[jimh352]

I have a Ford Napa STH404 starter solenoid to replace the cheap ones that keep causing me problems. My question is the connections. Please correct me if these are wrong:

Yellow/red wire to "S" terminal. (switch)
Green/red wire to solenoid base (ground)
Nothing on "I" terminal

Battery on bottom post
Starter on top post

Have directions, just not for green/red wire.

 

[jimh352]

That's a good idea about usage of the "I" connection, that is if one were to worry about not hearing the starter staying engaged. It's not a very loud sound, so I will strongly consider that option.

On the solenoid, I did isolate the base, and attached the clutch diode wire (green/red - ground) to the base. I also cut off the two mounting wings to make installation easier. The instructions do indicate "M" and "B" connections (stater and battery), so I connected them accordingly.

Did have to drill out the holes on the ring terminals that went to the battery and the starter to make them a tad bigger to fit on the larger posts on the new solenoid. I changed the other ring terminals that go to my key switch and accessories to larger ones, (I have the dogbone eliminated). The starter button wire and the ground clutch diode wire I had to cut loose from the connector and add ring terminals, of course.

Waiting on my replacement starter. But I can tell the solenoid is different. It's instantaneous in it's action and release. I've read a lot of good stuff about this solenoid. And also about the marine one, but not as much. Cars and trucks are in use more than boats may be the reason. In either case, both are much better by far than the cheap a.. solenoid I had on there. Just a note, never buy a cheap solenoid. Too many amps going through there.

 

[jimh352]

Where is the ground for the green/red wire for the clutch diode safety stuff? The marine one was isolated, but it only had four connections. Would I have attached the ground to the "I" post?
Just wondering, I've already installed the Ford one.

About the switch being vulnerable because the solenoid may draw too much to axtivate, maybe Rednaxs can chime in for me. Good point though, as I hadn't thought of that, just the starter amp draw. That's why I went with a heavy duty silenoid. We must always consider all components, as the oem done. Sure wish I could have had this bike brand new, wow! I'm tempted to buy one I've seen in mint condition.

 

[jimh352]

That marine solenoid does have an "I" printed on it, which to my understanding is just used to send a full 12 volts to the coil during starter cranking. I do not want to connect a ground to that circuit. I've extensively googled that "I" terminal and have never read that it is connected to a safety ground. It is always identified as going to the ignition coil, and carrying a full 12v. Hence the "I" label. Maybe other solenoids have different connections, but then they must also be labeled different.

I do have in line spade fuses on both wires, red to ignition and red/white to regulator. The dogbone elimination, and spade fuse addition, referred to as "Tricky's mod", I done a long time ago.

The solenoid I have installed is grounded through the base, which I isolated and connected the safety ground wire to. No big deal to isolate. I'm not using the "I" terminal. No confusion.

Thanks for helping, but I think I need to be careful before I connect the wires incorrectly. And make darn sure too.

 

[jimh352]

Napa one is installed, no problem, just checking with everybody on the wiring. A little research revealed connections. The oem one http://www.saber-cycle.com/store/product298.html is $74. I hate to be taken advantage of. Evidently it wasn't very good or else it would have still been there. When I bought it, there was the cheap one already installed. Probably the original culprit was bad connections. Maybe the oem one is ok, I dunno. Anyway, it's done.
Thanks everybody

 

[jimh352]

When I originally done the Tricky's Modification (eliminating the dogbone and adding a spade fuse, taking the red and red/white wires out of the 4p connector), soldered the stator wires, replaced the starter and solenoid (starter stuck engaged). This was shortly after I got the bike. I now keep it on a battery tender too.

Anyway, I replaced the solenoid with what looked like exactly identical to the old one. And since I had removed the red and red/white wires from the connector and soldered an inline spade fuse then direct to battery, that left the 4p connector with only the starter switch wire and the green/red wire (clutch safety ground).

Well, I plugged it in wrong, and sent current to the little diode under the seat frying it. To accommodate the non-oem solenoid, someone had cut off the connector sides that only allow it to go on one way.

I fixed that with a new diode.

So you see why I'm reluctant to just try connections there without being double doggone sure, lol.


So today my replacement starter came in, I put it on, and it works/sounds great. It goes: ffft boom and starts instantly. Well, not really boom, but you know what it sounds like when it first starts up. I have the EFI so no choke problems, or cold start, or nothing. Just hit the starter and pow!, it doesn't hesitate or drag.

So I took a long awaited anxious ride, after adjusting my Voyager trike preload. (Right after I had moved it to do the preload adjustment, the starter stuck, so I havent ridden it after the adjustment. Not till just now, went for an hour ride. 75 degrees here in Florida.


Thanks guys, didn't mean to stir up a mess, just trying to make double doggone sure about wiring it up. And maybe help soneone later who needs the same help.