Startor motor S3

[brow]

My starter motor is starting to play up. I have to rock it almost every time.

Took is out yesterday
1. performed all continuity checks for solenoid coil + contacts, motor.
2.Cleaned up all contacts.
3. checked pinion operation


Back in and still the same problem.

Brushes looked OK but should i change them regardless?
Am i overlooking something?

[SteveOS3]

Had a similar problem with mine but more intermitently.

It turned out to be a faulty ignigtion connector on the solenoid. It only became apparent when I wiggled it during reconnection and it began to rotate with the nut.

Ended up buying a new starter off the net. The seller had supplied other 'S' owners and it was £40 cheaper than Ford!

[ketvrin]

SteveOS3 said:

It turned out to be a faulty ignigtion connector on the solenoid. It only became apparent when I wiggled it during reconnection and it began to rotate with the nut.

Mine did exactly the same as Steve's and I got away with it for some time by aralditing the connection/nut in place where the connection was good... replacement is the only sensible option if this has happened to yours too...

K

[SteveOS3]

A former owner or owners had attempted the 'Araldite fix' on my solenoid too, maybe it's a common problem.

[ketvrin]

...Fools seldom differ...

K

[Jaye R]

Had a similar problem with mine - took off the motor and took it to a good friend of mine - who happens to run an auto electric company .

The problem was with a number of 'teeth' missing - had the unit re-conditioned (about £30 if I remember correctly).

Has worked brilliantly ever since.

Worth a try??

[kenpage]

mine too the small wire that goes to the solonoid,, the nut siezes and when you undo it the connection in side breaks its about 2.5mm thick tried to fix mine but no good so i bought another starter and that cured it...i did try to buy a solonoid but just got blank looks

[sphs2]

if this is a common problem why not use a stand alone solenoid say off a mini, bolt it to the chassis, thick wire off the starter to one side of the solenoid, a new length of wire between solenoid and starter, the troublesome wire to the solenoid trigger, job done.

[brow]

Cheers chaps. I will wiggle my little wire and see what happens. Otherwise its a new starter.

[Barkychoc]

sphs2 said:

if this is a common problem why not use a stand alone solenoid say off a mini, bolt it to the chassis, thick wire off the starter to one side of the solenoid, a new length of wire between solenoid and starter, the troublesome wire to the solenoid trigger, job done.

I think you're thinking of an older inertia starter, where the accelerating spin of the motor shaft causes the starter pinion to engage with the ring gear, so all you have to do is power up the motor.

The S starter is a pre engaged type - so the solenoid engages - it first of all electromechanically pushes the pinion via an arm to engage the ring gear - then at the end if its travel it applies the power to the motor - so the soleniod has to be an integral part of the motor.

[clarenceboddiger]

Try checking that the Commutator Segments (Little brass bars that the brushes run on) are not shorting out to each other, if you have the starter off you can grind an old hacksaw blade to a point and use the end tooth on the blade to scrape between the segments and ensure they are not shorting out due to carbon build up from the brushes.

[mep12345]

clarenceboddiger said:

Try checking that the Commutator Segments (Little brass bars that the brushes run on) are not shorting out to each other, if you have the starter off you can grind an old hacksaw blade to a point and use the end tooth on the blade to scrape between the segments and ensure they are not shorting out due to carbon build up from the brushes.

If doing this make sure you are careful and don't damage the Mica (common but could be a different insulator) insulating material between each segment. If you do the only way to repair is to skim and then undercut the segments which reduces the commutator size and is not really an option on a DC motor the size of a starter motor; so you'll be down to a new motor again. (this is the principle applied to any rotating DC machinery and is needed quite often in the large machines used in my work where constant running and cleaning results in wear, ovality etc.

Mark

[Barkychoc]

I think I'd be asking myself the sun is shining, do I want to be farting about with the starter motor or driving the car?
I'd buy a new one and enjoy the sun!