LOLZ.
I don't think they are similar, but 110 amps seems like the right area.

Are you sure because....
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When you really need one to start it won't.

They never burn a drop of oil until that one time you forget to check it then they are almost completely empty.

They always mark their territory if left sitting for any length of time.

The die hard followers say they are indestructible and never break down. No one else agrees with them.

Whether you bought one brand new or in a bunch of boxes all in pieces whomever sold it to you thinks what they sold you is worth way more than it is.

Within a week of buying it deep down inside you start thinking you should have bought a Honda but you will never admit it.

If you put enough aftermarket parts on it it sort of runs and can be nearly as reliable as a Honda but not exactly.

Regardless of how good of story you give him the scrap man still pays you by the pound when you are done with it.

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Are you really sure that Harleys and B&S are different?

 

Why do the solenoids stick? That is the problem you want to solve.

There is no way I am going to re-design the solenoids for the corporation and you know they aren't interested in hearing from me.

 

Are you really sure that Harleys and B&S are different?

I wouldn't know. I don't own one of either of those machines but I think the Harley has more horsepower than 22.

 

4023 ft/ohm in a #4 AWG cable.
248 uohms/ft
Theoretically 290 micro-ohms.
3448 amps per volt.
No help from the math.

0.037 volts per 110 amps.

Then again, most of you know it's difficult to get under 1/10th ohm in the connections.

I love situations where math fails to clarify- ahh the complexities of the real world!

 

OK, most likely there is not enough voltage (when the battery is low) to fully pull in the solenoid. How about a capacitor that gets charged to a high voltage (15 volts) and used to initiate the solenoid. The initial jolt gets the armature moving.

Do you have a test platform to try out some ideas??

 

LOL Test Platform!

 

I believe I have the answer. I can't get rid of the OEM solenoid and I can't redesign it, so I can add a second solenoid in series with the main cable. One starter button activates two solenoids. The original connects the main power to the starter motor and the second solenoid connects main power to the first solenoid.

And no, Les, I am not going to try out some ideas on a test platform so I can fix the OEM solenoid. The customer is not paying me enough to do that. I am just going to fail-safe this one motorcycle.

 

Does the OEM solenoid also engage the starter gear?
Is that why you can't get rid of it?

 

Which Harley?? If its the old 1340 the initial current surge is almost as high as a stalled starter motor, that's why we used to fit de-compressors from chain saws. Here is a tip from a friend who was too mean to buy a new solenoid......... Keep a small hammer with you, and give the solenoid a thwack when it sticks.
Definitely no fuse should be used as it will only increase the total resistance of the circuit.

 

Would a lucas SRB335 solenoid work, or have you already tried it?

 

Mine had the same issue. I installed a ground cutoff switch for those moments. Per a TSB from harley, my year of solenoid needed to remove a small spacer from under the plunger. That helped.

 

Dunno about a Harley but my BMW 1150 requires about 125amps to start up. My Nissan patrol 4.2 lt petrol takes 195 amps. Measured with DC clamp meter

 

Harleys that sit in the weather instead of a nice garage occasionally develop an issue with the starter switch - they case around it warps slightly or some corrosion issue causes the starter push button to sometimes sticks when pressed. This mostly happens to bikes that sit a long time between uses.

It was the late 80's to late-90's bikes if I remember correctly - the problem took some time to manifest and then Harley changed something (design, material, ...?).

I've never run across the stuck solenoid issue on a bike - but I have on an old Ford Pinto. Nice to know the Harley keeps good company.

 

Of the three Harleys I own, only one is electric start, a 1989. This is a common fault on Harley dressers. I had it happen to me and burned out the starter, the motor keeps running but the starter drive gear dosen't stay engaged, just the motor runs and burns out and kills the battery. There is a simple non electronic fix for this. Being cheap I made my own. When it happened to me the fix was expensive. Just searched it on the web and they are cheap now.
Link to E-bay - http://www.ebay.com/bhp/harley-starter-button The handlebar switch gets disconnected when using these. The one I made, the original solenoid cover was modified to replicate this.

 

Sounds like the wrong angle on the dangle.

Shim it.

 

It sounds like it could possibly be a bad solenoid!? A similar problem happened to my Toyota Tacoma truck, only the solenoid would stick even when the battery was fully charged. It turned out that the contacts were worn, allowing the part that connects the two contacts to tilt sideways when it touched the contacts, wedging itself and the spring didn't have enough strength to unwedge it. I had to disconnect the battery to get it to stop. In my case the solenoid was rebuildable and a new set of contacts fixed it. The moving part was a round puck inside a tube with a big return spring. If your solenoid is a similar design then maybe it's just worn out, or has some worn out parts that need to be replaced.

I've never seen a starter solenoid that required battery power to disengage. I've only seen the type with an electromagnet to engage it, and a return spring to disengage it when the electromagnet turned off. I would be surprised if that one had something other than a spring to disengage it.

 

A little late for the chat, but here goes my 2¢.

Maybe you could install one of those adjustable breakers (assuming you have one laying around, or borrow from a friend), and see at how much current it trips at. After that, I'd probably put in a fuse with 2x that capability.

 

A little late for the chat, but here goes my 2¢.

Maybe you could install one of those adjustable breakers (assuming you have one laying around, or borrow from a friend), and see at how much current it trips at. After that, I'd probably put in a fuse with 2x that capability.

Stop trying to be logical - attacking a problem through measurement and scientific method takes all of the fun out of backyard mechanic work. Do you realize how many times I would not have removed my carburetor or adjusted my valves if I used those methods? How many afternoons under the shade tree I wouldn't have had? You are like cilantro - you ruin everything.

 

how DARE you speak evil about cilantro!!!! One just can't have a decent, true-to-its-spirit mexican "pico de gallo" salsa without it!
It's parsley that ruins most things it touches instead!

 

You are both wrong, it is the moment when the cap comes off of the Cumin bottle that things gets nasty.