Coolbreezin
Active Member
Check with Curtis at WildSteedWorx.com. Kaptain America on this forum.
WHAT TO DO IF THE STARTER WON'T TURN
- Thread starter Moespeeds
- Start date
francoblay1
The Spaniard
Moespeeds
Well-Known Member
First you should look for your glasses, as the answer is in the first line of this original post. In your case, you have no relay, so eliminate that.
"There is a little green wire with a blade connector going to a plastic plug on the top of the starter. If you have a voltage tester handy, pull that wire and test it for 12v when you hit the starter button. If you don't get any juice, or get a strange or low reading, then your problem is most likely further up the line. Dead battery, bad start button, bad EHC or relay."
"There is a little green wire with a blade connector going to a plastic plug on the top of the starter. If you have a voltage tester handy, pull that wire and test it for 12v when you hit the starter button. If you don't get any juice, or get a strange or low reading, then your problem is most likely further up the line. Dead battery, bad start button, bad EHC or relay."
francoblay1
The Spaniard
:up:
Joe Tulanowski
New Member
I was recently gifted with a 2000 Mastiff with a 1754 cc motor. When the bike was running it really struggled to turn over. Seemed like the starter couldn't handle the compression. Now the starter just spins and whines when you hit the button. Did it fail because of the high compression? I found a new starter on e-bay for $300. But I don't want to drop 3 bills on a starter that's going to give out again in a couple months. Should I just go ahead and buy an All Balls starter? Are they really better? They sure cost more! Also, is it just like changing a car starter?2 connecting bolts and a hot lead? Thanks for the help. Soon as I get it out I'll post some pics! Joe
Send it to the Kaptin, he can make it better than new, for a lot less.
http://www.wildsteedworx.com/
Also check out this thread.
http://www.bigdogbiker.com/forums/introductions.2/
http://www.wildsteedworx.com/
Also check out this thread.
http://www.bigdogbiker.com/forums/introductions.2/
francoblay1
The Spaniard
As the man said! 
Joe Tulanowski
New Member
Unfortunately they are not rebuilding starters till next year. Was hoping to have it running before then. Like I said I found a starter for $300 but don't really want to spend that much if it's going to give out in a couple months. I'd actually like to just get it running so I can sell it. Just a bit more bike than I'm wanting right now. I'm looking for comfort not horsepower. Also nobody commented on my question on how to take the starter out. Is it just 2 bolts and the hot and ground wire? Nothing springloaded to surprise me? Here's a pic I finally found of it. This ain't me but my bro who died and left the bike to me. 
Yep just 2 bolts if your selling it look on eBay it's a standard Harley stArter. 1.8kw should be less than $300
Sent from my 831C using Tapatalk
Sent from my 831C using Tapatalk
JR_RC51
Member
Hey guys,
I just recently had my starter rebuild after going through the troubleshooting steps. Now my EHC LED ligts are all off but I am getting power on my headlight, blinkers, horn, etc.... In addition, my start is clicking when I press the start bottom. What gives did my EHC just crap out on me? I also checked the green wire going to the starter and I have 12v.
I just recently had my starter rebuild after going through the troubleshooting steps. Now my EHC LED ligts are all off but I am getting power on my headlight, blinkers, horn, etc.... In addition, my start is clicking when I press the start bottom. What gives did my EHC just crap out on me? I also checked the green wire going to the starter and I have 12v.
francoblay1
The Spaniard
JR_RC51
Member
Hey Guys,
Thanks again for all of your help….Turns out I has a bad ground wire coming off my EHC and a bad battery. I had a feeling the EHC LED lights not going on was something simple especially when I had good power everywhere else. The battery was always suspicious but I have to omit I did not want to buy another battery just yet. Battery had a bad cell and no cranking amps. Once I re-wired my ground wire from the EHC and installed my new battery I was back in action. Bike started up like a champ
Thanks again for all of your help….Turns out I has a bad ground wire coming off my EHC and a bad battery. I had a feeling the EHC LED lights not going on was something simple especially when I had good power everywhere else. The battery was always suspicious but I have to omit I did not want to buy another battery just yet. Battery had a bad cell and no cranking amps. Once I re-wired my ground wire from the EHC and installed my new battery I was back in action. Bike started up like a champ
Awesome. Now, it's time to ride.
Sancho
Member
So curve ball, maybe.... my starter (05rb) gets the whiz sound, the starter gear throws out to that gear that goes to the clutch basket. (Please excuse the lack of proper terminology) the starters gear looks as though it wants to turn, but i just get the whiz. Any thoughts? Im thinking I should just use my easy button and send to wsw=) Curtis always taken care of me in the past.
Marky-Marc
Well-Known Member
Great, great write up!!! Love it!!!I happen to have a shiny new Ultima 2kw starter on my desk today, and lots of time to fuck off so I'll do a quick how-to. My Ipod charger will be standing in for a jumper wire.
So you try to start your Big Dog, and nothing happens, or maybe you hear a click, or a lot of clicks, or maybe it just grinds. If you're at home, you run to the computer and ask the question on a forum, but what if you're out riding, or in the middle of nowhere? Everyone should practice push starting their bike, just to get a feel for it, but here's some things you can do to get it to turn.
First some fast diagnostics. There is a little green wire with a blade connector going to a plastic plug on the top of the starter. If you have a voltage tester handy, pull that wire and test it for 12v when you hit the starter button. If you don't get any juice, or get a strange or low reading, then your problem is most likely further up the line. Dead battery, bad start button, bad EHC or relay. If you do get 12v, read on. While you have it pulled, press the start button again and listen at the compression releases on top of the motor, they should both click. On earlier models they will stay open as long as the start button is held, on later models they automatically release after a second or two.
First make sure your fat black ground wire is still attached up at the upper mounting bolt. Sometimes these break off.
The starter has a solenoid, and when you send a 12v signal to it, it pulls in a plunger type switch that opens a direct connection to the battery positive, giving the motor the battery's full cranking amps. This starter has a "slam button" on it, that allows you to manually force the plunger to make the connection. Everyone should have one of these, but I've never seen one that fits a DSSC starter.
If you are stuck somewhere, and want to force that starter to turn, just take off the 3 bolts on the cover and shove that plunger in. You can use your thumb, but I prefer the handle of a screwdriver. If the contacts are all in place, and the starter has a good connection to +/- on the battery, and the battery is good, and there isn't something physically jammed in the jackshaft, it will have no choice but to turn.
Alternatively, if you don't want to open up the starter, you can get the same result by jumping the two big lugs on the outside. Pull back the boots and use a piece of thick wire, 4ga is best, but I've done it with 6ga. You can use a screwdriver, but don't be timid or you may weld it to the contacts. You may have to bend the screwdriver to keep it from hitting the starter housing. Whatever you use, strap a set on and do it with conviction, don't be ginger. You've got around 300 amps flowing, and if the wire pops off or bounces around, you will end up with little arc strikes all over your shiny chrome. It's good to keep a piece of 4 or 6 ga wire in your toolkit for this purpose.
It's a good idea to open your starter up every season and clean those contacts up with some sandpaper. There is a thread on it somewhere here.
If your starter just grinds or whines, it's something mechanical at the jackshaft end. Make sure your mounting bolts are tight and in place. Next is to look inside the primary. I've seen a few jackshafts break off and found the gear laying in the bottom of the primary. Could also be that the gear stripped or the ring gear on the clutch basket stripped. Either way, before you just shove a new part in there, find the cause. Whether it's a loose clutch hub bolt, bad starter alignment, bad transmission shim, etc. Find the cause for the failure before you ruin another good part.
