Testing a starter motor

[Erich Stahler]

I have an old starter motor for a Ford Essex V6 that I want to run on the bench from a car battery, I can get the flywheel dog to extend, but I cant get the motor to then spin? it seems to have two heavy earth terminals and two small live terminals, i'm wondering if its a two stage thing where an extra current needs to be applied once the coil is energised?

[T1pper]

Any chance of adding a pic so we can see what were dealing with?

[jimbob82]

T1pper said:

Any chance of adding a pic so we can see what were dealing with?

+1 need to know if it's inertia or pre-engaged

[Erich Stahler]

There you go....

[tvrolet]

The big terminal is live feed for the starter motor itself. This will be connected through the solenoid to the braided cable out the other side of the solenoid when the solenoid switches. The smaller connection is live feed to switch the solenoid - so you need 2 live wires - a big thcbk battery cable stylee one to the big terminal, and a light one to the solenoid. The earth is through the body.

If you just want to get the motor spinning you can touch live directly on the braided cable to bi-pass the solenoid.

Edited - looking at the pic maybe its not a braided cable from the solenoid to the motor but a metal strip? Whatever. That's what delivers power to the actual motor switched through the solenoid.

Edited by tvrolet on Wednesday 27th March 21:50

[Sardonicus]

tvrolet said:

The big terminal is live feed for the starter motor itself. This will be connected through the solenoid to the braided cable out the other side of the solenoid when the solenoid switches. The smaller connection is live feed to switch the solenoid - so you need 2 live wires - a big thcbk battery cable stylee one to the big terminal, and a light one to the solenoid. The earth is through the body.

If you just want to get the motor spinning you can touch live directly on the braided cable to bi-pass the solenoid.

Edited - looking at the pic maybe its not a braided cable from the solenoid to the motor but a metal strip? Whatever. That's what delivers power to the actual motor switched through the solenoid.

Edited by tvrolet on Wednesday 27th March 21:50

< This The other small terminal sends a 12v+ straight to the coil thus bypassing the ballast wire Ford commonly used back then during cranking

[pist0n]

tvrolet said:

If you just want to get the motor spinning you can touch live directly on the braided cable to bi-pass the solenoid.

Edited by tvrolet on Wednesday 27th March 21:50

There can be an electrical arcing when you doing this. So you need some precautions when do this.

[Erich Stahler]

Got it working now, thanks guys!