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In re JP manual starter kit wiring, my technical adviser failed to show up. (It's really hard to find reliable help nowadays.) But I am not going to let him off the hook. He is my cousin, and lives close by, so I'll catch him sooner or later.
This thread should perhaps be renamed "The Manual Starter Kit From Hell." After many hours spent with the volt/ohm meter, trying to figure out why the starter remained engaged when the lever was released and the circuit allegedly broken, I today discovered that the starter shaft floats after tension is gone from the lever, as long as the starter cranks, and maintains continuity on the switch. Now, all I have to do is pull the lid off the primary ("primairy," according to the enclosed instructions) housing, and figure out why.
After a number of hours with a volt/ohmmeter, trying to figure out why the starter remained engaged when the lever was released, but only when torque was applied from the starter, (when the motor is not engaged, the relay and solenoids function flawlessly) we popped the lid off the aluminum lever housing, and found something quite amazing: although the lever returned to the disengaged position, the shaft which it activates remained forward, and kept the circuit ground connection closed. Friction between the teeth on the Bendix and those of the flywheel is obviously enough to prevent the bell crank from disengaging the gears.
If I could figure out how to include an attachment, I would show you the arrangement. It is a balance of springs and washers on the shaft, which, on each side of the bellcrank, is supposed to balance a forward motion to engage the Bendix/flywheel, and upon release, disengage the gears and break the electrical circuit.
It appears that the that the starter shaft needs a more powerful spring forward of the bellcrank, in order to push it aft when the handle is released, thus disengaging the Bendix and flywheel.
I feel rather like Captain Ahab, with his bloody whale.
More later.
[IMG]file:///C:/picsave/shaftsprings.jpg[/IMG]
Wow, I am really re-evaluating whether I want this thing near the bike after reading this thread. It sure seemed like a good concept, but it sounds like its kinda lacking in the execution ...
The problem you mentioned with the starter not disengaging - is this a problem associated with the arm of the manual lever, or do you think its an issue with the existing situation (engagement of starter and flywheel gears) ... in other words, is it a manual lever problem? Could a stronger spring be fitted?
One should think twice before attempting to install this device. It is, indeed, a good basic idea. The original solenoid and relay are prone to malfunction due to weather. The relay fails due to moisture (as in parking outside overnight), and the solenoid refuses to function when it's cold. The problem lies in poor manufacturing quality control in the kit, and lack of installation instructions.
