Starter motor woes

[Bob_Spidell]

Odds are it's the solenoid. While battery cables can deteriorate over time, they usually won't go bad all of a sudden (assuming it didn't get damaged somehow).

If you have a carbon pile load tester you could reinstall the battery and load test at the end of the battery cable. If your battery tests good at the end of its cable it's probably (almost certainly) the solenoid.

The original-type solenoid is fairly expensive, but most vendors sell an aftermarket (without the button on the back) one for about $15. You could install one of those and, if it works, decide if you want to spring for the correct one (keeping the aftermarket for a spare).

 

[Keoke]

OK OK OK

Right, now the car is up on axle stands and the starter motor is out and I have tested it with the battery out of the car, and outside the garage in the drive, wearing my welders gloves and helmet and having carried out a risk assessment, self certified it :angel:, and then cranked her up using my jump leads.

Great the motor works. :banana:

WOW!!-----Keoke-- :laugh:

So, now I am left with the possibility of either the lead from the battery to the solenoid and/or the solenoid itself, probably the solenoid. Is there a test? I supose I could connect the battery back up, connect one test light wire to the lead from the solenoid to the starter motor, earth the other test lamp wire and press the starter button, any other ideas?


NOW!!!

Just hook every thing back up except the lead from the solenoid to the starter:

1] connect your test light from the solenoid output terminal . the empty one , to ground.
THEN!!!
A]close the ignition switch and see that the light lights
B] Press the end button and see that the light also lights

If A and B cause your light to light you are good to go

Note if the starter does not run the solenoid or some connection pint between the battery and the starter should get hot or smoke. :wink: '



Bob

 

[bob hughes]

The original-type solenoid is fairly expensive, but most vendors sell an aftermarket (without the button on the back) one for about $15. You could install one of those and, if it works, decide if you want to spring for the correct one (keeping the aftermarket for a spare).

Bob the button type are around 14£ plus the dreaded vat at 20% so it is not all that bad.



Bob

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Moss has an 'excellent repro' for $25. I bought one years ago that I think was NOS and I recall it being a bit more.

For that kind of money, it doesn't hurt to have a spare. They seem to fail eventually.

 

[Keoke]

Moss has an 'excellent repro' for $25.

Leave it there.----Keoke-- :laugh:





I bought one years ago that I think was NOS and I recall it being a bit more.

For that kind of money, it doesn't hurt to have a spare. They seem to fail eventually.

 

[Patrick67BJ8]

Moss has an 'excellent repro' for $25.

Leave it there.----Keoke-- :laugh:





I bought one years ago that I think was NOS and I recall it being a bit more.

For that kind of money, it doesn't hurt to have a spare. They seem to fail eventually.

I am still using my "original" solenoid and I've had my car since 1972. I do have a spare, original type, but never have carried it with me on trips.

 

[Keoke]

I am still using my "original" solenoid and I've had my car since 1972. I do have a spare, original type, but never have carried it with me on trips.

Me too but we better start putting the spare in the boot just in case if it is there we probably won't need it.--Keoke-- :laugh:

 

[bob hughes]

<span style="color: #FF0000">Me too but we better start putting the spare in the boot just in case if it is there we probably won't need it.--Keoke-- </span>

They do not look to be the easyiest thing to get at for road side repairs.

But on the subject of carrying spares, I carry a couple of spare coils, perhaps I should leave one at home but when out with the club others could run into trouble.



Bob

 

[Keoke]

Well BOB life ain't just a bowl of cherries but if you got em you wont be stuck wirh the pits. :wink:

 

[Patrick67BJ8]

I am still using my "original" solenoid and I've had my car since 1972. I do have a spare, original type, but never have carried it with me on trips.

Me too but we better start putting the spare in the boot just in case if it is there we probably won't need it.--Keoke-- :laugh:

No way! They take up too much room! Easier to take a pair of pliers and jumper across the terminals to start the car until you get home, or, have your wife push the car and you pop the clutch.

 

[John Turney]

I am still using my "original" solenoid and I've had my car since 1972. I do have a spare, original type, but never have carried it with me on trips.

Me too but we better start putting the spare in the boot just in case if it is there we probably won't need it.--Keoke-- :laugh:

No way! They take up too much room! Easier to take a pair of pliers and jumper across the terminals to start the car until you get home, or, have your wife push the car and you pop the clutch.

Nah, wife takes up more room than a spare solenoid.

 

[bob hughes]

Patrick

I have had my privates roasted for suggesting to bridge those terminals on the Solenoid, best get the navigator to push if you are that tight for space, or better still ask a passing pedestrian, unless you are bashful like me :angel: - no room taken up that way.



Bob

 

[bob hughes]

Just to update you all

First of all I would not recomend a road side fix - Keoke.

Firts the accelerator rod must be removed for easy access.

Getting the old one off was fairly easy - ish a mixture of cross head screw and self tapping screw - thanks PO .

I ran a tap up the captivated nuts to clear the threads.

I found it extremely difficult to hold the new solenoid in position and try to engage a bolt or screw into the captivated nuts from the engine compartment side.

However, I came up with a Bob Hughes fix, after wasting a fair amount of time and a lot of swearing, and whilst not being strictly specification it will do until the engine comes out.

I obtained a couple of new bolts and cut them to a length such that when screwed in from the footwell, they protruded like studs into the engine bay. Swivelling the solenoid and hooking it up to the bottom bolt/stud I was able to get the all important washer and nut on to be left slack, the unit was then swivelled back into the correct position and hooked up to the top bolt/stud, the bottom nut was then done up just hand tight with a socket and a short wobble bar. With the top bolt/stud 3 or 4 turns slack in the captivated nut inside the footwell, I installed the washer with a large pair of tweezers and the nut was then captivated in an open ended spanner with a strip of gaffer tape and placed against the end of the bolt and the spanner fixed to the side of the footwell with gaffer tape. I then turned the bolt by hand inside the footwell and that was it. Tarraa
It was just left to tighten all bolts from inside the car and all nuts in the engine bay and reinstall the wiring and we were off - or so I thought.

On pressing the solenoid button, the engine turned over - Great, but when I took my finger off the button the starter kept going Agggghhhh .

It had stuck

I got onto my supplier and he exchanged it . With the new bolt system, 10 minutes to get off and around 30 minutes to replace with the new one - I was taking great care. I have just finished and tested it and all in the Hughes houshold is peace and tranquility again. :banana:



Bob