TD5 Starter motor jamming after cylinder head gasget change please help

I have recently had to replace the head gasget on my TD5 defender. When I tried to start the engine for the first time it turned over a few times and then the starter motor jammed and just clicked away. I have not removed the starter motor during the cylinder head gasget change and have not had any problems with the starter motor before. The engine turns over by hand on the crank pulley as expected through the whole cycle of the 5 cylinders. The battery is fully charged. when I un-jam the the starter motor and try and start again it jams imediately. Any idea's please help!!

Make sure your main engine earth is good. When you say un-jam the starter what exactly are you doing with it? Next time it jams can you turn the engine by hand? Pull the starter and give it a good service. Have a look at the solenoid contacts and give them a polish. Replacement ones are about a tenner on eBay so well worth doing.

Thanks slim Jim,
When the starter jams I can not turn the engine over by hand as it is jammed
To free the starter I turn the engine on the crank pulley to free it. it only needs a slight movement for it to disengauge. I will check the earth strap as I have been using sum de-greasing solvent so that may be effecting the earth conection.

Cheers Les

Sorry Shifty for getting your name wrong I am new to this forum stuff
Cheers Les

If it is a mechanical jam then it wont be an earth problem. I'd pull the starter and make sure its in good order before you chew the teeth off the flywheel. Are you sure the engine turns over a complete cycle by hand? You need to turn it over at least three complete rotations to make sure.

Hi Shifty,

I have turned the engine over many more turns than 3. What I don't understand is the engine did turn over at least three times on the first attempt on the key. I think it didn't start as the fuel was still comming through. Then on the second attempt the starter jammed and now keeps jamming on every attempt. I have not had any problems with the starter before, so why now?

cos its knackered,they can go at anytime

Can you borrow another starter to rule that out?

Is the starter drive pinion gear damaged?

Hydraulic lock? Take out the glow plugs and see if she will turn over on the starter. You may have a leaking injector.

I'm running out of ideas fast.

Hi Shifty and Johnlad,

I got the starter out today, and tested it on the floor with jump leads, You were right Shifty the starter was only throwing the solanoid in and out e.g. the clicking noise.

The starter drive gear will not spin. I think I may have tightend up the two long thin bolts that run down the outside of the motor from the back to the front of the startet to hold it all together. (just bought the landi and was going over the engine after the cylinder head change)

I loosened off the bolts and it would spin more easily by hand but would not work via the jump leads. I think I need a new one or to try and get it repaired somwhere.

Cheers Les

Sounds like the copper solenoid contacts have had their day. £10 on eBay and ten minutes to fix. If the solenoid is clicking but the motor is not turning then that is the classic symptoms. Take the cover off the solenoid contacts and have a look. Sometimes you can clean them up with emery cloth and get another six months or so out of them.

Thanks Shifty,

I will get some new contacts. Many thanks for your help I will let you know how I get on.
Cheers Les

Hi Shifty, I thought I would drop you a line to let you know what the problem was in the end. It was me! I think it went something like this I had let the battery run down to such a point that it would turn the engine over, but very slowly I then removed all the wiring to clean the contacts up on the starter and the earth strap and tucked the wires up out of the way whilst I cleaned up an oil leak. I then fully charged the battery and only pulled down one of the large thick cables instead of two and therefore only connected one cable to the main starter motor contact rather than both of them to the same contact point. I also connected the solanoid trigger wire. I only found my mistake when looking at the RAVE diagram. so I now have a spare starter motor oh hum!
But many thanks again for you help Les.

Hi Shifty I have another question for you, the landi is only producing about 70 MPH top speed I am sure that I have set the the valve lift settings correctly but I beleive that there is some adjustment on the pully on the end of the cam shaft, if so how do I adjust it and test it.
Regards Les

There should be no adjustment on the cam shaft pulley that I know of on the TD5. Are you sure you got the chain back on properly and not a tooth out? The valves are on hydraulic adjusters so should need no setting. Its the injectors that have adjustable tappets and they should be carefully adjusted fully tight with a screwdriver until they bottom out and then backed off 1 complete turn and locked off with the locknut at max lift per injector lobe.

Hi Shifty
When you look at the front of the cam shaft pully, it is held onto the cam shaft by two bolts that go through two elongated holes in the pully allowing for a approx 5 degree movement I set this in the middle. I wonder if this should be rotated hard to the left or right as you look at it from the fornt of the engine.
Also when I replaced the head gasget I did not remove the chain from the cam shaft pully I wired it in place so that it would not move and I also secured the flywheel so that it could not move with the special tool so I dont think a tooth could have moved.
Regards Les

Les.

Camshaft sprocket is held to the camshaft by THREE loctited bolts and I've never seen any adjustment unless your holes have worn or been deliberately elongated.
Timing mark on camshaft sprocket should be between the two coloured timing chain links with the camshaft locked in place using the special LR tool and the crankshaft locked at true TDC.

Hope that helps.

Thanks Shifty I will check every thing again. Incidently I have also fitted a large intercooler from Alisport would that have anything to do with the loss of top speed?
I cant see how I thought the performance would be slightly improved?
Regards Les

Les Dean said:

Thanks Shifty I will check every thing again. Incidently I have also fitted a large intercooler from Alisport would that have anything to do with the loss of top speed?
I cant see how I thought the performance would be slightly improved?
Regards Les

Click to expand...

I cant really see your chain timing being out if you can pull 70mph and there are no horrible noises coming from the engine. I'd be a bit concerned regarding the elongated camshaft pulley holes as I guess this would have an effect on mechanical timing.

Is the intercooler leaking? Checked your turbo hoses for delamination or leaks? Turbo wastegate free and not stuck open? Turbo boosting?

Shifty1962 said:

I cant really see your chain timing being out if you can pull 70mph and there are no horrible noises coming from the engine. I'd be a bit concerned regarding the elongated camshaft pulley holes as I guess this would have an effect on mechanical timing.

Is the intercooler leaking? Checked your turbo hoses for delamination or leaks? Turbo wastegate free and not stuck open? Turbo boosting?

Click to expand...

mine also has elongated holes on cam shaft ill grab a pic