Topic: My starter solenoids keep dying

[fastbroshi]

  I've tried 3 different starter solenoids on my '77 550 and after installing they'll work once or twice and then quit.  I recently went through the wiring on my bike, cleaning all the connections and replacing the right hand controls w/ those from a CBR600 F1.  I'm confident I wired everything up right as everything else, ie headlight, kill switch, etc. is working fine(I don't have a master I can hook up to the female leads for the brake switch).
  I have a brand new battery that I keep on the trickle 90% of the time when not riding.  When hitting the switch for the first time after getting the last two solenoids on, they'll turn freely and start the motor.  The dash lights DO NOT dim that much when hitting the start button.  Then I'd kill it and attempt another time.   On the first time it won't work, then I hit it again and it will.  After that, I just get clicks.  When it did work or when I short the poles on each solenoid, the starter turns freely and strongly. 
  I'm thinking the problem isn't in the solenoids.  I know chances are they're all 30 years old, but what are the odds of them all dying the same death?  I'm not sure what tests to do from here.  Can someone help here w/ more than just a one liner?  I have a multimeter at the ready.

[bryanj]

Sounds like a bad ground or a very tired battery, not the best at describing electrical testing---can do it but not explain it but i would start with checking battery voltage at rest and with button pushed, then find out wether you have a live fed solenoid that is grounded by the button or a grounded solenoid that is fed power by the button and bypass the button with a piece of wire to either +ve or-ve on battery, this will check out wether the solenoid(s) are good or not

[WHALEMAN]

I would bet the solenoids are fine and the problems are in the grounding, connections, or switch or all 3. Take the solenoid off completely and remove the battery and temporarily put 12 volts directly to the two small wires. You will need short jumpers.  I bet the unit will click in fine. This tells you it is OK and to look for the problem in the wiring. Dan

[fastbroshi]

  Well I took the left side cover off to have a look see at the starter's connections and the neutral switch.  Never any problems there, it would always go on reliably when in neutral.  But it looked a little cruddy so I undid the male lead that goes in the ground clip, looked very good.  So I stuck it back in and no neutral light, but it would ground okay to the engine case, hmmm.  I undid the phillips screw holding behind the rubber cam and inspected the two posts the little band presses down to.  Is this supposed to actually touch these two posts?  Mine doesn't appear to be, and was 1 or 2 mm misaligned, only catching the head of one of them.  The one that wasn't touching was covered in crud, the other shiny.  They both look a bit worn down.  I bent it slightly to realign it, cleaned the one dirty post, and reinstalled.  Lo and behold my starter turns, although I still get a click on every third thumb of the starter now.  I think a new switch is in order.

[Hush]

The beauty of our 12 volt systems is that if you can't find a Honda solenoid any car one will work.
I used one out of an old Morris 1000 on one of my CB360's without problems.
The age old test is just dropping a metal bar across the two cable poles and if she turns over everytime then your solenoid is coozed.

[Tretnine]

happy to hear it sounds like you got your problem figured out.

[fastbroshi]

The beauty of our 12 volt systems is that if you can't find a Honda solenoid any car one will work.
I used one out of an old Morris 1000 on one of my CB360's without problems.
The age old test is just dropping a metal bar across the two cable poles and if she turns over everytime then your solenoid is coozed.

I doubt it was the solenoids, Hush, as dickering w/ the neutral switch has seemed to fix things. 


Thanks Tretnine, I thought I was going to have to use your starter there for a bit.

[Tretnine]

ha, it's all yours. You weren't happy to get it originally, but sounds like it might just have been a source of comfort.