Starter motor issues

skippy · Post by **skippy** » Tue Aug 02, 16 11:18 pm

Fitted a Petronix to the dart tonight and all was going well with it starting and running until I decided to swap the starter motor for a NOS one I bought off ebay to replace the rattly bag of nails that was the old one. Thats when it all went a bit Pete Tong. The starter will spin now but not engage. I took the new motor off and bench tested it and it works as it should, put it back on and same thing, spins but wont engage. Thought "sod it " and fitted the old one back on that I knew was working ( albeit noisey) and it does exactly the same thing, spins but wont engage. Gave up at 10.30pm. ANY IDEAS ???? Please

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Wed Aug 03, 16 8:04 am

That is strange unlike a Chevy is is usually just a bolt-in. Is the wiring and battery voltage up to the task?

skippy · Post by **skippy** » Wed Aug 03, 16 8:13 am

Need to check all wiring tonight, just annoying as it was working with old one it was just noisey, should have left it alone

GJUK · Post by **GJUK** » Wed Aug 03, 16 8:40 am

...V8 time

skippy · Post by **skippy** » Wed Aug 03, 16 9:24 am

Just a quick question, does anyone know which terminal actually puts power to starter and causes it to throw in, is it the small one ot larger one with lead from starter?

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Wed Aug 03, 16 9:47 am

Big wire is main power supply, small wire it the "actuator" from the starter relay.
I am sure the throw in solenoid is wired internally so as long as you have power and have triggered it the bugger should engage and spin.

skippy · Post by **skippy** » Wed Aug 03, 16 9:59 am

Think it might be trigger wire thats the issue, will replace it tonight, always worrying when its joined with a yellow butt connector. Gonna take the starter off AGAIN tonight to m,ake sure its not locking up, cant see it beinbg a starter issue more the wiring as it does it on both units, even the one that worked 30 minutes before

Post by **MattH** » Wed Aug 03, 16 10:29 am

Sounds like the trigger wire. Have you tried switching the trigger wire directly
from the battery?

skippy · Post by **skippy** » Wed Aug 03, 16 10:32 am

Yeah, well I did put a wire from battery to small terminal with ignition on and it just spun again, which is whats confusing me.

Dave999 · Post by **Dave999** » Wed Aug 03, 16 5:13 pm

do you have 2 trigger wires or one

if you have 2 and you put them the wromng way round

the solenoid pulls the pinion away from the flywheel

it doesn't Bananarama! forward

starter still spins

this is based on an Aussie starter that has the FAT power cable

a brown solenoid trigger
a blue solenoid trigger

although the system works with one of them not connected. getting them the right way round with both connected seemed for some unfathomable reason to have an effect

dave

skippy · Post by **skippy** » Wed Aug 03, 16 5:20 pm

I've got one lead that comes off the main power post that the battery lead goes to and a smaller one from the starter relay. Cant get them wrong way round as the connector on the relay wire is a lot smaller.

skippy · Post by **skippy** » Thu Aug 04, 16 11:41 am

Sorted now, new leads made up and Hi Torque starter fitted. Can highly recommend the Hi Torque I bought, £136 all in from a company in Daventry

MilesnMiles · Post by **MilesnMiles** » Thu Aug 04, 16 5:51 pm

I was going to recommend that starter, but as you'd already got another old one to fit, I didn't. They really are superb. Spin the motor like a new car.