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MG TD TF 1500 - Starter Question

I haved been turning over my rebuilt engine every once in awhile using the crank to pump oil through it while I carry on with the resotration work. I decided today to use the starter to do this and it does not engage the flywheel. It spins over just fine and the pinion seems to travel far enough to engage the teeth on the flywheel but doesn't. The workshop manual specifies a Model M35G starter, Service No. 25022. My starter is a Model M35G, Service NO. 25079J or 0. Not sure what the last digit is - J or 0 (zero). It also has what looks to be a date - 3.68. My car is a 54TF. Does anyone know if there is a difference in starters with these two different Service numbers? I was wondering if the pinion teeth diameter could be greater on the one specified in the manuel. This has really got me talking to myself! Any info or insight greatly appreciated....

John
J Ostergren

Hi John, it might be as simple as the bendix mechanism gummed up through lack of use. Remove the starter and check this out before you do anything expensive.

Cheers,

Paul.
Paul van Gool

Hi Paul, have had the starter out a number of times. It is clean as could be. The pinion slides freely on the screwed sleeve and seems to travel as far as it can go when I put power to the starter but it does not engage the flywheel, it just continues its high rev spin. This has really got me puzzled!

John
J Ostergren

It may sound strange but check the rotation of the starter. I had one rewound many years ago for a marine engine and they had it reversed. They rewound it and then it worked.
Some marine applications with twin inboards have opposite rotation hence the different starters.
Sandy
SANDY SANDERS

Sandy, I wondered that myself but the fact that the pinion travels down the screwed sleeve toward the flywheel tells me its the right rotation. Either way I would think it would mesh with the flywheel. Might be wrong about this...

If the '3.68' is the date of manufacture then this would be a starter for a later MG, probably a 'B'.

The bearing bush ( 'R' page N.10 workshop manual) protrudes out from the body of the starter 5/16". This is what the pinion hits to stop it travel down the screw to the flywheel. Does anyone have a starter for a T type they can look at to see how far this bush sticks out from the body. Or does anyone know if a starter for a B type can be used in a T type.

John

J Ostergren

John,

I googled your numbers and the 25079J is used in a TR6. Not sure if it will work on the XPAG.

http://www.vitessesteve.co.uk/PDF/ST%20Lucas%201969.pdf
Gene Gillam

John,
I don't know if a "B" starter will work, but I have been using an MG midget starter for years,,, it works just fine... and it is a lot less expensive!!!


SPW
Steve Wincze

Gene, interesting find. Not sure how you found that site but when you get there and use google it does show the model and service # I have as one of three starters for the TR6. Thanks for taking the time to do that.

Steve, thanks for that info. I must be missing something very basic with this starter. I have determined that the pioion does mesh with the flywheel as I can turn the engine over when turning the starter by hand. If I leave the pioion meshed into the flywheel and apply power to the started it just revs up as if the pinion where not meshed. This is really starting to hurt my head!!

John
J Ostergren

John,

Your last comment confused me...if you engage the pinion manually with the flywheel, then apply power to the starter it just revs up as if the pinion wasn't meshed.

Do you mean that the starter motor itself spins but the pinion just sits there? Or does the pinion move away from the flywheel when the starter motor is powered up?

Where is the pinion gear in the normal 'off' position, i.e., when the engine is off? Is it to the back of the bellhousing or meshed in the flywheel?

Gene Gillam

If the pinion is engaged with the flywheel and the starter motor spins, either the cross-shaped thing or the spiral sleeve inside the drive is stripped.
George Butz

This thread was discussed between 21/08/2009 and 22/08/2009

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