collins_dan wrote:Chancer, you've lost me. I only have 11.3 volts going to the starter or the coil when the white wire is connecting the ignition switch to the coil, which is insufficient to fully engage the pinion. Are you saying I need a ballast resistor connected to the system? The starter has been wired this way and worked for 13 years. I have a low resistance pertronix flamethrower coil that goes with my electronic ignition. Are you saying that I have always lost voltage in this way for 13 years?
Also, if someone could please post how to wire up the solenoid, I would like to know what i need to do. Looking at the picture on Ray's site, there appears to be two large posts and one small post.
Thanks, Dan
No you don't need a ballast resistor; you have electronic ignition which would already provide an enhanced spark.
I would expect 11.3 volts to be more than enough to pull-in the starter gear.
On an Elan with a standard starter, the starter solenoid is bolted to the 'firewall' bulkhead near the rear carburettor. Its case is earthed with a black (?) wire going to chassis somewhere. This thin wire only ever carries the current to activate the starter solenoid and does not need to be thick.
You say yours has two thick connectors and one small one. {a solenoid for a ballasted coil would have 2 thick and two small ones} The wire to the small terminal comes from the start position of the ignition switch in the cabin and current flows from it to the earted case through the coil of the solenoid. The resulting magnetic field pulls the solenoid causing heavy duty contacts to connect the two large posts together.
A big fat wire from the battery runs across near the top of the bulkhead and is bolted on the fat post nearest the bulkhead i.e the rear one. This connector also has a biggish spade connector to which is connected a medium thick brown wire, which disappears into the bulkhead. This brown wire is the main electric feed from the battery to ALL the other circuits.
The other fat post only has any voltage on it when the solenoid is activated and is the feed to the starter motor using a fat wire. The fat wires and fat connectors and heavy duty contacts inside ensure that there is very little electric resistance.
On a standard Lucas starter, the power on that output terminal post starts the motor spinning and centrifugal force throws the Bendix gear to engage with the ring gear on the flywheel and start the engine turning.
With your pre-engaged starter, my recommended circuit is to use the fat wire from the original solenoid output terminal to the fat input terminal of your starter AND ALSO CONNECT ANY THIN CONNECTOR ON THE MOTOR TO ITS OWN FAT TERMINAL. that thin connector will be the activating terminal for the internal solenoid.
The way it works then is that your starter position on the ignition switch pulls in the original bulkhead solenoid putting battery voltage onto the fat wire going down to the starter. The thin connector on the pre-engage starter then pulls in its internal solenoid which engages the gear into the ring gear and in the engaged position also closes a second set of heavy duty contacts which allows high current to flow from the motor's fat terminal to ground through the motor windings. The motor turns and turns the engine.
When you release the start position of the ignition switch, the bulkhead solenoid disconnects its heavy contacts so the battery voltage down to the starter motor goes away. The motor stops pulling and its internal solenoid also withdraws by spring, pulling the motor gear out of the ring gear.
The original bulkhead starter solenoid is a reliable item and it is not worth worrying about a tiny reduction in overall reliability by having both solenoids in circuit.
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If you are having problems it is almost certainly due to poor earthing, either of the starter motor to the engine or of the engine to the chassis or the point at which the other battery lead connects to the chassis in the boot. Connections need to be bare metal to metal. Use a wire brush to scrape off any paint or rust and add a smear of Vaseline to prevent future rusting.