Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Rick]

What are the symptoms of a duff solenoid? just curious as the Austin isn't turning the engine over on the starter (the starter spins, a little slowly at first, but the pinion isn't engaging the ring gear, yet appears to be free on the shaft). I'm wondering if the feed to the starter is weak, meaning it hasn't got the ooomphh to chuck the pinion out enough.

I tried bridging the contacts on the solenoid but it didn't help, nor did pressing the button on the end of it. The starter still whirred but didn't engage.

Battery is charged up, engine earth to frame is good.

R
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[Penman]

Hi
Doesn't sound like the solenoid, if it was dirty contacts the bridging trick should have worked.

What about the bendix thread, could the gear be sticking rather than being thrown to mesh with the ring gear?
I have heard that they shouldn't be greased/oiled, so could some oil have got in there causing it to bind?
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Bristols should always come in pairs.

Any 2 from:-
Straight 6
V8 V10

[Rick]

I pulled the starter back a few inches from the bellhousing, and the pinion seemed to rotate ok. Its a fiddle getting the starter off completely (oil filter needs to come off first) so I'd hoped that it was ok in that department, but its looking like it may all have to come off and go in the vice for checking

R
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[Keith D]

Hey Rick,
It sounds as if you have either a bendix problem, which as Penman says, should not be greased or oiled. Wash thoroughly with kerosine or petrol and air blow it completely dry.

It could also be badly worn brushes or a very dirty commutator in the starter. This could reduce the speed of the starter to be insuffucient to throw the bendix into the starter ring. Either way you would need to remove the starter from the car.

If you have a spare starter, then I would try changing over. That way you'lll learn if it is the starter motor or not.

Hope this helps - Keith

[roverdriver]

A test that might help would be to ease the starter motor out as far as possible from its housing and spray a cleansing solvent onto the bendix thread if that is possible. you might be lucky enough for the solvent to wash away sufficient gunge for the pinion to move properly on its thread.

If it works, you know to strip and clean it properly in the future, perhaps next oil change, if it doesn't work, it has cost a bit of time.
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Dane- roverdriver but not a Viking.

[Rick]

All sorted now.

I took the starter off, cleaned it up and tested it on the bench using a spare battery, after making sure the brushes were free etc. It whizzed over in the correct way, so back on it went. Tried the key and diddly squat once more, just a lethargic whirring noise from down below. I connected the spare battery direct to the starter in-situ, and it churned the engine over, albeit slowly.

Turns out the battery in the car was duff after all. With the spare battery fitted in the car, the engine turned over normally and it fired up ok.

As I'd removed the filter anyway to get at the starter, it made sense to treat it to an oil change. Despite being <1000 miles since the last change, I was surprised how old the oil looked - must be all the short runs I tend to do.

RJ
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