Jim Lee
10-19-2012, 02:59 PM
Hi all,
I have a question about my 1959 tr3a starter. It is original and I am going to check but I am pretty sure that I have had it rebuilt recently. I vaguely remember taking it to my local Advanced Auto and for some reason I cannot remember they could not test it. In any case my issue is that when starting cold it will turn over normally a few times but before I can get it started, with the choke fully pulled out, it will slow way down in that the engine is being turned over very slowly and gets to the point where I wonder if we are going to get started. It is a hit or miss deal. When it turns over slowly....and gets to the point where it is just barely turning it seems exactly what would happen if I had a dying battery. I have checked the battery and generator (did the negative ground switch) and it all looks copesetic. The battery measures about 13.8 volts at rest and 14.9 when idling. The battery is 700/875 cranking amps. I am pretty confident about the choke because when it does start and I am pulling the choke knob all the way out (I have already broke one cable due to my overzealous pulling) the engine races at a very high idle before I push it in as it warms.
Once I start the car cold I am good for the rest of the day. It could be a few hours after I shut it down that I can push the button and it jumps right up. What I am wondering is if there is a relatively simple way of testing the condition of the starter. I am starting to wonder if my timing could be off but when running the car feels so good I hate to fiddle around with that.
Do your Triumphs jump up as soon as you hit the button....like mine does after it is warm..first start in the morning? I am pretty sure that I have had the starter rebuilt but I need to research that to confirm. So right now I am thinking that if I am at the crossroads where I am deciding between blaming the starter or the timing it would probably be simpler to do some sort of test on the starter. I am almost positive now that I had the starter rebuilt because I vividly remember taking an afternoon to get one of the two bolt of that starter fastened because it was in an ridiculously tight spot. I mean like all afternoon tight.
If there is a way for me to judge the condition of my starter without removing it I would be all ears and most grateful.
Thanks very much,
Jim Lee
1959 tr3a
I have a question about my 1959 tr3a starter. It is original and I am going to check but I am pretty sure that I have had it rebuilt recently. I vaguely remember taking it to my local Advanced Auto and for some reason I cannot remember they could not test it. In any case my issue is that when starting cold it will turn over normally a few times but before I can get it started, with the choke fully pulled out, it will slow way down in that the engine is being turned over very slowly and gets to the point where I wonder if we are going to get started. It is a hit or miss deal. When it turns over slowly....and gets to the point where it is just barely turning it seems exactly what would happen if I had a dying battery. I have checked the battery and generator (did the negative ground switch) and it all looks copesetic. The battery measures about 13.8 volts at rest and 14.9 when idling. The battery is 700/875 cranking amps. I am pretty confident about the choke because when it does start and I am pulling the choke knob all the way out (I have already broke one cable due to my overzealous pulling) the engine races at a very high idle before I push it in as it warms.
Once I start the car cold I am good for the rest of the day. It could be a few hours after I shut it down that I can push the button and it jumps right up. What I am wondering is if there is a relatively simple way of testing the condition of the starter. I am starting to wonder if my timing could be off but when running the car feels so good I hate to fiddle around with that.
Do your Triumphs jump up as soon as you hit the button....like mine does after it is warm..first start in the morning? I am pretty sure that I have had the starter rebuilt but I need to research that to confirm. So right now I am thinking that if I am at the crossroads where I am deciding between blaming the starter or the timing it would probably be simpler to do some sort of test on the starter. I am almost positive now that I had the starter rebuilt because I vividly remember taking an afternoon to get one of the two bolt of that starter fastened because it was in an ridiculously tight spot. I mean like all afternoon tight.
If there is a way for me to judge the condition of my starter without removing it I would be all ears and most grateful.
Thanks very much,
Jim Lee
1959 tr3a