11 replies to this topic

[Superdaveyk]

Hi All 

 

Sorry to keep harping on . . My second post and it's another plea for help. So I've rebuilt the 1275 with the sound advice from Coxie (Cheers Buddy) and have installed into the fame which is a 1983 Austin mini Mayfair. 

Sometime late last night (11pm ish) I piped and wired it all up and connected a brand new battery and went for broke.

 

Turned the key, starter solenoid clicked, starter motor whirred, engaged, turned for a brief second and then stopped.  . . . .  nothing . . . .  dead. Tried again and nothing, not even a grunt !! 

Having got this far I can't tell you how upset I am and even came close to shedding a tear ( Or was it all the crap that fell into my eyes installing the gear lever shifter box assembly back onto the car ( what were they thinking with that roll pin ! )

So after drying my tears and putting my head back on I tried the following:-

 

Check battery negative terminal to body for corrosion - check

check earth strap connection to body for corrosion - check

Check engine earth strap to engine block for corrosion - check

Try connecting Battery jumper power pack to battery terminals - check

Try connecting battery jumper power pack directly to starter motor - check 

 

Ponder over whilst having a brew - Check

 

Try engaging high gear and rocking backwards and forwards - Unable to do as brakes are seized solid and need rebuilding.

 

Ponder whilst having another brew - Check  (Knackered!!  try to do this with seized brakes and a partially flat tyre)

 

Remove plugs and try again - Check

remove starter and turn with a screwdriver via the flywheel - Check (turned)

install original starter motor and try again - Check( the starter I fitted during rebuild was a recon from eBay)

Re-install recon starter and turn via the flats on the starter motor shaft - Check (It turns the flywheel) 

 

Have a Brew and go home - Check

 

So that's where I'm at up to today. Unfortunately the place where I'm keeping it want it gone now, so time is of the essence. I can get it trailered to home but will need to drive it up the drive out of the way. 

When I rebuilt it I could turn it over fine with a socket on the flywheel, albeit begin a little more difficult at the end of the compression strokes but I would expect this ?? I've installed new rings and honed the bores. I gave a dowse of engine lube round the rings prior to installing back into the bores.

 

I'm a little lost now and tired after the efforts last night so could do with some tip top advice. . . .  over to the masses then

 

 

 

 

Attached Files

•  DSC_0396.JPG   49.75K   16 downloads

[GraemeC]

Assuming a wing mounted solenoid - does it have a good connection to earth?  It usually relies on the bolts biting into the wing but I have found those unreliable in the past and run an earth lead up to the main earth point by the cross member strengthener.

[Superdaveyk]

Hi GraemeC

Thanks for the reply. I have checked this however this won't matter as I tried starting directly on the starter which bypasses the solenoid anyway.

I've been doing more research and there are some suggestions on other posts that suggest I need to upgrade to a high torque starter ??

[nicklouse]

Why anew starter? My old standard one turns my race engine over fine.

[nicklouse]

What starter type?

Remove plugs. Will it spin over.

When spinning over are the power and earth straps getting hot?

[gazza82]

Jyst a thought: You have got the right starter for the flywheel? Not jamming because it's a mix of inertia and pre-engaged parts?

[Superdaveyk]

Hi Nicklaus, thanks for the reply.

New starter was a result of the old one having lots of end float play and not throwing out the sprocket out when energised. It's the Lucas inertia 9 tooth starter motor and yes the straps are getting warm and the starter motor just hums away without turning.

Any more suggestions. Basically I need to know if this is normal . . . for a brand new rebuilt engine to have a bit of newness ? I don't want to pay £200 for a high torque starter if it will cause damage or if it isn't going to work.

Cheers in advance

[Superdaveyk]

Hi Gazza82

Good suggestion, I like it. What's best way to check ? Counting teeth ? Starter has 9 how many should the flywheel have ?

[Hewlett_T]

If it has 9 teeth thats an insertia starter isn't it meaning the flywheel will have (from memory) 107 teeth? Although I'm not certain.

[nicklouse]

As above check things are compatible.

And hot cables can be due to incorrect guage or poor quality or poor connection.

[MRA]

Or the wrong bolts fitted the the clutch locking it to the housing..... 

 

Is this a rebuilt engine ?  ie new parts etc ?  who built it ? did testing with a dry build get done before assembling ? 

[gazza82]

Just spotted something in OPs first post

 

Re-install recon starter and turn via the flats on the starter motor shaft - Check (It turns the flywheel)

 

If you have an inertia starter it shouldn't engage until it's spinning .. at that point the starter gear is "thrown" into mesh with the flywheel ..

 

 inertia_starter.jpg   2.28K   0 downloads

 

If you have a pre-engaged then it does mesh constantly but spins when not activated

 

 pre-engaged_starter.jpg   2.91K   0 downloads

 

Which one do you have? What flywheel/clutch type?

 

Not sure what that means yet, but I would suspect a mixture of parts which is causing the starter to be in the wrong place and binding with the flywheel ..

Edited by gazza82, 18 February 2016 - 10:08 AM.