i have just installed a rebuilt engine on my 93 350 4x4, i am want to get it started, i have the postive sde of the battery hooked up but when i try to put the negative side on it sparks, and starts to turn over, the key is off and the run switch is off, i assume it is a grounding problem i have the ground off the motor to the neg side of battery i am thinking it is the ground for the cylinder to the frame, does anyone have any pics of how this is hooked up?also does anyone have any pics of how the wires from the magneto are hooke up? i am sure it is right but i dont know what else it could be, any help is appreciated thanks

 

There's a few things you can check....

There are two little wires (or one) going to your starter solenoid (also connected to it is the pos. cable from batt.). One of the little wires could be shorted to ground (pinched or cut insulation), causing the solenoid to energize without the key.

Or, The key switch is junk, (staying closed whether or not the key is on or off)

Or, the solenoid itself is stuck closed, regardless of whether or not it has current.

Or, the wiring is all f'ed up (wires switched places, etc...)

To test the solenoid: Disconnect the 2 red heavy-gauge cables (one goes to pos. terminal of batt., the other goes to starter) from the solenoid and check for continuity between the 2 posts. If you have continuity with no power getting to the small wires, then it's stuck---try whacking it with a hammer (easy) and test it again.

Same deal testing the key switch, once you've identified which wires go to the solenoid. (don't whack the key switch, obviously...)

Just check all the wiring associated with the starting circuit, and I'm sure you'll find the problem.

Good luck!

 

you can find any problem with an ohm meter!![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

key switch is good, solenoid is good, it has to be a grounding problem, does anyone ground the cylinder to the frame different than stock? thanks

 

did you tri puttiing a lead on the neg on the battery and at random spots on the frame to see if the groundis working.

 

It does not matter how the bike is grounded --- if you've got a ground to the motor, then the motor is grounded. It's all aluminum.

The bike is turning over, so you have a good ground. You just need to find out why the solenoid is energizing WITHOUT the key being turned. That is the problem.

 

When the 2 small wires on the solenoid have 12V applied, it creates a magnetic field inside, which pulls (or pushes) a plunger, which completes the circiut from the battery positive to the starter. It's just a coil of wire. That's the primary side.

Without voltage to these 2 wires, the starter motor will not spin, because there will be an open between the battery positive & the starter.

 

Smitty is 100% correct. You don't have a grounding problem. Your soleniod is either stuck, or getting power when it shouldn't.

 

correction the solenoid is bad, where can i get one of these without going to the dealer, a universal one perhaps, hopefully that will fix the problem, thanks

 

i just put another solenoid on and when i try to hook up the ground wire from the engine to the neg side of battery, the thing tries to start up, the run switch is off and the key is out, any suggestions?