Ok here goes. I am a bonified 12v electrical idiot! Give me something with 120/220 and I'm fine. All this stuff with relays, parallels, etc just doesn't make sense. You mentioned cleaning/greasing the plunger on the solenoid. How is this done?

 

It does make sense. Direct current is easy to understand, it is like running water in a hose...

In my opinion, if you are going to go through the effort to get into the solenoid to remove the plunger, you might as well rebuild the solenoid (new plunger, spring, contacts).

Disconnect the battery, remove the end cover on the solenoid. You will see what needs to be replaced. The starter can remain installed on the bike.

 

So if I was to rebuild it, where do I find the parts? It's an OEM starter.

 

You can get a solenoid rebuild kit from the dealer, or, if there is an automotive starter/alternator/generator shop in your area you can get what you need there, and save some money.

There is nothing special about the starters used in modern Harleys since `89. These starters are common automotive units used in a lot of small cars.

 

Great thread, but just about the time I think there is a real answer, someone puts a new twist on it. I guess my genetics just have too much Amish mixed in for me to start cutting wires just yet.

 

Not if you plan to change the ground contact. I know because I tried a couple of years ago. I was able to change the positive contact (the top one) on the softail by grinding down a socket to fit, but there's no room between the starter and the tranny to get the ground terminal off without pulling the starter.

Maybe there's more room on the short primary (dresser) but there's not room on a Softail.

Thanks guys! This looks like the fix I've been looking for for 15 years.

 

One more thing: does anybody know the part number for the female spade terminal that goes into the relay connector on a '94 Softail? I'm looking at the parts book, but can't determine which terminal is the right one from the pictures.

 

After sleeping on this, I came up with one more concern. You are adding or re-wiring a relay so the solenoid can draw current directly from the battery, bypassing all the voltage robbing connections, switches and terminals. This is fine, as long as the relay works properly.

Relays, however, are electromechanical devices. They contain a small solenoid, a set of contacts (similar to breaker points) and a return spring. Should the relay fail, and the points not separate when the relay solenoid is de-energized (by releasing the starter button), the starter will continue to crank the engine over, and shutting off the ignition will not stop it, since the starter solenoid is being fed directly by the battery, because you bypassed the ignition switch. This will continue until the starter burns up, the battery runs down, or you remember to pull the fuse you put in the line from the battery to the relay (hopefully you remembered this).

Relay failures are relatively rare, but not unknown, so it's something to be aware of.

 

That sounds like a good point. What if you ran that hot wire from a post on one of the main breakers that works off the ignition switch? Like I stated before, I have electrical skills below the Amish level so this is all very good reading for me.

 

Relay failures like that are very rare, especially when dealing with voltages that are within the rated range for the relay. The internal contacts usually only stick together when the voltage passed through is so high that it welds the contacts together.

Not saying it couldn't happen, but you'll probably never see it. Also as an emergency plan if you want one, reach down and unplug the small wire from the solenoid.