I have a problem with my recently rebuilt Elan. Nothing new there I guess.
At first the car started easily and ran fairly well although there was a misfire on number 4. A crypton tune didn’t really solve the problem and the dizzy has been back to Aldon for a check and they say it is fine.
Then the starter motor started to jam occassionally and this got more frequent. Eventually (the car has only travelled 50 miles) spinning the starter started to sound bad with a grating noise and this got worse. The engine occassionally lurches whilst the starter turns it over slowly even on jump leads. I cleaned the starter but it made no difference. I replaced the starter with a new 10 teeth, 3 bolt version and the first time I turned the key it sounded fine. It quickly started to graunch and turn over roughly and slowly.
I removed the plugs and tried the starter again. With no compression to fight the engine turns over well and smoothly on the starter motor and the oil pressure looks good - 40 psi on the starter motor sounds good to me.
All 4 pistons seem to be going up and down and in any case I drove the car into my garage with only the slight misfire. I find it hard to believe anything major like a rod or piston has broken.
I inspected the teeth on the starter ring by slowly turning the engine over with a spanner whilst watching the flywheel turn from underneath and I can see no obvious teeth missing or chewed up areas although I don’t really know what to look for here.
I am at a loss to know what to do next.
Any ideas from you experts? I don’t know where to go next.
Geoff