starter won't engage

when i was putting the starter in i noticed the post would turn as i tightend it, and when it came time to start the bike i'd have to jiggle the cable every once in a while, well it slowly proceded to needing more jiggling and now its gotten to the point where i can jiggle no more.

the question is:

whats the post mouted to and what am i looking to replace/sodor, and is it an easy fix like breaking the thing apart and heating up the old sodoring iron?

or did i bust/short something bad? btw the solinoid is working correctly.

I am not all that familiar with your starter stuff but there is a big ol' gear on the back of your generator that turns the engine. That gear will probably have a shim system to get is spaced right... on the older bikes there were three shims available in different thicknesses. OK... the starter has a splined shaft that drives a starter clutch gear. This gear rides on a shaft. Is that what you are talking about? There is a lot of play as far as the gear riding back and forth on the shaft as it has to get "out of the way" after the bike is started. Ok... you were jiggling a cable and it would start and now it doesn't? That doesn't sound like mechanical to me. The starter on your bike is the same on used on the older bikes. It GROUNDS through the case... the two long bolts that hold it in place cause it to ground. It is hard to imagine a grounding problem. The hot part is a lug on the bottom. I would consider removing the starter and at least inspect the cable. All you have to do is have it secured to the stud on the bottom and the solenoid lug. If it looks tight, the connection may be broken inside the starter or the cable shot. I have personally had cables that looked great but were broken inside; mainly because of oxidation... the white powdery stuff and the cable was broken even thought the insulation looked fine.

so you get a nice solid click when hitting the starter, but the motor itself won't spin?

How did you jiggle it? Shaking the bike or something? Whens the last time you checked the brushes out?

When my bike wouldn't start, I had to open up the starter motor, clean it all out (full of carbon), turn down the commutator, and replace the brushes.. only took a few hours, but now the starter is good as new.

the positive post that comes out of the starter will turn, in order for the starter to get power i have to make the wire turn the post.

themachine wrote:

the positive post that comes out of the starter will turn, in order for the starter to get power i have to make the wire turn the post.

The bolt that the cable from the solinoid to the starter attaches to (at the starter)is soldered to or swedged into a strap connected to the field coils then through insulated washers and an insulator bushing in the starter case. Generally there is a lock nut on the outside of the case securing the bolt in the case. If this lock nut is loose or missing the bolt will twist, breaking it loose in the strap. Open up the starter and check. Most likely it could use a good cleaning and servicing (brushes, etc.)

hwms wrote:

themachine wrote:

the positive post that comes out of the starter will turn, in order for the starter to get power i have to make the wire turn the post.

The bolt that the cable from the solinoid to the starter attaches to (at the starter)is soldered to or swedged into a strap connected to the field coils then through insulated washers and an insulator bushing in the starter case.

Harry is correct; I wanted to add that I did get replacements for these parts in the rebuild kit I bought.

awsome, thanks guys.