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ARGHHHHHHHH! @[*$@#$&*&@#

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jaybird

jaybird

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Grabbed a bottle of water, my sunglasses, my keys. Hopped in The B. Starter's gone. Nothing but a pathetic click.

I yelled so loud my neighbor came over to see if I was okay.
>>>insert appropriate foul language here<<<

mad2.gif

Can I get a starter at Auto Zone?
 
whoa....you sure it is the starter...and not a poor battery connection?

mark
 
Checked the battery connections first off. Even disconnected them and reconnected them to be sure.

Jst went out & popped the hood, pulled out the choke, pushed the gas pedal down once. It groaned some, (noise at least, not just a click) - took a few tries, but she's started and running. Idling very rough though. (that could be her choking on the $2.25 gas I put in her last night)

Got a bad feeling my starter's going. I'm going to run her a while. But I'm not shutting her off til she's back in the garage.
 
AutoZone says they have one for about $110.00 part number 16164. Don't know a thing about it.

If I had to guess though I'd start with the starters ground.
 
Could be the battery is weak, or the connections were preventing it from charging properly. I'd have the battery checked/tested before dropping the money on a new starter (AutoZone or PepBoys will usually test the battery for free). If the car starts fine after the battery has been "recharged" (using a battery charger), I'd check to make sure all the cable connections between the battery, alternator, and starter are clean and tight. Finally, if the battery still doesn't stay charged from using the car normally, I'd have the alternator checked out, or look into upgrading it.

Did you clean the connecting surfaces of the battery terminals and the connectors on the clamps while they were off?
 
I bet S.U. has it right Bad batt or connections. Simple test hook up a booster battery charger then give it a try.MGB starters are pretty good items.
 
Jaybird, have you tried cranking it briefly with the headlamps on?.....do they get really dim? if they do...odds are on a connection or battery problem. Possibly even an alternator if the batery has a known good history, and is fairly recent and fully charged. You did just have the engine bay cleaned did'nt You?


mark
 
I've had problems with this, and have seen at least one other like this on this forum. In my case it was a combination of a weak battery and old connections. It took ½ hour with jumper cables to get my baby started the other day. Once the battery box gets here from Moss I'm getting a new, hi-speed battery and cleaning all the connections that I can reach!
 
Have a brand new battery in her. A couple months old max.

Took her out for about an hour and a half. Ran great, as usual once she starts. But. I noticed it smelled hot. Temp gauge was right in the middle - is normally about half way between all the way cold and normal. Maybe because it's warmer now? Went a bit past normal, smelled hot at a stoplight. Then dropped back down to about 3/4 the way between cold and normal.

But started both times I turned it off and tried.

I haven't tried starting with the lights on - radio was on and cranking out tunes just fine though.

Never got the engine bay cleaned yet. Had issues last week with a failed hard drive and relatives in from Florida. (I am armed with several cans of stuff the guy at Auto Zone recommended though. Was actually my age sort of guy, KNEW what an MGB was, even wanted to come out to the parking lot to see it) Engine gets tackled this weekend hopefully.

Dahubby is leaving a week from Friday for Texas - fishing. Problem needs resolved before he leaves!

Seems cheap for the starter. John (guy that has a British car shop here) quoted me $175 or so, and he'd have to order it in)

Let's hope it's the connections. Although when we put the new battery in, we cleaned the terminals well.
 
The symptoms you describe lead me to suspect the main earth strap from the engine block to the bulkhead. If the connection gets dirty.....and it does.....then it causes the very problem you described. It can be somewhat intermittent, but I would not suspect the starter motor yrt. Check the strap......cleaning and re-attaching it costs nothing.
 
Ummm, I know what the engine block is, and where. But what's the bulkhead?
 
Mine does that on occasion as well. Turn the key then click. When mine does it I just cycle the key a few times then off it goes. Not sure what it is. But the grounding strap does make sense.

Last time I filled up my B it was close to 25 dollars. I darn near had a hart attack. @##@#!! California gas. I'm not looking forward to this summer when I have to fill my truck up out there. Especially when my B's down for paint and body.
 
Took $20 to fill my B up yesterday. Dahubby has a V8 pickup, extended cab. And a boat. Is a fair chunk of change at $2.25 to fill both up! My Solara gets 10mph better mileage than my B. Go figure.
 
J.B. With the luck I've had from Auto Zone starters and alternators, make sure they have e few in stock. It always seems to take a few tries to get one that will last more than a month from those guys. Of course I speak of modern stuff.... MG may be different. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif
What kind of carb/ carbs does your B have. The SUs and ZSs don't have accelerator pumps so pumping the pedal prior to starting dosen't accomplish anything, and pumping it during starting will throw off the enrichment of the choke.
P.S. did notice that you were absent, glad you're back.
 
bulkhead= firewall
 
Bulkhead=firewall! Thanks Banjo.

Have a single SU in the B. I didn't know that about accelerator pumps, but I did know NOT to pump the pedal when I start it.

AHA! I KNEW it. Someone DID miss me! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif
 
My third thought is to check the connections at the starter. When we first got our MGB it would start and then the next time it would click. Looked at the connections and one was LOOSE. Unconnected it, cleaned it, and re-routed the wire. The latter gave it a more solid connection.

Now she starts right up when the gasoline gets to her. That is when the battery is good. I remember going through a two or three new ones in the truck before I got a good one several years ago.

One thing I have learned with the MGB, when a problem arises, start with the simplest solution. Even if it is the new part I just put on.
 
ah but the stock choke on the carbs do need you to press the pedal down once before or during start up to allow them to engage... At least that's the way it is on my spare ZS (water choke). If you have a manual choke then pressing the pedal down would not be necesary.
 
[ QUOTE ]
One thing I have learned with the MGB, when a problem arises, start with the simplest solution. Even if it is the new part I just put on.

[/ QUOTE ]
One thing I have learned with the MGB, when a problem arises, and you fix it, another one is waiting to jump up and bite you in the butt!

Thanks, I've made a note here of things to check first!
 
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