• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Bench Testing starter

Share this page

JimLaney

JimLaney

Senior Member
Offline
After reading the Leyland manual, I'm wondering if there is any reason not to clip a jumper cable to a 12 volt battery and then to the starter to test it? I am planning to do that with the heater fan motor and any other 12 volt sub system component.

I don't know how many amps the starter might pull on the bench.
 
I did the same thing. No big deal. Just hang on to the starter. I clamped mine in a work mate.
 
As above. No problem. Just clamp the starter down or hold it down firmly with your foot. They do tend to jump across the floor (when working properly).
 
I would attach a cable to the starter as in situ and then to the battery
in rush amperes is going to leave a mark
 
SD Bugeye said:
I would attach a cable to the starter as in situ and then to the battery
in rush amperes is going to leave a mark
Click to expand...

You generally do not make any connections to a battery that will make a spark. That can ignite any hydrogen coming out of the cells (i.e. BOOM).

Even though it will make a mark on the starter, it is best to connect to the starter motor last. There will be sparks but they will happen at the starter motor, not at the battery.
 
Make the last connection to the body of the starter not the threaded terminal. If you do scar it it’s no big deal.
 
BTW, I have 3 starters. (this is the story of buying basket cases and boxes of parts) Two appear to have an electric solenoid on the side and one does not. Manual looks like the one without solenoid. Any suggestions?
 
Can you post pictures?

Lucas wiring can follow one of two schemes for ballast coil wiring. Many cars have a pink/white ballast resistor wire. Those have a bad reputation for overheating inside the harness and causing damage. Others (like my old Spitfire) had a ballast resistor which was attached to the coil using a metal bracket. Those external ballast resistors are pretty bullet proof and since they are not inside the harness they don't melt wires. Perhaps what you are seeing on your coils is the ballast resistor, not a relay.

Also... some coils include an extra condenser on the outside. Those are typically used to suppress ignition noise which is often heard on radios.

Again, pictures would help.
 
Stock starter is the Bendix type. No Attached solenoid and is a pull in type.
 
Back
Top