I'm a bit reluctant to progress on much further until I can make the engine do summat just in case it don't work, I'm a bit baffled on a couple of things though:
1. Chassis seems electrified, seems to drop a lot when I unplug the plug that has the neutral switch on it
2. Can't get a neutral light because of above, the block being electrified.Works when I earth it manually
3. If I take the starter of the block and short it, it spins and tries to rip your arm off but when I mount it in place and short it, it just hums and won't turn th'engine

My heads getting a bit pickled now not knowing where to start

sounds like you have an earth problem.
either engine to chassis or chassis to battery. try connecting a jump lead from the battery earth terminal to the engine block and see if that improves things
Rich

[Edited on 19/5/07 by bigrich]

Can you turn the sprocket output manually? Find neutral by using some grips on the shaft till you can turn it then try the starter. If it's in gear and you have bypassed the stand and clutch limits it should still turn if there is no prop connected.

Ah, yes. I'm liking that. I had a thought. Power is going to the starter which is earthing through its body...ah just thought. I have had the starter in bits. I wonder if I connected it up backwards inside thus making the body live instead of neutral and lighting the block up? Bugger
Edited to say yep its in neutral and I can turn the output shaft by hand easily

[Edited on 19/5/07 by mistergrumpy]

i have a fresh zx9c starter if required.

Cheers Joel, I'll let you know.I'm just going to take this one to pieces again the now. Don't think its knackered cos it did spin up and nearly ripped my arm off when it was out of the engine

Well I'm getting somewhere I think.There seems to be stray voltage in the engine. Turns out that two more of the candlestick coils have split since I last looked at them and voltage was arcing to the block. There is some voltage left on the block though, disappears when I disconnect the alternator plug and the oil pressure plug, it isn;t much but its enough to stop the neutral switch working. If I take the starter off and earth it manually then it spins up fine when I switch the ignition but when I put it back on the block and attach a jump lead to earth it all then the starter doesn't turn the engne over. Does it require on the spark plugs all connected and firing to assist it?

Take the spark plugs out and try it ? It should turn easily with no resistance

Okay, a bit further. If I place a jump lead onto the engne block and the negative battery point then the starter spins up good so I'm trying to find out whats electrifying the engine. Should the wire that goes on to the coolant temperature sensor have any voltage in it? It seems to have about 6 volts in it so when I clip it on to the sensor the whole engine gets 6 volts. If I take the wire off and short it to earth then the gauge goes up and the light flashes to say things are overheating. Anyone shed any light on things?

it really does sound like just a bad earth from the engine to the chassis/battery
you need to earth the engine to the cadle then the cradle to the chassis and battery earth to the chassis to make a good earth path.
the voltage you see is probably only there because you have a poor earth path back to the battery.
is the looms earth connected to the chassis and is this a sound earth

Nah at moment the earth on the loom is to the battery negative as I'm just testing the engine to see if it'll work having never seen it run. I'm sure the engine shouldn't be getting electrified like this though as its stopping me getting a neutral light and the starter earthing properly to the block. Earthing the engine, cradle and chassis might solve it but I'd still be losing voltage eh?

Its a bad earth! No supply from a sensor wire could stop the starter without burning out but you risk back feeding the ECU if you don't earth the block!

Adrian

You need a big earth (jump lead) between engine block and battery neg.

eartht he block and your voltage will be pulled down to 0 what it needs to be!!!

every sensor uses ground straight out of the block... sow make sure you read battery voltage EXACTLY between positive and engine!!

also while starting you need to see that voltage

Tks