Brise Starter

[dougweall]

Are brise starters pre engaged?? or do you retain the origional solenoid??

cheers
Mark

Mark,

I was in the fortunate position to be rebuilding my Elan when I fitted a Brise starter, so I ran a new supply lead to the starter from the battery. The other leads to the original solenoid were extended and fitted to the starter. Hope this helps.
Incidentally I also ran another lead alongside from a starter motor bolt to the battery earth point in the boot. Just to make sure of a good circuit.
Have also linked all the other wiring earth points together back to the battery earth.
Not original but I am happy with it.
Doug.

[alaric]

Hi. There's been discussion on the connection of the Brise before. Some have extended the 12V battery feed and solenoid switch wire directly to the back of the Brise, and bypassed the original solenoid and used the one that's built into the Brise. I was concerned about this approach as it meant having a permanently live cable bouncing around that was unfused, so preferred the idea of connecting using the orignal wiring and solenoid with the solenoid on the Brise connected to the original supply line. However, it appears that this arrangement has been found to lead to a slow switch off of the starter motor.

My starter motor is lying on the floor of the garage under the car at the moment; when I get time to hook it all up again and finish the car perhaps I'll be able to experiment - I've not been near it since Christmas eve - very sad. Until then I'd welcome advice.

Good to hear that it really is a pre-engaged type. It certainly doesn't clunk like the original and seems to have loads of torque.

All the best.

Sean.

[paddy]

The existing supply from the battery to the solenoid is a permanently live unfused supply anyway - you'd just be moving it from the solenoid directly to the starter - I don't really see how you get any additional protection or safety by going via the solenoid. You'd also be compromising the available starting current (perhaps only marginally) by going via the solenoid.

Paddy

[RotoFlexible]

My philosophy is, "The fewer connections, the better." When I fitted my Gustafson starter, I removed the solenoid and ran the existing battery cable direct to the starter. I ran the big brown wire from the starter back up and over to the control box (or rather, where the control box used to be) and ran the starter activation wire (white/red) direct to the starter terminal. I spliced a female insulated spade connector into that wire to allow use of a remote starter switch.

Ditching the solenoid takes a potential failure point out of the starter circuit; improves access to the area behind and below the carbs; and removes a high-amperage live wire (the battery connection) from potential short circuits via a tool, ring, or wristwatch.

[alaric]

The difference is that the engine moves, so the cable's moving if attached to the starter. It's static to the back of the original solenoid. Modern cars do connect direct to the starter, but if memory serves there's usually a protective sleeve round the outside of the cable to avoid chafing etc.

Sean.

[RotoFlexible]

The difference is that the engine moves, so the cable's moving if attached to the starter. It's static to the back of the original solenoid. Modern cars do connect direct to the starter, but if memory serves there's usually a protective sleeve round the outside of the cable to avoid chafing etc.

Good point. I did fit a cable organizer on the cable/wires for tidiness and chafe protection.

The Gustafson has been flawless, by the way, but it has only been a year.