Starter clunk nothing

[mjheathcote]

Had it for years, in fact decades.
Some years better than others.
Fitted extra earthing strap, no different.
Brand new batteries, no different.
Last year was a really bad year, so decided to try the relay bypass circuit.
Has it made a difference....not one little bit
Tonight lovely evening, jumped into her, clunk, clunk, 20 clunks later she starts.
When she does start no problem with the power or speed of rotation.
Stop several times during the evening, starts first time not one clunk.

Its really annoying me now!
Must be the starter itself.

Does the alternative 'high torque' starter really solve the problem?
I remember a few years ago a problem with some of them not fitting properly.
Are they all the same, are some different to others?
Can you get a proper reconditioned lucas starter motor, or new, had mine reconditioned before but still had the clunk problem.
Ta.

[davidf]

Can you tell if it is drawing high current when it clunks but doesn't rotate? For example, do the headlights dim? If not, sounds as though the solenoid is sticky and not pulling in far enough to make the main contacts. Easy enough to take apart and clean.

[Staggard]

Had it for years, in fact decades.
Some years better than others.
Fitted extra earthing strap, no different.
Brand new batteries, no different.
Last year was a really bad year, so decided to try the relay bypass circuit.
Has it made a difference....not one little bit
Tonight lovely evening, jumped into her, clunk, clunk, 20 clunks later she starts.
When she does start no problem with the power or speed of rotation.
Stop several times during the evening, starts first time not one clunk.

Its really annoying me now!
Must be the starter itself.

Does the alternative 'high torque' starter really solve the problem?
I remember a few years ago a problem with some of them not fitting properly.
Are they all the same, are some different to others?
Can you get a proper reconditioned lucas starter motor, or new, had mine reconditioned before but still had the clunk problem.
Ta.

Just remove the starter solenoid you can do this with the starter in place strip it down reface the heads of the connection bolts and turn over the contact plate reassemble and you wont have any more problems. Have a look in my picture album and it shows one stripped down. Also if you look in my past posts I wrote about it called " the real reason for the Stag click" or it was something like that.

[mjheathcote]

Thanks will remove the solenoid and investigate!

[tonypy1]

I stripped and cleaned up the solenoid, fitted the relay, replaced the ignition switch, improved eartning etc. etc. and improved the situation but didn't cure it. I only managed to eliminate the problem by bypassing the gearbox loom multiplug, on the manual box the wiring that would go to the auto inhibitor switch is just a loop. I opened up the loom upstream of the connector and soldered in a loop the other side of the multiplug - problem solved.

IIRC your car is an auto so you will need the inhibitor wiring but you could try creating a new connector for this circuit - it may be worth creating soldered joints underneath the car and putting a new connector in a less exposed position.

[Staggard]

Perhaps I'm being a bit thick here but if it was the inhibiter switch or the wiring connection you would not get a live to the solenoid therefore you would not here a "clunk " of the solenoid trying to engage.

[tonypy1]

The problem was high resistance across the connector presumably caused by internal corrosion.

[mjheathcote]

Perhaps I'm being a bit thick here but if it was the inhibiter switch or the wiring connection you would not get a live to the solenoid therefore you would not here a "clunk " of the solenoid trying to engage.

Yah I agree, fitting the relay bypass eliminates any problem with the key switch contacts, inhibitor switch, or loom multiplugs.
If the relay bypass is getting voltage, the starter solenoid is getting all it can get with non of the voltage drop without having the relay bypass.

[wilf]

The solenoid alone draws a high current, around 20 amps (although I haven't measured it accurately) and so any high resistance in the feed path to it can cause it not to throw out strongly enough.

[mjheathcote]

The solenoid alone draws a high current, around 20 amps (although I haven't measured it accurately) and so any high resistance in the feed path to it can cause it not to throw out strongly enough.

Hence the fitting of the relay bypass circuit so it gets full juice...but still the problem hence in my case must be the solenoid itself. Hopefully.

[Rod1883]

I have the same problem.
Fitted the relay bypass last year - better for a while, but back to the click/clunk, and some days better than others too.

The solenoid clean and plate turn is on my list of jobs.
I've been intending to dig out the "real reason" thread, here it is http://socforum.com/forum/showthread...light=solenoid

Could I just ask - how easy is it to get the solenoid off the starter in situ?
Any tips on this appreciated.

[Staggard]

Undo the connections undo the two bolts and withdraw the body of the solenoid leaving the plunger behind connected to the fork.

[Rod1883]

Sounds pretty straightforward, thanks.

[Staggard]

Disconnect the battery lead from the battery first ( I probably didn't need to say that though)

[KOY 23]

Disconnect the battery lead from the battery first ( I probably didn't need to say that though)

Thanks Graham, disconnected battery lead and no more "clunk".