Series 3 Starter options (2.25 petrol)

The starter on my s3's dead. It worked just fine, perfectly reliably, always starting well. Then it went clunk, and didn't do anything any more... There's a solenoid click, the dash lights go dim, and that's all... Fortunately, it push-starter easily. On my own. When I remembered to turn the ignition on... Yes, I've got a handle. It didn't want to start off that.

I've just removed it, and the bendix is sliding freely (a little bit of hanging-up at the spring end, but nothing serious). But the motor itself WILL NOT TURN. I've put jumps on it, and just got a big spark and a scalextric smell.

So... options.

1. Take this apart, rebuild it, and get it working again. Might be free, might be a nightmare of pingf'its and an exchange surcharge...
2. Replace it with a similar old-school motor. Looks to be about £90 from the bay, requiring the old one as exchange.
3. Replace it with a Powerlite-style modern motor. This isn't a daily-use bus, and I actually quite like the old-school wurr-wurr-wurr. £180+.

So... what think you lot? My track record on dismantling starters etc is not great. It might be a quick and simple, it might be a stop-gap and leave me stuck somewhere inconvenient.

What think you? Anybody tried the powerlites? Anybody got a better source for an old-school?

Well, I braved it... It's been apart. And I have a definite diagnosis.

It's dead.

Seriously, the nose bearing/bush has damn near seized. With the casing/magnets/brush-end removed, I can rotate the armature in the nose casing. Mostly. Sometimes it goes tight. When it turns, there's definite tight spots. With everything back together, nothing's rotating. Oh, and to top it all, there's a couple of small cracks in the nose casing, coming down from the end of the bush.

So. Starter replacement it is.

I was going to suggest it sounded dead, windings burnt out and knackered. John Craddock do exchange for cheaper than 90 quid with part refund. Refurbished units are great, can't see the point in spending double that just to start the engine.

John S said:

I was going to suggest it sounded dead, windings burnt out and knackered. John Craddock do exchange for cheaper than 90 quid with part refund. Refurbished units are great, can't see the point in spending double that just to start the engine.

Click to expand...

Looks like just over £90+vat. Not sure if the surcharge is included in that or not, though.

In the end, I've gone for one from a rebuilder on the 'bay - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/262492458254 - £108 outright, delivered, so a couple of quid cheaper than that Craddock one, and I'll have a figure out what to do with the original. Craddock seem to list all the bits, so I might give it a crack myself. Or I might just leave it lying in the shed for years... Should arrive today.