starter motor won't stop !!!!

[Farmer]

starter motor won't stop !!!!

I have a problem baffling me at the moment my long winded Formula 27 project (15 years and counting!) is now nearing completion, my engine has been stood idle since rebuild some 10 years ago , when I hooked up the starter it didn't work even though power was reaching it , so I whipped off the solenoid and it was seized up . i cleaned it up and freed it of and it seems to work fine now and throws the starter into mesh and the starter cranks over fine ....but the only way to stop it then is to cut the battery switch .

I'm no expert on starters so any advice would be apreciated the system is a bit of a mongrel in that I have a early 80's Fiat TC 1600 with a bosch starter and an early 80's Escort mk2 wiring loom using a Sierra column and ignition switch (bypassed with a starter button ) when the power is cut by releasing the button the solenoid wire still carries a small voltage for some reason, is this stopping the solenoid from springing back and cutting the power ? if so how do I stop it the power seems to leak through the closed push button switch . Incidentaly I've tried reverting to the key start and it still suffers the same run on .

Is the starter at fault ? or am I missing something fundamental

thanks

[Cider Andy]

Pull the solenoid wire off. If it stops the fault is in this circuit (battery -> starter switch -> solenoid). If it doesn't the fault is in the starter motor or mechanical side of the solenoid.

[Farmer]

Hi

thanks for that. Yes I posted the question on the locost builder forum and we came to the same conclusion, must be the starter itself, it doesn't seem to have any return spring action on the yolk mechanism so I'll whip the whole shebang off and have a butchers .

cheers
Ian