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TR6 Test starter system with engine out?

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gbtr6

gbtr6

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My six wouldn't start and I am going to trailer it home. I need to take the engine out to rebuild. My question is, since it wouldn't start, and the engine is out, can I still check the starting circuit?

Thanks,
Perry
 
I'm not sure I understand which bit you want to test, but you should be able to come up with something. To check the starter and solenoid, sit the battery on the floor next to the engine and hook up the cables, then use a jumper to stimulate the solenoid. For the ignition switch and wiring, hook the battery up to the car and put some sort of dummy load (like an old headlight bulb) on the white/red wire that normally goes to the starter. Or, you can hook the starter up without having it mounted to the engine, by running a ground cable to the starter, and see if it spins.
 
Randall has pretty much got it covered but there are a couple of things that might get fixed with the engine r & r that can't be checked with the engine out, e.g. the engine to body ground strap. All the connections should at least be cleaned as part of the rebuild and there's a good chance the start problem will go away. If it doesn't, it might be easier to diagnose with the engine back in. Same with the starter motor, new brushes at least if not a replacement or rebuild.
Tom
 
Well, I have the 6 home. I will clean the ground and check what I can. I'd like to get it to start then remove the engine. Lots of work, but I've been there before.

Perry
 
OK, I was fiddling with the harness on the back of the ignition as well as the seatbelt warning buzzer. I forgot to mention, I have a TR 4 ignition switch. After I jiggled these around, I have a click at the firewall, the relay I believe. So, I have juice that far. What next? I use jiggling as my technical term, so that shows how well I do with electrical diagnosos and repair.

Perry
 
Having a 74 with a TR4 ignition switch, none of this may apply, but you'd want to verify that you have juice coming into the relay thru the brown wire and juice leaving the relay thru the white/red wire.
If so, then you want to see if that juice that left the relay in the white/red wire made it to the starter solenoid.
Is so, did the starter solenoid make any noise ?
One or two more steps after that and you should know what's wrong.
 
Thanks for the reply. How much voltage should I have at the brown wire coming in? How much going out? I have a multimeter so I can check that. If that checks out, do I check the small wire on the starter, or the larger red one?

Perry
 
The brown wires should be the same voltage as the battery.
All insulated wires connected to a 74 starter and solenoid would be 12+ volts ...if you have a good battery.
Do you have a wiring schematic for your 74 ?
As far as I know the only wires carrying less than 12 volts would be the ballast resistor wire on the coil and the wires from the voltage stabilizer to the fuel and temperature gauges.,
But all the stuff you are fooling with are in the 12 volt category.
 
Good, thanks. I have the Haynes manual and the complete Triumph workshop manual so I think I have a schematic.

Perry
 
Thanks a lot for the schematics, I appreciate it. I can even read it and understand a bit. I'll get to testing this weekend.
 
Update. My son was home and I had him help take the hood off. Then, had him start it. At first only the click so I beat on the relay with my screwdriver and it started. It sounded horrible though, so I am glad it started and I know I need to get it rebuilt. On to taking it apart.

Perry
 
When you discover what caused the zero compression in that cylinder, let us know and Good Luck !
 
Will do. When started it sounded horrible, like some lower end noise. I am a bit afraid, however am committed to a complete rebuild so it should be good.
 
Update. Finally made some progress. I've had a sore leg that has slower me down some. Work on it for about an hour and a half and Harv it ready to take the transmission out. Then the engine can come out. I want to get the head off while its in the car as well. image.jpgimage.jpg
Pill have a crack at again tomorrow and get the interior out.

Perry
 
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