Starter motor funny business (not the usual K series click)

[julians]

I'm on to about my 4th starter motor in about 1.5 years, the car is a zetec and uses a starter motor from a Sierra 8v OHC (as supplied by halfords), but I presume most types of starter are much of a muchness in terms of design.

 

Anyway, heres how they fail (and they always fail in this manner). The motor spins but wont engage the flywheel. Does anyone know whats likely to be causing this and whether it can be fixed without having to buy a new starter.

 

From my understanding of how the starter works, when you turn the key the solonoid is energized, it shoots backwards (or forwards depending on how you look at it) and at the same time pulls a lever which pushes the starter cog into contact with the flywheel. when the solonoid has gone all the way back it completes a circuit from the battery live to the actual motor, hence spinning it and firing the car up.

 

What I cant grasp is how in my case, the motor is spinning but doesent appear to be engaging the flywheel. After all for the motor to be spinning the solonoid must have travelled all the way back so it must have pulled the lever and engaged the cog.

 

Anyone else had this problem and either know what is causing it to fail in the first place or how I can cheaply fix it.

 

Edited by - julians on 24 Jul 2002 17:49:55

[Fred]

this will help explain here

 

fredid=blue>

[Tiff]

Had a similar problem on my XFlow 2 weeks ago. A build up of crud had stopped the cog moving the full length of the spline. Solved by removing the motor, cleaning the cog/spline with WD40, and oiling with a light oil.

 

 

[aph]

if its not repairable and you're looking for a replacement i can't recomend enough Brise Auto-Electrical Systems they do performance starter motors ie geared ones brand new at much better prices than standard or demon thieves(which buy from brise). http://www.brise.co.uk email them for a quote its what i did and got a damn good price.

 

[Dave H]

Are you sure you have the right starter? I use one of the Xflow starters on mine. You need the 1.8 Zetec flywheel, and you may or may not require a spacer - It depends which starter you have.There are several optionsand they have a different "throws", so may not engage properly.

 

I strongly recommend you have a chat with James Whiting (or Ruth) to get the right unit.

 

Dave H

[julians]

I'm having a discussion on wscc at the moment about whether I have the right motor.

 

I'm not sure because Ididnt build the car. However the problem always goes away when I put a new motor in, only to recur a few months later on.

 

What options might I have as far as flywheel and starter motor combos go?

[Dave H]

I'm not sure what the various options are. I know from speaking to James Whiting, that there are a number of them, and that the 2l and 1.8 starter rings are different, and if you have a steel (lightened) flywheel, it will be different again.

 

Could it be that a new, clean starter is just catching the gear ring, but once it "beds in" and gets a little worn & mucky it doesn't quite catch?

As I said, have a chat with the expert. James has forgotten more about this conversion than most of us will ever know.

 

Good luck

Dave H

[neilsjuke]

itsbest not to use oil etc as the dust from the clutch will stick and clog the slides

[philwaters]

I have Racelines lightened steel flywheel and this mates to the x/flow starter motor. I had intermittent problems of it not starting and have decided it was the earthing. I have added earth straps direct to the chassis and doubled the engine one and so far (touch wood) it is far better. Not your problems though - sounds like it can't engage with the ring gear, maybe the pitch of the gears is too close and so occasionly they can't engage? If you rock the car with it in gear and re-try, does it make any difference?

 

Phil Waters

Zetec is in and running

[J.R.]

Motor spinning but not engaging engine is usually a shot one way clutch on the pinion assembly.

 

Went through a couple on my Zetec 7 and also when I ran DOHC sierras (same starter)

 

Cheap and easy to replace, much less than a new starter.

[julians]

Where do you get the new clutch assembly from, how much?

 

Any help on this matter would be most appreciated.

 

 

[catse7en]

Hmm

 

I had the original se7en K problems, - solenoid related.

 

But the last time I had starter problems it was a case of the starter not engaging the flywheel. In my case the cause was unusual. The ring gear had come off the flywheel!!!

 

John Gathard

[catse7en]

Hmm

 

I had the original se7en K problems, - solenoid related.

 

But the last time I had starter problems it was a case of the starter not engaging the flywheel. In my case the cause was unusual. The ring gear had come off the flywheel!!!

 

John Gathard