Johnty Lyons Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 Coming from me you will find this strange. I have had my K for 12 years and am still running the original starter, I obviously have rebuilt the solenoid a couple of times and done the relay mod , and the poor old thing has done me well, sitting cooking under my 4 big headers on my 240BHP lump. However it's had it's day and after any reasonable run in the car simply groans in agony [metaphorically] and despite a fully charged battery pulls the voltage down to about 8.5 and refuses to turn over the engine. So what is the best replacement unit , Order one from CC? Get a Brise [but i've heard all sorts of horror stories there as well]? Or something completely different? I'm open to advice jj MTM , N.I. L7C AR 🙆🏻 Membership No.3927. 240BHP 1900cc K Series 40th Anniversary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shad Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 Give Brise a call... they are very close to releasing a brand new starter designed specifically to cope with the heat and different exhaust configurations Simon niknak.org Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 designed specifically to cope with the heat Hmm - that's interesting given what they claimed for the one they sold me some years ago. I've been less than totally impressed with the reliability of the unit(s) I've had from them and the service when they've needed to be fixed - but I'll qualify that by saying that I last dealt with them at least two years ago and I might just have been unlucky anyway. 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 Alcester Racing 7s Ecosse™ 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 Alcester-Racing-Sevens.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shad Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 The internals of the axial ones aren't perfect. Some bits are well designed and built well, other bits are... poor. Vibration is the killer more so than the heat. There are some surprisingly sensitive connections inside. But their new design reverts to a seperate motor and solenoid, both of which I was told are significantly higher quality parts. I didn't see the heat shield but they showed me one for an alternater which looked quite good. We'll have to wait and see but I've expressed interest in trying one. Simon niknak.org Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finnie Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 When I first got the car I had to quite often use a battery jump thing to get the car going but I got in contact with Brise and they got me an axial. Started no probs since. Was a plug and play fitting job too. Very happy with it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter clarke Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 Have had a Brise Axial for almost 3 years and no issue....so far! No heat shield, 180 bhp k series. PJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonycaterham Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 Today, i've just bought a standard K series starter motor for my K series off Joachim at Westermann Motorsport a lot less than Caterham are asking and that includes VAT and posting to the UK. I will update this posting when I receive it but may be worth giving him a call. 00-49-7222-94-240 I bought a Brise one 18 months ago but it did not fit, so sent it back, however it took a while and several calls to get my money back. The problem was the starter was butted right up against my 4-1 exhaust with literally 2mmm to spare with the spade connectors pointed directly at the exhaust, s o no good for me. Probably OK if you have the later R400 4-1 exhaust . Tony L7 EVL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter clarke Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 Interesting, have a R400 with removable cat exhaust and alot of clearance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finnie Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 I heard there were problems with the brise and the 4-1 exhaust. Mine is a 4-2-1 so no issues Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthonym Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 I'd be interested to discover which bits it is that are failing - since every one of mine have. (edit: I mean every bit has failed, I have not changed the starter motor, it has been repaired (by Pedro as we all probably know by now :-) )) Anthony Edited by - anthonym on 23 Sep 2009 22:31:51 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 Ditto, Even with greater clearance 4-2-1 primaries I develop K click on a new or recon standard Starter within 12 months I really ought to put some heat wrap but Ive got a spare and its only £25 for a refurb Yet another wonderful Caterham consumable! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonycaterham Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 Is the general consensus that heat wrap on the primaries will help the starter motor last more than a few monhs? Tony L7 EVL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shad Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 It should help, but wrapping the primaries is a whole 'nother can of worms of pros and cons Probably best to protect the starter itself with some heat resistant material, or a shield. Simon niknak.org Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonycaterham Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 I've tried wrapping the starter motor in asbesotos heat shield, but this has not helped unless the starter would have failed even sooner! I think there is a school of thought that this keeps the heat in and prevents air circulation. Tony L7 EVL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnty Lyons Posted September 24, 2009 Author Share Posted September 24, 2009 I perceive it to be a Heat problem made worse by city driving where there is no air current flowing round the starter I had originally thought of ducting cool air BUT this will not help in the situation above and i tend to think that wrapping it in heat shield will only allow more heat soak and actually prevent the heat getting blown away by any air movement. I can't see a solution at the moment. I think if you went back to the old std 4into 1 under the bonnet cast manifold as used on bog std Ks you wouldn't have a problem BUT any performance K with bigger headers and a stoic [spelling?] mixture is going to suffer. The windings just get cooked ????????????????????????????????????????? *nono* *nono* jj MTM , N.I. L7C AR 🙆🏻 Membership No.3927. 240BHP 1900cc K Series 40th Anniversary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonycaterham Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Johnty, Lagging the headers would seem a viable option. I'm going to give this a go when I fit my third starter motor Tony L7 EVL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Plato Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 if the last one lasted 12 years I would refit the same again I am a fan of colltec primary wrap. it srops the heat at scource and doesnt burn out my silencer (silencer is a good 14" from the end of the lagging/ body exit) and doesnt cause valve regression in the head. I also think its good to fit a stainless or ally sheild around the starter to protect it from number 4 primary . dj here is my Duratec R .... C7 TOP Taffia joint AO with Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnty Lyons Posted September 25, 2009 Author Share Posted September 25, 2009 Dave is yours a 4 to 1 or a 4 2 1 and do you wrap from manifold flange to where pipes join [possibly outside side skin?] I'll check clearance for stainless heat shield Ta jj MTM , N.I. L7C AR 🙆🏻 Membership No.3927. 240BHP 1900cc K Series 40th Anniversary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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