1976 iornhead new battery still wont turn over

[nutpaste]

okay so i bought a new battery "heavy duty one" new connections / cables , new handle bar switch that i burnt out in round one new starter relay ! round one goes to I.H. still got the low volt click so i checked the new battery plenty of juice so i opened the case just to find out the click is coming from the starter gear not meshing with the bigger gear when the button is depressed so now what ti just spins back out of alignment after i line it up again any help would be appericiated oh yea the handle bar button went up in a smokey blaze of ghlory after a couple of presses . round two might go to the IH again

[russzx6]

Is the actual starter solenoid pushing the bendix out to the starter ring on the clutch hub and holding it out there?

[nutpaste]

yes it is but it wont mesh it slaming into the other gear is the click sound i hear like it has a bad connect or low V

[ryder rick]

If the starter button is blowing up, your system is not wired correctly.

The starter button will not pass enough current to fully energize the starter solenoid.

The button triggers the relay, the relay energizes the solenoid.

[panhead1953ohv]

Just because you hear the click sound like the bendix is engaging the ring gear all the way does not mean it is.the click you are hearing is the bendix pushing out to the ring gear on the clucht basket but it is hitting a tooth stright on and not meshing.the only way you can see if the bendix is fully engaged is by cutting up a BAD primary and leave enough support for the starter bushing and look at the action.

[russzx6]

1. What are your solenoid contacts like?
2. Run an earth cable from battery - direct to your starter mount bolt
3. What is the starter end bearing in the primary like?
4. Does your bendix spin in one direction and lock up in the other ok?
5. how are the teeth on the bendix and starter gear?. . ..they sometimes need the burrs filing off or a slight 45` lead in ground on them to help engagement

[nutpaste]

okay i got the black wire from the button on the "S" terminal the battery lead on the "B" terminal and on the "M" terminal it runs to the starter solinoid now the same black wire coming from the button on the handle bar hits the starter relay terminal "s" and then goes to ther starter solinoid small pole

[72 Ironhead XLH]

now the same black wire coming from the button on the handle bar hits the starter relay terminal "s" and then goes to ther starter solinoid small pole


Exactly how is your starting circuit wired?
with the ign on, 1 side of the button gets power, other side goes to slave relay. slave relay looks like a ford starting solenoid, a cube relay, GM horn relay(oem 1972). battery power applied to 1 side of the slave(12Ga wire) , other side of slave(12Ga wire) goes to main starter solenoid small pin.
http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/partsearch/horn_relay.html?apwcid=X1093010841W41260599c6350&apwkwd=horn+relay

[alaska62sporty]

Have you heard this machine run? Sure the motors not locked up?

[nutpaste]

contacts new and clean gear onley spins one way teeth look nice bearing good the case cover is off the primary i do have a gasket inbetween the starter and the block where is the ground bolt on the starter dosent it ground to the block /frame it only has a hot running to it

[nutpaste]

motor s not locked turns over in high gear

[nutpaste]

yes black from button hits terminal s and from there it goes to the small pole on the starter solinoid near the starter motor

[nutpaste]

i believe the button in the handle bars grounded out on the bars but that still dosent explain why the darn thing just clicks and the teeth wont mesh or catch

[72 Ironhead XLH]

on average , solenoid draw is 35 amps, thats the reason for the additional relay. explained in here
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=starter%20solenoids%2C%20internalk%20view&source=web&cd=4&ved=0CG4QFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aeroelectric.com%2Farticles%2 Fstrtctr.pdf&ei=OuRrT6azGebE0QHlgsXZBg&usg=AFQjCNFm_afRQRZKsLHeg_6KDxZdKYQYGw

[nutpaste]

could the starter gear be on back wards it looks like a prestolite would trhe gasket between the block and the starter motor be the cause???

[nutpaste]

well I'll sleep on it i guess thats what im going to do good night everyone till tomorrow

[72 Ironhead XLH]

bendix drive only fits 1 way.not having enough current to fully pull in the solenoid
is a leading cause . the 2 starter bolts make the ground connection.

[76 sporty]

you cant check the starter with the primary cover off. The bendix gear shaft needs the one side supported in the primary cover or it will not line up correctly. Have you tried to jump power to your starter to make sure the starter motor even spins?

[nutpaste]

i jumped all solinoid and relay starter motor turns bike over like it should tried it a second time and bendix just spun and did not engauge to turn engine over

[cafe carl]

yes black from button hits terminal s and from there it goes to the small pole on the starter solinoid near the starter motor

The wire from the switch should end on the small lug of the relay. The small lug of the solenoid is connected to one of the larger lugs of the relay via 12 gauge.
Like '72 IH XLH says, the switch won't handle the amperage that the solenoid draws.

[ryder rick]

i jumped all solinoid and relay starter motor turns bike over like it should tried it a second time and bendix just spun and did not engauge to turn engine over

One problem at a time. You may need a new starter drive clutch/gear, but you need to get the button working every time first.

By your description you jumped the solenoid and it cranked.
Then you jumped the relay and it cranked.
That leaves the relay, the button, and associated wiring to look at for the problem.

[nutpaste]

solved it hell yea so after all the key switch was wired wrong and had a short also the ignition wire was on the bat post with the bat so i put the ignition wire back where it belonged on the key switch and damn if it fired up so thats solved but as i was pulling it out of the garage the thing dies wtf!!errrrrrr so after kicking and throwing some things i tracked down a short in the ignition key terminal i would wiggle it and it would spark or just not let the button complete the conection on the solinoid to fire the starter and so on plus the way it was wired would back feed the handle bar button hence the smokey blaze of glory thanks for all yer help ohhh and by the was it sounds meannn thanks to everyone . NUTPASTE