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Tips
Tips

Starter motor

TR674

Jedi Warrior
Offline
My starter motor is making unusual noises when spinning down after starting the motor, I think it is the beginning of the end for it. I'm not too keen on reconditioned starters as they are all getting very long in the tooth.
Does anyone have experience with new 'non-standard' gear reduction starter motors suitable for the TR6?
Regards
Craig
 
I highly recommend them, Craig. They all basically are Nippondenso Japanese starters that have been reworked to adapt to British cars. They are just a bolt-on item with no special wiring changes. Amazing difference in starting ability for you TR6. I would drop Ted Schumacher at TSI-Automotive a line as his prices are most competitive. (Ted maintains that he supplies all the high-torque starters to Moss) From what I have Googled, the average shipping to AU is about 60 bucks US. I would think there are suppliers down under.
 
TR674 said:
...reconditioned starters as they are all getting very long in the tooth...

I guess at nearly 50 years old my TR3A starter would qualify as long in the tooth. I've had it apart a few times thru the years but it is very easy to disassemble and the bits that wear or fail are all available.

I suspect some of the dramatic difference people mention when going to the Hi-Torque is a comparison of a new modern starter to the failing unit it replaced.

My only experience is the the 4-cyl starter so perhaps TR6 starters differ in these respects.
 
I agree, I got one from Ted several years ago. Works fine.

Nice thing about these startes is if the internal electricals ever go bad a basic plate kit is available at Nissan stores for around 15.
 
Thanks Bill.
I'll try your suggested supplier for price. My initial inquiries here are around $450 for the gear reduction starter (US$365).
Regards
Craig
 
This won't help you much but after hearing those prices I'm a bit shocked. Routinely I see gear-reduction starters for around $200 on eBay. I stumble on these when searching for A-series engine parts so the prices won't necessarily be for a six-cylinder Triumph. Still....

I also have a Canadian acquaintance who gets Honda starters from the junk yard. He takes the front plates off of dead Lucas starters and machines them to be an adapter plate for the Honda starters. I don't think he's ever done that for a Triumph as he works mostly with BMC A- and B-series engines. Still, it implies it should be possible for Triumphs as well.
 
There's a guy who sells rebuilt Lucas electrics on eBay, located in Van Nuys, in the San Fernando Valley, a suburb of Los Angeles. As someone who works in the Valley, and has a TR6 starter and alternator that needs to be refreshed, I looked him up. He's a straight 10 minute shot from me, so I dropped off my parts to get looked at by his "Pops", who, sure enough, had certificates of achievement from Lucas, dating way back. I'll pick them up in a couple of days, and hopefully install them this Sunday.

I told him about BCF, and what a good idea it'd be to advertise here... hopefully, he's a quality shop, and he contacts Basil. To be continued...
 
Geo, Doug, Kevin
thanks for the info. I'm torn between keeping the car original, ie fixing things as they wear down, or do I just go for broke and upgrade things as they end their service life???
There is a specialist Triumph mechanic here that hordes parts and he has several second hand late model TR6 starters (not exchange) for $88 working.
Hmmmmmm...........
Regards
Craig
 
Okay, go wrecking yard shopping. An Isuzu pickup starter is reportedly a bolt on. Don't know which year or model, off the top of my head, but a Hitachi, Nippondenso starter takeoff should be a lot less expensive.
 
TR674 said:
...There is a specialist Triumph mechanic here that hordes parts and he has several second hand late model TR6 starters (not exchange) for $88 working...

$450 vs $88 -- I've pretty much considered starter operation to be a binary condition. Either the dingus cranks the engine or it doesn't.

If an $88 starter will start the car I can't see how something else can be 5 times better.
 
Many of the eaby and other aftermarket starters that are marked Hitachi or ND are actually Chinese knock-offs that are poorly made and have a poor reputation. I don't know how to tell the difference but it wise to know what you are buying.

Since I'm a cheap, grumpy old SOB I vote for fixing the old starter or buying another Lucas unit...or just park on a downgrade and let gravity be your starter.
 
Thanks Alan
I'll be ordering one direct from the US.
Regards
Craig
 
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