Electronic Compression release help

Stimey131

Member
I installed a Thunderheart asm 5012 ignition and it has really made a big diiference in my motor, in fact it made just as much of a performance gain as all the other performance engine mods combined. The problem is ever since I installed it, my electronic compression releases are not working. What have I done wrong or is just weird timing and they need replacing. The bike will only start if I manually hold down one of the cyclinders compression release, which is not that big a deal until the engine gets hot then I get nice new small burn when trying to start it. Is there anyway to test them.
 

V

Guru
I believe they are spring loaded and use the electrical charge to activate the internal selonoid to open them. I can push down on one all day and they will come back up. But changing the igntion should not have had any effect on them. Maybe you need to chase the wires back for the CR's as well as your igniton wires to see if any thing is loose.
Also keep in that the CR's can go bad and have to be replaced. Seems like the rear cylinder goes 1st. I replaced the rear at less than 5000 miles.

More opinions please.

V
 

BBChopper

Supports 2 Disabled Vets
Troop Supporter
V is correct pressing them wont do anything, they activate when the start button is hit. I still have to hit the start with my manual push start!
 

Brew

Troop Supporter
I agree the installation you performed shouldn't have had any effect on your CRs.
 

1mndg

RIDE IT HARD!!!
Check for broken ground wire. Mine are under the seat on left side. Mine broke once making it hard to start until I tracked it down.
 

05 old dog

Well-Known Member
yep mine are spring loaded...only open as long as you manualy hold them open...or starter button is pushed...
 

RRRUFF

Well-Known Member
The compression release only open when you hit the starter button and then only stay open for about 1 second. The best way to check them is to remove the green wire from the starter solieniod, then turn on the "key switch", press the "run button", the press down on the compression release cover until you just make contact with the top of the compression release then press the "start" button. You should feel the click and hear it. Repeat for the other CR. Hope this helps.
 
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Stimey131

Member
I just want to make sure that the 07 Mastiff does have electronic compredssion releases on it from the factory. I had a local bike shop tell me that they are manual and you have to push them down, even thought i told him i never had to do it before.
 

Th3InfamousI

Administrator
Staff member
I just want to make sure that the 07 Mastiff does have electronic compredssion releases on it from the factory. I had a local bike shop tell me that they are manual and you have to push them down, even thought i told him i never had to do it before.
07's are electronic releases, they have been standard on the BDM's since 2004. Shop obviously doesn't know their ass from their elbow.
 

Moespeeds

Well-Known Member
The compression release wires run right next to the power and cam sensor wires under the coil cover and up into the backbone. Make sure you didn't cut them or pull them out. If you can't track it down, simply rewire them direct, which is better than Big Dog's lame 1 second way anyhow.

Each compression release has a power and a ground coming from it. Cut the wires, but leave a good 3" of slack because if they end up too short it's a serious PIA. Combine the power from each, and the ground from each, and splice them into an 18ga ground and an 18ga power wire. Run these 2 wires up through the backbone, the ground goes to the battery or frame ground, the power goes to the starter. Hook it to the fat lug on the bottom of the starter, the one where my THUMB is touching in this picture. Ignore the green writing here, this picture is from a starter how-to.



Now whenever the starter is turning, the compression releases will be open. If you want, put a little 10a fuse on the connection down by the starter, but I never saw the need as it's only open while the starter is open.
 

Stimey131

Member
Thanks Moespeed. I plan to check and make sure that their working as RRRuff described and then I may just rewire them like you drescribed unless I find a broken wire or loose connection. I also have a WP wirring EHC replacement installed on my bike, so the bike no longer uses the run button. I just turn the key on (which is their upgraded ignition switch also) and hit the start button. Do you think that has anything to do with why the CR's aren't working. I plan to start tracing the problem down Thursday and I'll let everyone know what I find or don't find. Thanks again for all the input.
 

05 old dog

Well-Known Member
ok stimey coincedence or what...installed my ams 5012 friday...took it for a spin on the stock setting and noticed the starter struggling to start the bike....it was that way all weekend...just checked by unhooking my green wire on starter, turn key on, hit run button then hit start button and my compression releases arent operating...what the hell...and yes they were working...i have the pdm for wiring....gonna go try to figure this one out...
 

TCALZ06

Well-Known Member
The compression release wires run right next to the power and cam sensor wires under the coil cover and up into the backbone. Make sure you didn't cut them or pull them out. If you can't track it down, simply rewire them direct, which is better than Big Dog's lame 1 second way anyhow.

Each compression release has a power and a ground coming from it. Cut the wires, but leave a good 3" of slack because if they end up too short it's a serious PIA. Combine the power from each, and the ground from each, and splice them into an 18ga ground and an 18ga power wire. Run these 2 wires up through the backbone, the ground goes to the battery or frame ground, the power goes to the starter. Hook it to the fat lug on the bottom of the starter, the one where my THUMB is touching in this picture. Ignore the green writing here, this picture is from a starter how-to.



Now whenever the starter is turning, the compression releases will be open. If you want, put a little 10a fuse on the connection down by the starter, but I never saw the need as it's only open while the starter is open.
This sounds a lot better than how BDM has it. I'm going to do this when I have my new releases put in.
Thanks Moe!
 

Stimey131

Member
I called S&S about my CR's and the tech guy told me that the CR's can go bad and the the electric actuators can still be working. he did say that it is odd that they both went bad at the exact same time and their actuators are still working. The new CR's are $130 each and that can be installed without having to remove the gas tank. Has anyone changed theirs before and if so could you give me the break down on how to do it.

other info he told me, but not about the CR's: I told him that I had 40 thousand shave off the bottom of my cyclinders as they had recomended to increase the performance. Then I asked if I should have changed out my springs because I didn't. I was told by the dealership that sold BDM near me that the springs come from the factory stong enough to handle the 600 cam I had installed. Then he informed me that yes S&S original sold the unassembled motors to BDM and that there was a 3 spring setup that was good up to a 650 lift, but big dog had removed the middle spring during their assembly of the motors. I forgot to say why I asked him about this. I told him I was getting inconsistant high RPM performance. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't very smooth and it just didn't feel right sometimes. Well because BDM removed the middle spring they now were not strong enough with a large cam and high RPMs. So for a set of performance steel spring it was $132.00, but he recomended the titanium set that was $194.00. Just thought some people might want to know trhat if they plan on chaging their cam.
 

05 old dog

Well-Known Member
mastiff looks a little tight...id remove the tank...and they take a special tool to remove the crs' and not damage wires....
 

V

Guru
I called S&S about my CR's and the tech guy told me that the CR's can go bad and the the electric actuators can still be working. he did say that it is odd that they both went bad at the exact same time and their actuators are still working. The new CR's are $130 each and that can be installed without having to remove the gas tank. Has anyone changed theirs before and if so could you give me the break down on how to do it.

other info he told me, but not about the CR's: I told him that I had 40 thousand shave off the bottom of my cyclinders as they had recomended to increase the performance. Then I asked if I should have changed out my springs because I didn't. I was told by the dealership that sold BDM near me that the springs come from the factory stong enough to handle the 600 cam I had installed. Then he informed me that yes S&S original sold the unassembled motors to BDM and that there was a 3 spring setup that was good up to a 650 lift, but big dog had removed the middle spring during their assembly of the motors. I forgot to say why I asked him about this. I told him I was getting inconsistant high RPM performance. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't very smooth and it just didn't feel right sometimes. Well because BDM removed the middle spring they now were not strong enough with a large cam and high RPMs. So for a set of performance steel spring it was $132.00, but he recomended the titanium set that was $194.00. Just thought some people might want to know trhat if they plan on chaging their cam.
The CRs use a simple 2 wire set up. Not hard to change one out. I had to do one on my 08 and just alternated the splices, used siver solder on the wires and covered with heat shrink so the splice is not seen. The most agravting part is getting as new cover/condom down over the new CR. Also to make it go smooth you need to use the tool from S&S for the CR removal/install.

As far as the valve springs go the only way to really know what you have is to pull a rocker box cover and see what there.
 
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