SX/SXi/SXi Pro bench test starter

[dbattersby20]

I finished rebuilding a 750 motor and want to test the compression before installing. i don't have a start/stop switch yet. How can a just hook up my battery to the starter?

 

[BruceSki]

yes. get ready for it to jump though, don't be alarmed.

I have tested a ton of them like that.

Hook up the positive and then connect the ground by hand to test.

 

[dbattersby20]

Ok that's what I did and it sparked and jumped. So I didn't do it again. I dont know much about electrics and i had just painted my starter so I thought maybe I didn't sand down the ground connection enough or something. So it's normal for a big spark and jump?

 

[BruceSki]

yup big spark and a jump. You have to really mash the wire onto the starter body to get a solid ground. Barely touching it is just going to arc and make sparks.

 

[Waternut]

Be warned that anything you touch like this will put a permanent weld like mark on the cable, starter, bolt, or whatever else you touch because you're forcing so much current through a much smaller contact surface. So don't touch anything that's really pretty. I've done this before as well but it is a little harsh.

 

[BruceSki]

agreed.

you can file it down on the bench grinder if its on the cable end. I usually touch the ground to the clean grounding spot where the cable rests in the stock location on the starter anyway for that reason.

 

[dbattersby20]

yea, i just use the grounding spot on the starter. do people ground somewhere else

 

[Tyler Zane]

thats really not a sufficient test to see if your making a good connection from your starter to engine. there could be high voltage drop even thou your starter appears to work fine.

 

[BruceSki]

thats really not a sufficient test to see if your making a good connection from your starter to engine. there could be high voltage drop even thou your starter appears to work fine.

what are you talking about? the starter connected to your engine?

 

[dbattersby20]

I'm not sure what your saying. But I'm not trying to test the electrics I'm trying to test the compression because I just rebuilt the top end and added an Ada head.

 

[Tyler Zane]

what are you talking about? the starter connected to your engine?

i had to collect my thoughts, the ground cable goes directly to the starter. my starter on the other hand is grounded to the engine as well as an extra ground to the cases.


anyways, i was mislead by the thread title. i should of read the entire page, i would of saw he is really just testing compression. i assumed you where "bench testing" the starter itself. you know if you have an extra solenoid laying around, you could do this much safer.

 

[BruceSki]

you can still bench test the motor for compression. Hell I have 20+ videos on youtube of me running motors on the ground. I have a test battery and test cables just for this purpose. I bolt both cables to the starter and kill the connections on the battery when they arc out instead of beating up a starter I am trying to sell as a clean part, if I don't have a start/stop and electronics to test with.

 

[BruceSki]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCPNjb15_qk&list=UU9imO6zAezUZvTjsyeajz7Q&index=5&feature=plcp

 

[Tyler Zane]

i never said you couldnt...