Hot starting solved.

Hot starting solved.

Author
Discussion

aide

Original Poster:

2,277 posts

171 months

Saturday 29th April 2017
quotequote all
My car always struggled to start when hot.

Not anymore.

A chance email exchange with Luke at WOSP Performance resulted in him sending me a shim that fits between the starter and bellhousing.



Now my car starts like it should.



Penelope Stopit

11,209 posts

116 months

Saturday 29th April 2017
quotequote all
aide said:
My car always struggled to start when hot.

Not anymore.

A chance email exchange with Luke at WOSP Performance resulted in him sending me a shim that fits between the starter and bellhousing.



Now my car starts like it should.
I feel it is more worthwhile to find the cause of a problem than to adjust something to overcome a problem
There is a very good chance that your car when new didn't have a problem starting when hot, a shim that alters the gap between pinion and flywheel is not the best solution
For your benefit it will be worthwhile to check for wear

ukkid35

6,283 posts

180 months

Sunday 30th April 2017
quotequote all
The cause is most likely a design issue.

Most Cerbs (probably all TVRs with the AP twinplate clutch bellhousing) have shims, it seems some have ended up missing/lost.

The original shims are steel, that looks like Luke has kindly made up one from copper/brass.

Supateg

763 posts

149 months

Sunday 30th April 2017
quotequote all
I made a shim after replacing the original flywheel with a lighter version and suffering starter engagement issues. 1mm shim in aluminium resolved it.


aide

Original Poster:

2,277 posts

171 months

Sunday 30th April 2017
quotequote all
Thanks Paul,

It is steel, just the light in the garage when taking the photo.

It has made such a difference.

Hope others can benefit from knowing about it.




Jhonno

5,911 posts

148 months

Sunday 30th April 2017
quotequote all
There is supposed to be a shim in there.. Many got lost as said. It isn't a work around, it is a return to standard.

The Nige

173 posts

196 months

Sunday 30th April 2017
quotequote all
Can it be that simple? I have had a mare of a time trying to sort out a hot start issue. To be fair Jhonno, as you’ve mentioned on a previous post it could well be that the shim should be there. Do we know what thickness the shim should be or as Supateg has said 1mm should be sufficient?
Thanks
Nigel

aide

Original Poster:

2,277 posts

171 months

Sunday 30th April 2017
quotequote all
New starter. New alternator. New big fuse. Sound battery cables. Optima Red Top.

Stall at the traffic lights... lights off, heaters off, pull satnav charger.. "Please god. fking start!"

Over the local shell garage tannoy, "Could the person in the blue car shut off their engine while filling up"

That was me.

I always thought the higher Red Rose compression caused the hot starting struggle.

So I started to look for an alternative starter. I emailed WOSP and asked if they could fit a better starter and Luke told me that a shim is needed. He didn't have any but had 10 made.

Shim arrived a couple of weeks ago and now my car starts effortlessly when stinking hot. Even with the lights & heaters on.





FarmyardPants

4,170 posts

225 months

Sunday 30th April 2017
quotequote all
What symptoms does the shim fix?

Mine sometimes makes a loud grating sound as the starter spins but it is not engaged with the flywheel. Usually starts on the 3rd or 4th try. On rare occasions I have to push it in gear to move the flywheel teeth.

Or did it just click and not even try?

Gerradi

1,634 posts

127 months

Monday 1st May 2017
quotequote all
Mine used to embarrass me ,usually at petrol station , had to sit there while it cooled. In the end I fitted a relay at the starter & replaces all the starter/battery cables to 35mm Tig weld variety & all was good from there on.

Supateg

763 posts

149 months

Monday 1st May 2017
quotequote all
FarmyardPants said:
What symptoms does the shim fix?

Mine sometimes makes a loud grating sound as the starter spins but it is not engaged with the flywheel. Usually starts on the 3rd or 4th try. On rare occasions I have to push it in gear to move the flywheel teeth.

Or did it just click and not even try?
I didn't have any starting issues until I fitted a different flywheel, then I got the grating sound. After a brief application of grey matter and a search on here I deduced it was a meshing problem. The first shim I made was thin stainless about .5mm, better but still not right. 1mm shim was next and the problem was resolved.

An aluminium shim is best as dissimilar fatigue is avoided. Easy to make, template is the head of the starter. As usual it's the fitting..... maybe best to adhere the shim in place before bolting up.