new fangled starter motors

[tdafforn]

Hi Guys,
My daily drive had to go in for its MOT today, so for the one day in the year driving the lotus to the station is a requirement. And guess what, it didn't make it out of the garage!
I ave been driving it a fair amount recently and it has been running better than it ever has (should have read the signs!)
turn the key thism morning, and the starter turns kind of slow (must have drained the battery somehow?) Eventually it fires once a dies (fairly normal)..
Try again and just the click of doom from the solenoid, accompanied by a wisp of smoke from the great deamon that is Lucas!!
So.....
Get underneath the car (in my work cloths) in an attempt to turn the spindle of the starter in order to disengage...
Doh, the new Delco Remy starter I fitted last year does not have an exposed spindle (The FOOLS obviously don't expect jamming of their starter motors DOH!)
So gave up and got a lift of the wife!
good news for the day was that the daily drive passed its MOT..
So, I think I need one of those new fangled pre-engaged starters
(I've gone through 3 starters in 3 years!!)
Anyone any opinions on the cheapest/best starters?
Thanks for any help
Tim

[chicagojeff]

get the Gustafson gear reduction starter. I dont know how you source it in the UK, but it's worth it. No jamming, no @#$!. Never go back to the bendix.

jeff

[alaric]

Hi,

I got mine from Paul Matty - a Brise. Very happy with it. It seems to turn the engine on a very low battery charge, and has loads of torque compared to the standard. I've just been hunting on the pc for a piccy of it - there's one in a post a few months back under the thread 'New pre-engaged starter motor - won't fit', with a pic from dougweall, posted on the 22nd Nov. I have the same type. It's a direct replacement, and the wiring change is minimal i.e. it has an integral solenoid, so you just extend the ignition switch wire to the back of the starter motor. Not the cheapest, but when I crank the engine, there's no loud clunk as the drive is taken up - sounds much better.

Sean.

[Hamish Coutts]

Sean,

Glad to hear you are impressed with the Brise starter - I've just ordered one myself. . I was looking for a gustafsen but they are difficult to get in the UK.
When I phoned Matty's, Roy(parts chappie) didn't seem to have heard of Gustafsen. Anyway, I ordered a Brise.

Hopefully it will arrive soon so I can get rid of that damned Lucas thing before it destroys the flywheel.

Roy at Mattys is a mine of information and I have always found him very helpful. He helped me out with some advice on brake bits today as well.

Regards,

Hamish.

[tdafforn]

How much is the item from Paul Matty?
(Roy is a wonder)
Cheers
Tim

[M100]

What's the situation regarding the ring gear when changing? At least one supplier in the UK lists a ring gear for pre-engaged starters and another one for the intertia type.

[paros]

I agree with all the comments about geared starters. When I used to race an Elan before these geared starters became available I would use a 24v slave battery with the old bendix type. Then every other race it would fail and the spare would go on, then on Monday to Hlafords and under warranty another starter LRS102 as I remember from 15 years ago.
With the geared sort from marvellous Matty etc or from Tony Thompson no problems with starting but about ?150 if I remember.
Richard

[Hamish Coutts]

Tim,

Haven't got the bill for the starter yet but I think it is in the region of ?180 + the dreaded Vat.

Hamish.

[Dag-Henning]

What's the situation regarding the ring gear when changing? At least one supplier in the UK lists a ring gear for pre-engaged starters and another one for the intertia type.

- thought they vere available from QED and Burtons, even as "combined" with scamfers both sides, to fit any type of starter both "pre" and inertia.

Dag

[M100]

As far as the specialists go with the catalogues I have immediately to hand Burtons list two types, QED and Matty's only one. The local motor factors list two as well.

Supply isn't a problem, changing the starter and keeping the wrong type of ring gear might be, I suppose the only difference might be the tooth profile.

[patrics]

Hi Tim,
Haven?t brought one yet but H&H Ignition do these for about ?120 ? their at all the shows and based in the Black Country. Arc Racing also do them (TTR) but charge a Kings Ransom but then they are supposed to last even on a BDA.
Regards
Steve

[dougweall]

Hi Guys,

Just read the above posts, all I wanted to add was that the motor I fitted has been absolutely spot on right from the word go.

I agree entirely with all Sean says at the beginning of this thread, easy fit, no nasty noises, not the cheapest, but peace of mind.

Got mine from Burtons around the same price quoted ?180

Doug.

[alaric]

Hi all,

I didn't reverse the flywheel ring gear when I fitted my pre-engaged starter motor. When I bought it I was advised it was a direct replacement. It works really nicely with no loud clunks; it's always engaged first time.

I reasoned that the drive wheel, which has chamfered teeth, is not under torque as it flies out from the starter motor, so it's nowhere near as agressive as the bendix / bend-it set up, hence there is not the same requirement for chamfered teeth.

If the ring gear should be reversed I'll do it; the whole rebuild / restoration of my car is aimed at achieving reliability rather than maintaining originality of embedded components. Have other people with these starter motors reversed the ring gear?

Sean.

[Hamish Coutts]

Sean,

WHen I ordered the starter from Paul Mattys Roy said it was a direct fit - just bolt it on.

The only changes I anticipate is to the wiring and battery cable (I hope ).

Hamish.

[alaric]

Great. That's what I was told as well. Re the wiring the battery cable has to be connected directly to the motor, so you could just shift the wire to the other side of the existing solenoid. The solenoid activation wire, from the ignition switch, then needs to be run down to the back of the motor. That's all, I believe, that you need to do. Should be a quick job. Hope it works out.

Thanks for the feedback.

Sean.