Subject: Re: Intermittent starter problem
Author: Patrick Hayes
Date: Jun 24, 2005, 11:17 AM
Post ID: 1719071022
John Wells Jr wrote:
| Hello, all: My '72 Eldo occasionally responds to the starter button with a loud click. Can happen once or several tries in a row, then will fire up as normal. Seems to have plenty of juice to spin the motor, more like the starting relay is hit and miss(?) Also a bit more |
Curious about the "...loud click."
The starter relay itself is burried under the middle of the bike. It
has a weak little electromagnet and small parts. It makes a soft gentle
click and is generally hard to hear. They are notorious for poor
contacts and failing to energize the starter solenoid and starter.
Your loud click may be the starter solenoid which rests directly above
or below the starter. The solenoid has a hideous great electromagnet
and huge contacts. It is capable of much louder click.
The back end of the solenoid is a plastic cap with stout electrical
contacts inside. When you activate the circuit, the solenoid pulls
backwards to lever the starter pinion into the flywheel and, via these
internal contacts, to energize the winding of the starter motor itself.
It is not uncommon for the internal contacts to get wet, corroded,
burned, roughed up, etc. so that there is occasionally no electrical
contact to the starter motor even though the solenoid has activated.
It is possible to de-solder and remove the rear cap of the solenoid to
burnish all the contacts and lubricate the system. Some people just
install a new solenoid. Caution, it is hard to save the gasket when you
take it apart. Caution #2, it is imperative to re-use or replace the
gasket so that you have proper spacing of the internal contacts. You'll
not find another, so you'll have to fabricate something of the same
thickness as original. Going without the gasket or a thinner gasket can
lead to improper engagement between the starter pinion and the flywheel.
Not sure which of these is your problem. Your use of the word "loud"
heads me toward the solenoid itself. Next time it happens, put your
hand on the solenoid itself and see if you can feel the click and motion.
Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA