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MG MGB Technical - Starting Trouble

Has anyone come across this one? On a newly installed recon engine, when the starter is activated and the engine is cranking after a couple of normal cranks there is a grating noise possibly from the back of the engine and the whole car shakes. Also the engine appears to jam for a brief moment and then it starts. Once started to problem goes away. It points to the starter motor but it too is a new exchange unit and having taken it off and inspected it it looks okay visually and the gear moves in and out freely. On inspecting the fly wheel gears all appears well there too. Any help would be appreciated. The car is an mgb roadster circa 1975.
Andy

Loose flywheel or flywheel rim?
Luis

I've had that happen when the timing was too far advanced, the engine bucks against the starter.
George B.

Thanks for that. The flywheel appears ok but I will check further. I only roughly set the timing, it has electronic ignition so it is not so easy to set statically. I'll have another go. What I should have added was that the problem only appears when the HT is connected. The starter will happily turn without problem when the HT is not connected.
Andy

Many thanks George the timing was the cause.
Andy

This thread was discussed between 23/09/2002 and 24/09/2002

MG MGB Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGB Technical BBS is active now.