Harley starter relay upgrade

[LUVMYSHOVELS]

Does anyone have the part# for the starter relay upgrade or a factory diagram for the upgrade for shovelheads. Thanks

[duffeycycles]

what year ?

[Speeding Big Twin]

Is this what you’re looking for? If so let me know and I’ll post a wiring diagram for 68–69 which includes the starter relay.
Eric

[marksg]

I am having an issue with my 1976 FLH. It is having a problem getting full voltage from the battery, through the ignition switch, wiring harness, front end junction block, switch and back to the heavy duty starter relay. I feel the starter relay is much heavier than it needs to be. It only energizes the circuit to the solenoid. It has a 13 ohm relay coil. I found a smaller starter relay still good for 100 amps (still way too large) and it has a 60 ohm coil. I believe it will fit in the same location as the stock relay. I just hoe it can handle the normal vibration.
I have also seen a relay added to the circuit that helps bypass all the additional wiring and small light duty switch. I just felt it was unnecessary to add an additional relay.

Here is a drawing that John from another forum just posted.

Here is the one I am using to replace the stock relay.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZHMYJDL...roduct_details

[LUVMYSHOVELS]

Thats the one i am looking for. Thanks Eric

[duffeycycles]

Mark ,the later cube relays work fine with less current draw & you don't need 2 relays

[marksg]

Agreed, I was replacing the one I have with one that has less coil resistance. Meaning less amperage to operate. I only provided the drawing as someone else had recommended it and I though maybe that was what the OP was looking for.
Thanks,

[Speeding Big Twin]

Thats the one i am looking for. Thanks Eric

You’re welcome. Info below is from my 59–69 H-D SM.
Eric



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[Rodger Brandstatter]

I am having what I believe to be a starter relay problem on my 82 FLH. The starter cranks great when I jumper across the battery and relay terminals on the solenoid but when going through the starter relay it cranks slow like the battery is low. I’ve tried 2 different relays including an aftermarket and a genuine Harley unit. I’ve also jumpered across the under-headlight terminals for the start button to make sure it wasn’t the button itself with no difference. The original owner had installed an All Balls higher amperage starter and the only thing I can come up with is that the relay won’t handle the increased amperage from the aftermarket starter even though I know he had been running it that way at least for a while. Unfortunately he passed away since I bought the bike from him last summer and can’t ask him. Right now I am running a remote starter switch mounted to the frame under the seat but is not very handy to use. Has anybody else had any trouble with the plastic relays used on the late shovelheads or have any ideas?

[Lyle Manheimer]

It sounds as though you have found the problem. The solenoid may be bad. A higher current starter has been installed and will shorten the life of the solenoid. The plastic "can" relay is operated by the push button, when they go bad , the contacts inside burn and they will usually just click and nothing happens. It could also be a high resistance connection somewhere in the starter " primary " circuit, the big wire, so check all of your connections there first. Bad, dirty connection, or the wire may be frayed at the connector, lug. Look for the tell tale blueish color on all connections.

[dukekleman]

Rodger,
If your familiar with how to perform a voltage drop test, perform one on your starting system. It's a fast, easy and effective test. This test will show you where your problem exists.

[Rodger Brandstatter]

Thanks for the input Lyle and dukekleman! I’m sure that everything downstream of the solenoid is good. I replaced the solenoid with an NOS unit and also the Bendix-both were worn. The starter looks like brand new inside. I also replaced the modular plug that connects to the relay. It was part of a kit from HD that included the relay. I was showing a drop in voltage at the wire from the relay that connects to the solenoid- down to about 7 volts when cranking. It’s pretty hard to check voltage at the relay with the modular plug covering the male spade terminals and being tucked back under the battery carrier but I probably could extend the ground wire and bare some insulation on the wires for further checking. I thought that maybe someone had the same problem and had used a different relay or something like that.

[Lyle Manheimer]

7 volts!!!! That should not happen. I am surprised it even cranks over at all. Keep in mind if I understand correctly, you are jumpering from the battery + to the starter lug on the starter solenoid with a large wire (jumper cable). Therefore you are eliminating all of the primary wire from the battery + to the solenoid. You have upgraded to a starter that pulls more current but you have not upgraded to a larger primary wire from the battery post to the solenoid. You might get away with that if all is well with your connections and the cable condition as well. I would certainly check that cable from the battery to the solenoid and upgrade to a larger wire.

[Lyle Manheimer]

BTW I forgot you are using that heavy duty push button gizmo under the seat which also has wire running to it from the battery and then to the solenoid. This is what you are using to start the bike. Again you are adding more connections to the primary circuit. GET RID OF THAT POS and use the system that came with the bike. That would be the first thing to do if you wish to get back to the original starting system. Those things are a band aid that eliminates the OEM start relay set up. The bike should not even crank with that in the primary circuit, so I am a bit confused.
Disconnect the small wire at the solenoid from the start relay and check the voltage on the wire there when you push the start button and it should be very close to battery terminal voltage. If it is your problem is certainly in the primary circuit. If not you have a high resistance connection in the control circuit.

[Rodger Brandstatter]

Lyle-I probably should have been more clear about what I have done. I took off the wire that was coming from the relay to the small post on the solenoid that I had been getting a voltage drop on. I connected a heavy duty momentary contact switch in series with the battery terminal on the solenoid and the small terminal on the solenoid taking the place of the handlebar start button and relay. I could start the bike by touching a screwdriver across the same 2 terminals on the solenoid and figured a remote start button doing the same thing wouldn’t hurt for a temporary fix. In my mind this would be the same way that the early Electra Glides previous to the late 67 models would be wired with only the starter button switching the current to the “trigger” terminal on the solenoid before HD added a relay to the circuit.