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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Starter problem fixed - but how?

Its a '66 MkII - daily runner
Started and ran ok yesterday but this morning - no go;
classic flat battery symptoms - clicking solenoid but no grunt.
Put it on the charger for about 6 hours and tried again, still no grunt although the solenoid is now trying to hammer itself loose.Rocked it in gear - no change.Put a spanner on the end of the starter shaft and it turned easily and freely. Thinking it might be a solenid problem, I manually pushed the solenoid "button" and blow me( I'm being polite here)
it turned over. Quick run round the block; stopped it, started it no problem.
So, what did I fix? - could the commutator be worn and it was just parked on a dead spot ?
Anyway, I'll be carrying that little spanner with me for the next few days but any illuminating thoughts wold be appreciated.
M J Chapman

After my adventures yesterday its most likely one of 2 issues...

A. next time try hitting the case with a lite hammer and see if the starter works

B. Bad connections...corrosion, Pull the connections, and have a look ,,,,Bad connections can look good on top

try this youtube video from john twist...It was a big help to me yesterday

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG0ZuPiF2XQ

Prop
Prop

Could easily be poor connections. The solenoid rattling is classic flat battery as you say or poor connections on the battery. I would have shorted the 2 connections on the starter solenoid with a heavy screwdriver when things were not working. If it had started then you could have blamed the solenoid but now everything is working fine the problem will be difficult to find.
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

I had a similar problem a few years ago and it was a problem with the starter motor in that if it stopped in a certain position it would n't work, but a slight turn with a spanner and off it would go.
l snowdon

Maybe one of the brushes is sticking in it's guider, I had that recently.
Alex G Matla

The "rattling" solenoid is an indication that you're drawing current through the system and the fact that it did it with a fully charged battery indicates that you most probably have a shorted winding in the starter motor. When you rotated the starter you got the brushes on another segment and it worked ok. Time to get it rebuilt or a new one installed.
Bill Young

Hey Bill,

I wonnder if that may indicate a dirty/oily starter, I know my old lucas perfered being a clean as possiable,,,and hated oil..(which its nots supposed to be oiled ...Intentionally)

prop
Prop

Thanks for all your thoughts on this - AFAIK its the original unit, so can't complain too much !
M J Chapman

Prop, oil on the starter housing or even internally shouldn't harm the operation as long as it's not on the commutator segment area or brushes. Basically oil is a non-conductor, shouldn't short out the unit or cause any breakdown in the insulation either. Some coils are filled with oil to aid the insulation properties. Solenoid chatter is caused from the voltage dropping so low because of either a low battery or excess current load that the coil will not stay engaged, usually around 8 volts or slightly less, then once it drops out the voltage immediately increases because the current path through the starter has been removed and the solinoid can energize again and the process repeats until you either stop trying to start the car or the battery runs down to a point below about 8 volts and the solenoid can't engage any more.
Bill Young

>>>>Prop, oil on the starter housing or even internally shouldn't harm the operation as long as it's not on the commutator segment area or brushes<<<<


"On the commutator segment area or brushes" is where I was asking about (sorry for the confusion)...when you mentioned

>>>>> When you rotated the starter you got the brushes on another segment and it worked ok.<<<<<<<<

As I have found it harder to keep the oil and dirt out of the lucas starter, then keeping it in the engine ....Back when I had an engine with the automatic built in continual oil change modification on the 1275...lol

Prop
Prop

This thread was discussed between 02/12/2009 and 03/12/2009

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