STRANDED?

[chicagojeff]

Well, I drove to work today. Parked the car., Came out, and CLICK. No turning over. A single click makes me think the starter motor is gone. Any suggestions other than push-starting it? Once they are this gone (if that is even what it is) does cleaning the contacts or hitting it promise any possibility? Also, anyone have a favorite brand of super starter?
thanks, jeff

[steveww]

Could be a flat battery. It has just enough power to fire the solenoid but not enough to crank the engine.

[chicagojeff]

nope, i dont think it's the battery (though that crossed my mind). the lights seem fine.

I should add that it fired up immediately this morning. I drove it for 45 minutes on the highway, and then parked it. Then it didnt start, pretty much 2 minutes after I parked it. In the past, I've noticed that the car turns over after a brief run, but sometimes wouldn't catch for a minute or so, almost as if it were flooded. This time, it just doesn't do anything. Definitely electrical...

[types26/36]

nope, i dont think it's the battery (though that crossed my mind). the lights seem fine.
This time, it just doesn't do anything. Definitely electrical...

Make sure the earth (ground) cable (engine to chassis) is clean and tight, it is usually on the exhaust side engine mounting.
Also check the small earth (ground) cable that is on the solinoid mounting (it grounds the solinoid)
Brian

[chicagojeff]

I'll check those grounds and report back. thanks.
I guess I'll be push starting it out of the parking garage later today!

[types26/36]

To test if the starter is O.K. bridge the two thick terminals on the solinoid, if the starter turns then the problem is not in the starter.....could be ign switch/solinoid/grounds/battery etc.
Brian

[Petter Hval]

Had the same problem last year and found a bad earth connection
under the car. The negativ battery wire is connected to the frame with
a bolt through the bottom of the boot on my S4. Had to take out thebolt
and clean up the connection point on the frame. I have to admit that I tried a new starter before checking this connection point

Petter

[type26owner]

Try wiggling the battery cable clamps on the posts of the battery first. It's probably just a bad connection.

[reb53]

As mentioned the ground/earth at the back of the chassis is a good place to start. The problem here is that the earthing bolt goes through the chassis, through a threaded bobbin and then protrudes through the boot floor with enough spare threads to enable the earth cable to be bolted on.The problem with this is that the bolt head can be clear/proud of the chassis underneath and you can be tightening up the nut on top and it never pulls the bolt up tight because the threaded bobbin prevents it happening. I guess you could drill the bobbin out so the bolt just slides through. On mine I gave the bolt head a quick zap with a welder. I know.....oil, fibreglass, fuel tank close by = bomb, but I was young and stupid! ( now just old and stupid).
Over the 30 years I've had my 71 Sprint I think I've had every starting problem possible. Until the generator/RB340 Control box combo was replaced with an alternator and all problems annihalated most problems were due to,
1. Dying, but not completely dead battery. Lights can still be bright because they don't draw anything like the current a starter motor does.
2. Control box playing up. The last one I had before switching to an alt. was made in India ( under license to Lucas ), and lasted about a year.
3. Generator not charging well enough. Don't think the fanbelt might be slipping and over-tighten or you will chop the water pump out in no time. Doing this has given rise to a whole new industry in replacement pumps when the original will easily last over 100,000 miles if properly adjusted, as mine has.
Best bet..........dying battery.
Better bet.......if you haven't already, ditch the generator.

Good luck
Ralph/New Zealand

[rgwitherell]

Don't overlook the solenoid. After cleaning and tightening all the connections I was still measuring only about 8 or 9 volts at the starter terminals when cranking. I found the whole drop was accross the contacts in the new Lucas solenoid. With a Ford solenoid there was almost no drop and starter performance was much improved.

[chicagojeff]

got a friend to push start it in second gear. now the starter "works" again, but it does make that horrible grinding noise before the crank catches. Is that sound telling me that it is chewing up the starter gear and I should replace it anyway?

Also, I think I mentioned that the car sometimes doesnt want to crank over after the engine is warm...almost like a flooding syndrome but the car isnt flooded. Takes a few tries that are never needed when the car is cold. Thoughts?

thanks to all for helping me get home.
Jeff

[gjz30075]

Sounds like maybe your starter bendix got jammed the first time. Push starting it popped it back. Teeth may be chewed up on either the flywheel and/or starter. If the starter bolts start to come loose (not uncommon), then the starter is misaligned and these symptoms occur.

Greg Z
'72 Sprint

[1964 S1]

rdent.com has new Japanese gear reduction starters, I'd put one on asap, or at least a stock replacement. Did you check to see if the starter bolts were loose? We hope the grinding isn't on the flywheel teeth...

[trw99]

I had something similar happen to me with the warm engine not firing. Turned out I needed a new coil. Good luck!