohms, or anything close to that. For someone with a manual do these bikes have a starter relay that makes the wire hot only during starting or is it always hot and the relay operates the solenoid?

 

The wire is hot,live, to the starter all the time. If it stays hot or really warm all the time even when not starting the bike, you need to disconnect the battery if you have not done so already. Next check the starter for a short with a ohm meter. I would also make sure the wire is not shorted somewhere. If it only gets hot when starting the bike the wire might be to small. Some high torque starts draw more amps than stock and need a bigger gauge wire. This is assuming that you are talking about the main power wire. If it is the wire that runs to the solenoid then you need to look for a short in that circuit.

 

There just isn't enough been in the fridge! Ok...I checked the starter and it checks fine... Resistance between the positive and negative poles...no ground and the batt was/is disconnected. The majority of the wires are sheathed and the sheathing is in good shape.

Can the gauge of a wire be too heavy? Ie....if the circuit requires a 14gauge wire and you go heavier like a 10 or 8 gauge.

I am beginning to think that the short was the kill switch wire, and the melted wire is just to light a gauge. The battery in a drag specialities high performance with 310 cold crank amps.

 

I don't want to throw out wire gauges, cause I just don't specifics, but generally a heavier gauge is not gonna cause you grief because of amp draw on it. If this were a combat aircraft with some crazy avionics that's different. The only real issue I can think of with heavier wire could be the space constraints you can run into with splices and other connections. You said your bars were wired internally and a lot of evil can occur in them. I would be very suspect given what you have found so far. While there is never enough beer in the fridge, there can be diminishing returns on it while troubleshooting wiring, but never diminishing returns just drinking it in a lawn chair staring at the bike. My guess from the cyber world is you have multiple issues and go through it a circuit/system at a time deductively eliminating good circuits and wires