Greetings to all. I searched all the posts I possibly could, and haven't been able to find an answer, although several posts on starters were helpful, complete with pics.
My 1966 cb77 Superhawk's starter began to fail intermittenly. First when the motor was hot, the starter wouldn't work. Gradually worse and worse, until I burned up the solenoid. I didn't realize the starter had a dead short. I removed the starter, have disassembled and reassembled several times. There is nothing apparently wrong (my bike has always been garage stored in dry environment before coming to Costa Rica, everything looks good). I have tested all the circuits and there is continuity where there should be, and no ground where there shouldn't be. UNTIL I assemble the starter and put current to it. Dead short and no movement of the starter. I have made sure none of the brush wires are touching anything, the brushes are in reall good shape - still look almost new. The commutator checks out perfectly. ETc., etc.
Frankly I don't know what else to check, and for the life of me can't figure out why it is shorting out. Any thoughts? I'd appreciate it!
Bill G
Costa Rica
Electric Starter nightmareStarter nightmareHi G-man - I have the starter on my bench! I've had it apart several times. All the tests come out fine until I have it together. There must be something I'm not seeing. Thanks!
BG A couple of things to look for in a case like this is:
1. is the wire from the "hot brush" (the one that isn't grounded) touching one of the thru-bolts (that holds the ends on the starter) or the frame of the starter? There is usually a wrap-around shield that you can remove to check the brushes. 2. Make sure that there is an insulating sheet between the wrap-around shield and the starter. This prevents the hot brush wire from shorting to the shield. 3. If you leave the grounded brush out, there should be no continuity between the hot terminal and the case when the starter is together. (You should be able to install the grounded brush after assembling the starter by lifting its spring aside, slipping in the brush, and setting the spring on top of it.) If you have continuity without the grounded brush, you have a short somewhere. Starter testingHello Dianne,
I haven't had time today to go back to the starter, but I am testing it without the cover / shield on, so that isn't touching. I'm going to remove the hot brush, as you suggest. I get continuity from the post to ground - but only when I put the starter together. Revlover - it isn't any of the fields, because the circuit tests good when I have the main body of the starter apart. Not short. Only when things are screwed together. So something is grounding out somewhere. I just need a bit moret time (and patience!). Thanks everyone! BG Starter nightmareWell, it appears there must be a short in one of the coils. After more checking, I now get continuity from the post to the body, even with everything apart (this didn't SEEM to happen before, but...?)
Next challenge is to remove the phillips screws without wrecking the housing. Any ideas? I've attempted the "normal" things: phillips screwdriver (who invented these, anyway???), tapping pretty hard with a chisel trying to start the screw turning (didn't work), supported the housing from the inside, directly underneath the screw and very hard hits with a manual impact screwdriver: still no luck on any of them. I've re-applied penetrating oil and it is sitting for the time being. I don't really want to apply heat - I hope to save my coils if I only find an obvious ground. Any and all ideas warmly received! BG
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