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Originally Posted by matrixdn
When i hit the starter button I get on half click and thats it. I pulled the starter and took it apart, it seems fine. The battery is also fine. Anything I might be missing? Could this result from a short somewhere? Thanks.
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Hi, I presume we are talking about a kick-electric Shovelhead.......Assuming that the battery is good as you say, it's very possible that your starter solenoid switch is bad. I presume that you may have had the battery tested under load because sometimes they can test OK for voltage but take a dump when you try to crank the machine.
That said, the switch is the black bakelite plastic unit on the end of the starter solenoid. Inside that unit is a set of copper contacts. The copper bolts that go through the cap provide one side of the contacts and the other side is a copper disk that makes contact when the solenoid pulls in. When these make firm contact, the starter will immediately start to turn. It's designed that way so that the starter will not rotate until the bendix gear is fully engaged in the ring gear on the clutch basket. That's likely the culprit as they can get corroded inside so the copper is all black and won't pass current properly due to high electrical resistance.
They are not difficult to repair and they can be cleaned up and so forth but my recommendation would be to toss the switch and get a new one. The solenoids seldom go out so you could use that again. They are about $15 from your local aftermarket shop. They are generally available from places like CCI and Chrome Specialties, etc. A whole new solenoid is about $30 and this is a good way to go since you don't have to fool with the contacts or do any soldering.
By the way, when looking for parts, stay away from the New Harley dealer unless you are prepared for lots of ridicule, scorn and rejection. I quit asking the New Harley dealer for Shovelhead parts about ten years ago. I got tired of getting a rubdown about my "old bike". Just my experience.
Another possiblity could be bad cables on your starter and ground from the battery. I have had some of these that look good and really are rotten inside so that they will not pass current properly. In other words, the whole system was OK, except the cables had high resistance and the starter wouldn't go.
If you don't have one, I suggest that you get ahold of the Factory book for 1978 1/2 through 1984 Shovelhead bikes. The starter system is clearly shown in that book, including tests that you can do yourself to isolate the problem.
I hope this helps. If not, come on back and tell us what is going on after you have a look at the cables and the switch.
I have a 1982 Shovelhead and a 2004 Ultra. The Shovelhead is a favorite of mine since it is really fun to work on and, when left relatively stock, they will run for along time.
Regards,
Linear Mode
