QuestionQUESTION: 1985 fxrt harley. new battery, solenoid and starter shaft installed. rebuilt starter. the starter drive gear is trying to engage with the clutch hub ring gear but it doesn't always engage . when it doesn't engage it just spins. most of the time it won't engage.are the needle bearings and the starter shaft gear supposed to be greased? i've had it all apart numerous times.
ANSWER: Hugh,
a couple of possibilities are:
-some of the HD solenoids have dual coils,
a pull-in coil and a hold-in coil.
It sounds like a faulty hold-in coil.
This can happen even if it's new.
OR
Sometimes the cables have been moved around
and/or the cables are not passing enough
current to the solenoid or starter.
Try running battery power as direct as possible
from the positive battery terminal to the
solenoid or starter, see if it helps
to improve the connections.
-grease any moving parts with light grease
on reassembly.
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QUESTION: i did the pull in and hold in test on the solenoid. it passed. could it still be a bad solenoid? if so i'll buy one from the dealer this time instead of aftermarket. all the electric test pass as well. it seems as though the starter drive gear doesn't line up properly with the clutch hub starter gear. do you have any more suggestions?
AnswerHugh,
-it sounds like you have checked it
out well, so I would suggest looking
into the primary case possibly being
misaligned.
-If the jackshaft is okay and the starter drive and gears
as well, it doesn't leave much to check
since you tried all the electrical checks.
-Has the inner primary case been off that
you know of?
-It is better to tighten the primary
down with the engine and transmission
bolts loose, then shim the engine mounts etc if
they seem out of line with the frame.
-Double check your starter alignment before
spending more money on solenoids.
-When the starter does engage is it strong
enough to turn the engine?
-could the new battery be weak or faulty?
