Anyone try to rebuild a Lucas remote solenoid?

[Sea Ranch]

Car: February 1970 Plus 2S.

I have the original Lucas inertial starter with remote push-button-equipped solenoid. Solenoid has now gone bad; presumably the contacts are not "making". I'd love to open it up and clean the contacts, etc. But it is a crimp-together assembly and the workshop manual says it can't be repaired.

Anyone attempt to open theirs and repair????

Randy

[RichC]

I'd like to know too!
I thought problems were with ignition switch which has been totally overhauled & still I get the odd time when nothing happens on the ignition key when turning to the starter position . doing it several times can sometimes work but best way is to pop bonnet & put spanner across contacts on top of solenoid.
Maybe squirt loads of switch cleaner up past rubber auto button , would any reach the contacts I wonder ?
Randy, have you tried that? as you have yours off maybe you can see if there is wriggle room for switch cleaner to get inside?
RichC

[Sea Ranch]

Rich, I will certainly try that.

I do, however, encourage you to use the push button on the bottom of the solenoid for starting, instead of a spanner across the terminals!! This might not confirm whether the ignition switch is sending sufficient to the solenoid, but it's definitely more conveniet, safe (and saves on spanners).

I'll keep you posted!

Any other thoughts? Attempts to open these things up??

[Sea Ranch]

There appears to be lots of room for contact cleaner to be sprayed in around the button on bottom (hence the rubber cover over it to keep out water).

Have not yet done the spraying and testing . . . but have confirmed with my local vintage auto electric rebuilder that they've never attempted to open up and repair these solenoids (too bad).

So I will spray, re-install and if still bad, live with starting from under the bonnet till I can order up a replacement (or preferably find an off-cast/used unit).

Randy

[robertverhey]

Then again, why bother?

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Push-button- ... 4aabab7dbb

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/FORD-CORTINA ... 20ba4853b3

http://www.rdent.com/ (elan parts, towards the bottom)

[Sea Ranch]

Thanks, Robert, for the research and listings; much appreciated.

I had not called Ray at RDEnt. but am planning an order from him

I had thought I might get my original part open, cleaned and re-installed in short order, perhaps with a tip from someone, but that does not appear to be practical.

FWIW, I did douse my solenoid with contact cleaner and it did nothing to improve performance. Still operates fine in "manual" mode (with push button), but no contact when hit with ignition switch. I will test with separate supply to relay side before I order a new one, just to make sure it's not my ignition switch failing to deliver sufficient current/voltage.

Onward and upward . . .

[bob_rich]

Hi Randy

If you can start the car OK with the push button then the main contacts are probably not too bad. common problem is that the 1.4" fast on connectors are held by rivits. Sometime these corrode that the current cannot get from the 1/4" fast on to the rivet and thsu the coil does not get its current. a good clean up and maybe and soldering the rivit head to the terminal sometimes works.

It they can be got new fairly easily then probably not necessary to mend but I always like 2 open up such things 2 C if they can be mended, better than chucking it 4 scrap.

hope this helps best of luck

Bob

[billwill]

Always interesting to open things up to see how they work, even if you can't put it back together again.



"All the King's horses and all the King's men .............."

[billwill]

A short three inch jumper wire from the large spade terminal to the small solenoid activation terminal will bypass the ignition key and tell you whether the problem is in your ignition wiring or earthing.

In our fibre-glass cars it is also very important to check that the body of the solenoid has been earthed properly.

A faulty earth to the solenoid would produce your symptoms.

[Sea Ranch]

common problem is that the 1/4" fast on connectors are held by rivits. Sometime these corrode that the current cannot get from the 1/4" fast on to the rivet and thsu the coil does not get its current. a good clean up and maybe and soldering the rivit head to the terminal sometimes works.

It they can be got new fairly easily then probably not necessary to mend but I always like 2 open up such things 2 C if they can be mended, better than chucking it 4 scrap.

Bob

Thanks for the tip and encouragement, Bob. I will check out conductivity on these.

And I, too, like to pull things apart even when I don't think I can get them back together. Learn something before I junk the piece!!

[Sea Ranch]

A short three inch jumper wire from the large spade terminal to the small solenoid activation terminal will bypass the ignition key and tell you whether the problem is in your ignition wiring or earthing.

In our fibre-glass cars it is also very important to check that the body of the solenoid has been earthed properly.

A faulty earth to the solenoid would produce your symptoms.

Yeah, another good tip! I might be slow but I'm not fast. I was thinking about bypassing the ignition switch and wondering where I might source the 12V . . . when of course the source is right there

Thanks, Bill. I will definitely do this before replacement. Hate to put a new shiny solenoid in when it's my ground or my ignition switch wiring, grounds, etc.

Randy

[Jason1]

Hi

This subject came up awhile ago and I posted this: http://www.minispares.com/Product.aspx?ty=pb&pid=42337

?16.80 inc VAT

Jason

[Sea Ranch]

Thanks, Jason; lowest price I've seen yet!!

[Jason1]

Thanks, Jason; lowest price I've seen yet!!

Yes, I had one of the regular used parts men (I will not name him) try to convince me to buy his second hand one for over ?20 at Stoneleigh a few years ago. I told him you can get them brand new from Minispares but as he is well know for his arrogance he told me I was talking rubbish. There are some funny people out there

[billwill]

I think I might buy one of those because long ago one of the firms that refurbed my car replaced the original with one without the push button.

As mentioned above one only needs a 3 inch bit of wire instead, but having the button is more convenient.