Series 2 Starter Motor

Hi!

I'm trying to get my 1962 Series 2a started, no key and wire looming partially removed, the engine turns over by hand, so not seized. I took off the starter motor and connected directly to the battery, it spins! Refitted it and connected directly to battery but just sparks. I've tried removing the spark plugs to reduce resistance, still no luck! Any ideas what to try!?

Thanks so much in advance!

Sounds like a short somewhere?

Thanks @Rubins4 : is there anyway to test for this?

You could remove the cable connected to the starter, then connect a jump lead from the battery to the starter terminal. This bypasses the solenoid and original wiring. Carefull though, there's not a lot of room around the starter terminal.

Col

I did as col suggested recently with mine to test the engine without any loom in place. The only sparks I had were on contact with the jump lead onto the + battery terminal.

Can you describe where you are getting sparks from?

Hi there, this is exactly what I've been trying to do with no luck! I connect positive from battery to starter terminal then go to connect negative from battery to starter, when I touch the starter there's just a bunch of sparks, it doesn't engage, click or move. However as I said I've removed the starter and tested when out and it works. Maybe starter is on the way out and not strong enough to turn when connected to engine?

Thanks!

You need one side of battery to earth and other to starter motor terminal , your description sounds like your directly short circuiting the battery.

Hi @Blackburn : I've connected the positive to starter terminal and tried earthing the neg to lots of different points on the engine bay with the same result

Is it a pre-engaged starter or one with the solenoid on the bulkhead?

rob1miles said:

Is it a pre-engaged starter or one with the solenoid on the bulkhead?

Click to expand...

Solenoid is located on the bulkhead, any thoughts?

From memory there is a cover over the brushes can you remove this and check the length of the brushes and how clean the commutaor segments are.

For that vintage (1962) the wiring was originally +tve earth - might be worth mentioning

If it isn't a wiring thing it might be worth measuring the battery voltage to see if it has enough juice to turn the crank (no load vs load situation)

A write up attached detailing strip down and overhaul.
Downloaded from the net pdf format so safe.

Bear in mind it needs a 100-200 amps when it first kicks over so holding the leads is just like arc welding. You need to bolt up the connections and trigger the solenoid so you have control. If the starter has had it you wouldn't get a lot of sparks, it would just not turn, but it that's it them just buy a new brush gear / holder complete as the brush holders wear out with the brushes. The starter resistance is probably 1/4 ohm or less until it turns so it will feel like a short when you touch the wires. You want a good 1/4 " sq contact (as in the solenoid) or the wire will just burn up in an instant. I made this mistake on the bench and just missed landing a Lucas 4" started on my foot when I jumped, wrongly assumed because it was not cranking the engine it would draw less current, true once its spinning but in that first millisecond its just like a dead short.