Cooked starter?

[paulyb]

I know therre are numerous threads on K-series starters, but mine doesn't seem to be the usual click / solenoid problems.

I've got a 2002 SLR with a 1.9 scholar engine with rather high compression using the SLR 'race' starter (assume Brise?). For some time now the starter has been struggling to turn it over but generally eventually got the job done. I'd assumed my battery (PVR25) either wasn't up to the job or was on its way out, but trying an assortment of re-charging, checking voltage, swapping battery strategies has had no effect.

Yesterday was MOT time and I couldn't start the car. Even the big battery which starts the diesel Disco couldn't make an impact! Turn ignition. All lights up on the dash as usual, fuel pump whirs. Turn key and I can here the relay clicking but absolutely nothing from the starter.

Got a push start from a couple of my builders in exchange for a few donuts in the yard ( 😬 ) and got to the MOT (passed ) Same trying to leave there. I've run a fly lead directly from the battery to the solenoid. No difference. Tapping the starter with the key turned to the start position seems to illicit a few sparks from within but nothing else.

Is the starter fried? Has anyone had any success getting them re-wound or am I better off biting the bullet and getting a new one? If so what is the present favoured option for a powerful 1.9 k?

[Jason Plato]

also check the ignition timing on cranking

 

 

here is my Duratec R .... C7 TOP

Taffia AO

[Roger Ford]

I would dismantle it before replacing it. There are various bits inside that benefit from a cleanup. But before you do that - check your earth! Direct wire from battery to solenoid excludes most wiring gremlins, but not the earth.

[paulyb]

Roger: I'll probably dismantle at the weekend and see what happens. I have an image of the brushes pinging off all over the place and never going back into position once I open it up

 

Dave: If I ever get cranking again I'll look at that though it was mapped last year by the two Steves so I'm assuming that is right

 

Edited by - paulyb on 30 Mar 2010 12:09:53

[Roger Ford]

The conventional "under and over" starter is easy to disassemble and reassemble.

 

The "concentric" one is indeed a pain. I never figured out how to get the brushes back in, and eventually binned it (it was broken, but probably repairable, but not much help if I couldn't get it back together).

 

The reason I had both was that I replaced the original under-and-over model before finding that it was actually the earth causing me all the problems in the first place. The battery earth was fixed to the clutch housing - via a steel bolt in the aluminium housing. Not surprisingly, this bolt was covered in corrosion which was the cause of all my problems.

[paulyb]

Thanks for the tip: I'll check the earth first and go from there

[Shad]

Brise have special metal levers to re-assemble these starters, I watched one of their techs put mine back together

 

You'll be ok taking the back off though (i.e. the end with the connections). You can then get to the solenoid and plunger to clean them up and you might spot a broken copper connection for the solenoid switch (which are quite prone to failing). That's the only user-serviceable bit though.

 

Brise are good people, they will be able to rebuild it for not much ££

 

Simon

niknak.org

[paulyb]

So, the earthing was fine. The starter came out - what a convenient and efficient little job that is - and opened it up.

The braided connection for the starter had come loose, but there is a fair amount of corrosion on some of the internal components and it all looks somewhat tired.

I'm wondering about sending it off to Brise for a re-furb verses just biting the bullet and buying a new one. This one has always struggled to turn over the engine and the Brise site is now showing a 2kW axial starter which looks like it might be more than man enough for the job, but 300 notes 😳

Any views on the present best choice for a new starter to fit and handle a high compression 1.9k (presently on 4-2-1 exhaust so hopefully not the clearance issues of the 4 into 1)

 

Edited by - paulyb on 8 Apr 2010 16:31:01