I’ve just fitted a 2nd hand reduction-geared starter motor.
Came with good history and little use, but no instructions.
It spins on the ignition key, but no engagement with the flywheel !!!
I’ve taken the main supply from the ‘always live’ side of the solenoid down to the starter,
and run a new 8amp wire from the ignition-switched terminal on the solenoid
down to the spade connector on the starter.
So I’m basically bypassing the standard solenoid, but using it as a connector block.
Run a jumper on the starter motor from the battery hot terminal to the starter solinoid Lucar blade terminal on the starter. Then use your firewall solinoid as normal.
Gary
you only need one or the other solinoids not both.
After re-reading the problem through again, I agree with Frank
I need to read problem more throughly I guess
I think the solenoid on the starter is not working. Take the starter off the car and hook it up on a bench. I’ll bet you’ll find that the solenoid on the starter is not moving the pinion into position. Good luck.
There’s one other potential reason. The starter on my Elan was noisy from when I bought the car and when it finally spun free, I took it off to discover there was only 2.8mm engagement between the pinion and ring gear, just enough to eventually break off the front of the ring gear teeth. Check the distance from the mounting surface on the bell housing to the front surface of the ring gear (mine was 32.37 mm) and compare it to the mounting surface on the starter flange to the end of the pinion. Then pull the pinion all the way out and add the stroke length. If this isn’t at least 5 or 6mm more than the bellhousing to ring gear, you have the same problem I have!
Right, I’ve had it professionally tested (didn’t fancy it flying around the garage !).
Passed with flying colours.
Also checked my wiring was correct - it is.
So, 2 possibilities remain:
the starter clutch is u/s.
there is not enough throw to reach the ring gear.
The starter throws the drive approx 43mm from the face against the bellhousing.
This evening I will measure from the bellhousing to the ring gear.
If you have 43 mm from the mounting face to the end of the (extended) pinion, I’m predicting you have about 10 - 11mm engagement. That’s plenty. You should see 31-33mm dimension from bellhousing mounting face to front face of ring gear.
Face of bellhousing to face of ring gear teeth: 32-33mm
Thickness of ring gear approx: 8mm
Max throw from starter face against bellhousing to outer face of bendix drive: 42-43mm
Max width of bendix drive teeth for engagement 13-15mm
Seems this should work ?
Anyway, my supplier says return it to him for a full refund. He recommends Sue Miller for another (approx ?140 + Vat).
As I predicted, you should have plenty of engagement based on the data you have listed. I think the starter you have is pre-engaged. My understanding is the pre-engaged starters extend (and engage the ring gear) before they start to spin. ?140 doesn’t sound too bad for a high torque starter. I have seen ?160 and ?179 from two other vendors for similar starters.
Just a thought…could you have too much “throw-out”,the starter doesn’t start spinning until the contacts make…these are surely operated by the “throw-out” solenoid? Maybe the early/short engagement is stopping the contacts making??
If that were the case, wouldn’t you just hear a click as the solenoid was energised? My reading of the issue is that the starter is definitely spinning, just not engaging with the flywheel. That would prove the contacts were making to supply current to the starter motor.
Yep,you’re right there…how about “1. the starter clutch is u/s.”…is there a clutch on the starter? if there is could it be the wrong way round…“It spins on the ignition key, but no engagement with the flywheel !!!”…just another thought?
John
or…clutch working OK but starter spinning in wrong direction??