Now i REALLY need help!!
Discussion
So the day got off to a shizzle start. Tatton park classic car show - I went to fill the car up then it wouldn't start.
Suspected the starter motor but once bits of the engine had been dismantled to gain access, it looked to be a loose +ve. Due to lack of space and an hour trying to tighten in situ, I resorted to alternative means... this is where my weekend got worse!
I have never taken a starter apart so a little inexperienced in this area. I took the solenoid off, great until the actuating lever dropped and I you cant seem to hold it in place and offer up the solenoid, im guessing you need to disassemble the starter to sort this.
Managed to get one of the starter bolts out, the other has stripped AGHHHH.
So Im fresh out of ideas and really need some top tips of you guys. I really don't want to remove the gearbox and bellhousing.
AJP 4.2
Suspected the starter motor but once bits of the engine had been dismantled to gain access, it looked to be a loose +ve. Due to lack of space and an hour trying to tighten in situ, I resorted to alternative means... this is where my weekend got worse!
I have never taken a starter apart so a little inexperienced in this area. I took the solenoid off, great until the actuating lever dropped and I you cant seem to hold it in place and offer up the solenoid, im guessing you need to disassemble the starter to sort this.
Managed to get one of the starter bolts out, the other has stripped AGHHHH.
So Im fresh out of ideas and really need some top tips of you guys. I really don't want to remove the gearbox and bellhousing.
AJP 4.2
But one of these to remove the cap head bolt:
Ref the lever in the starter, it is located against the housing when you insert the spring - the lower 'lip' of the spring fits into the groove of the lever. The trick bit is then getting the two spring pins to locate into the solenoid body as you refit the solenoid. I can't see you managing this until you get the starter off the bell housing.
Ref the lever in the starter, it is located against the housing when you insert the spring - the lower 'lip' of the spring fits into the groove of the lever. The trick bit is then getting the two spring pins to locate into the solenoid body as you refit the solenoid. I can't see you managing this until you get the starter off the bell housing.
This is great, I didn't even know these existed.
Thanks.
Im hoping a new day tomorrow will bring back my enthusiasm. This has been one of a long list of issues, I thought id seen the last of them but then this is a TVR.
There are some great engineering achievements in a TVR, shame that they are diluted by shocking build quality and just bad build practices.
Thanks.
Im hoping a new day tomorrow will bring back my enthusiasm. This has been one of a long list of issues, I thought id seen the last of them but then this is a TVR.
There are some great engineering achievements in a TVR, shame that they are diluted by shocking build quality and just bad build practices.
C3BER said:
Always buy a Tuesday or a Wednesday built car because by Friday anything went. 
Funny enough that's also said about the NHS. I think every member of this forum. Even as far to say every TVR owner since owning there cars has been on a mission on upgrading and improving the basic TVR engineering.
As said you won't get the solenoid back on without removing the starter.
Reminds me of old school LOTUS enginering, the Elan I had, to do any work on the dashboard, essentially a plank of wood you had to start by taking the rear seats/ parcel shelf out, Lunacy but gave the old girl some character, have to say though the Cerb similar as it is a little more user friendly, though to sort out my windscreen washer problems I did have to start by jacking the car up and removing the front offside wheel, which is just as crazy, my philosophy is if it has to come off for access or repair so be it, don't rush or stress that your dismantling the car to sort an issue, odds are, when you put it all back preserved, mantained/renewed, you won't have to go back there again, and if you do, well you know how to do it and the nuts, bolts, weird headed wotsits (friday-monday)fittings, will all come off easily, use a lot of coppercrest grease, I do like that stuff, all the best,
Karl
Karl
Thanks chaps. This is the first time I have had that feeling where I thought it was stalemate, not a nice feeling. Went to a factors today and bought some bolt removal sockets and they worked perfectly, thanks for letting me know about these!!!!!
So starter off and ive rigged it to an old battery (still reading 12.5v) and the solenoid fired perfectly every time. I was however expecting the gear to spin, it didn't. I removed the two gears, I think this is the clutch assembly and I could (with a bit of effort) turn it by hand. Would this have been what was making the squealing noise during starting? I think ive seen a thread where you can buy replacements.
Like you say, sometimes you just need to dive in.
So starter off and ive rigged it to an old battery (still reading 12.5v) and the solenoid fired perfectly every time. I was however expecting the gear to spin, it didn't. I removed the two gears, I think this is the clutch assembly and I could (with a bit of effort) turn it by hand. Would this have been what was making the squealing noise during starting? I think ive seen a thread where you can buy replacements.
Like you say, sometimes you just need to dive in.
antwan said:
Thanks chaps. This is the first time I have had that feeling where I thought it was stalemate, not a nice feeling. Went to a factors today and bought some bolt removal sockets and they worked perfectly, thanks for letting me know about these!!!!!
No problem, thats what the forums are there for!I've just done a starter rebuild last week. These are the parts you need:
http://www.ccw-tools.com/product.asp?strPageHistor...
http://www.ccw-tools.com/product.asp?strPageHistor...
£110 all in. I, out of curiosity more than anything else, decided to remove the rotor from the armature, in order to clean it. However beware - if you lift it out then the dc brushes pop off the commutator and in order to get them back on again you need to strip all of the starter down. I probably would advise against it, unless you already have!
The clutch pack simply bolts in place, don't forget to grease up the internal side of the gears. You need to re-use the old solenoid spring as the one you'll get from CCW isn't right (I have emailed them to let them know). Make sure you re-insert the lever the right way around, with the groove facing back towards the solenoid. Then, insert the spring in order to locate into the groove and hold the lever in place. Then, re-attach the solenoid. If you use the spacer first, to align the two spring pins, it makes this easier. You'll need to slip the plunger over the lever at some point too before the spring goes in! If you get this right, the starter shouldn't 'rattle' if you shake it - the first time I had a go it was rattling and so I had another go and got it right the second time. Don't forget to test the starter off the car before you refit it.
It's well worth it, I was amazed how fast the starter now fires the engine up, although the new battery probably helps a bit! Good luck with it.
Sorry me again...
I have got the parts today through the post from CCW but the solenoid and its 'plunger' are different dimensions. Diameter of the solenoid is OK. Plunger of the new unit has a shallower recess for the spring and a much longer nose so I cant see it working.
Am I missing something??
The spring on the front of the unit needs to be swapped with the old one to locate correctly with the groove in the actuating lever but they why supply a spring which doesn't work?
I have got the parts today through the post from CCW but the solenoid and its 'plunger' are different dimensions. Diameter of the solenoid is OK. Plunger of the new unit has a shallower recess for the spring and a much longer nose so I cant see it working.
Am I missing something??
The spring on the front of the unit needs to be swapped with the old one to locate correctly with the groove in the actuating lever but they why supply a spring which doesn't work?
possibly. It looks like other images and the starter diameter is 90mm as opposed to 79mm for the Hitachi unit (info from CCW).
Did you notice a difference in the dims of the plunger?
Does it need the spring if it doesn't fit? I have tested off the car and it works exactly the same as the original as there is a spring in the clutch mechanism which retracts the gear, and of course there is the retaining spring on the actuating lever
Did you notice a difference in the dims of the plunger?
Does it need the spring if it doesn't fit? I have tested off the car and it works exactly the same as the original as there is a spring in the clutch mechanism which retracts the gear, and of course there is the retaining spring on the actuating lever
The clutch assembly is a direct replacement for the old one - straight swap.
Ref the solenoid, the plunger dimensions of the new one are irrelevant as it all works together as a new unit. All it does it apply force on the end of the lever when the starter circuit is activated.
You need to refit the old spring, as the 'lever point' is different, i.e. the part of the spring that locates in the groove of the lever bar. Make sure you locate the spring pins into the correct holes on the solenoid - they should be exactly symetrical and the spring needs to be pinched a bit in orde to fit. If you stretch the pin to fit the wider holes the spring won't fit into the housing. Just have a play around - you'll know when you get it right. Make sure it doesn't rattle, if you shake it about there should be nothing 'loose' inside.
Ref the solenoid, the plunger dimensions of the new one are irrelevant as it all works together as a new unit. All it does it apply force on the end of the lever when the starter circuit is activated.
You need to refit the old spring, as the 'lever point' is different, i.e. the part of the spring that locates in the groove of the lever bar. Make sure you locate the spring pins into the correct holes on the solenoid - they should be exactly symetrical and the spring needs to be pinched a bit in orde to fit. If you stretch the pin to fit the wider holes the spring won't fit into the housing. Just have a play around - you'll know when you get it right. Make sure it doesn't rattle, if you shake it about there should be nothing 'loose' inside.
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