High torque starter motors

The Rover V8's all use Bosch these days, but there are plenty of the conventional type external solenoid starters for under £80 or so on fleabay.

The geared starters tend to be used in diesels more than petrol, but as has already been said, a lot of Jap stuff uses them. Not easily repairable according to our auto electrical guy, especially if the armature goes down.

Our Disco V8 has a Bosch standard pre-engaged starter and a 70AH Jap battery, that turned over fine in the recent bad/cold weather, but we did go over all the heavy connections in the summer and Vaselined them after cleaning.

Peter

-- Peter A Forbes Prepair Ltd, Rushden, UK snipped-for-privacy@prepair.co.uk

If you're talking SD1 V8, they are a pain in that they draw so much current that in one of my Vitesses (with a 4.2) the radio/CD player drops out whilst the engine is turning and then reboots, whereas in the other Vitesse (3.5) with an original type starter motor I can continue to listen to the CD uninterrupted whilst starting the engine (for example after stopping the engine at a long-wait level crossing). All then new high-power motor does is turn the engine far too fast so as to make starting a pointlessly noisy experience.

The old type starter motor works fine and the engine catches after the first turn or two. Why bother with a different type? I'm thinking of changing the 4.2 back to an original type starter.

Michael

The type I'm talking about uses about 40% less current than the original. Series wound motors ain't very efficient. It uses a permanent magnet motor with reduction gearing.

Mine is original. The type I'm thinking about uses a Denso motor - description here:-

I think I've got a shorted turn in my motor as it's drawing more current than it should - as well as not working quite right. And it's a recon only a few years old. The last one did the same.

Snag is the SD1 needs a different layout of starter than the RR etc due to clearance problems, IIRC.

I'm told they're cheap secondhand due to their reliability and the complete motor can be fitted to your drive plate easily.

Yes - I've done all that and have checked the voltage drop. But I don't think the later Bosch type will fit due to clearance problems. Hence it's either another Lucas or this alternative. AES can do one for 195 quid delivered.

Not necessarily so - the starter I pulled out of the E-Type was pre-engaged, not Bendix, as is the replacement.

Geoff McK

Pre-engage types have been around for many a year. My '57 Bentley had one. And I think all RV8s have them. Probably most XK engines too - although they may have fitted an inertia type to the 2.4.

Is your replacement one with a reduction gear? At 132 quid it seems quite cheap for most of those.

The other possibility is carbon from the brushes shorting two segments on the commutator. It only takes a little drop of oil to make the carbon stick in the wrong place. (I had this problem on a Rover P5)

Have you tried cleaning the commutator and brush holders with meths?

Jim

Starter motor brushes are usually copper, due to the current they handle. But because it's an awkward sod to remove I'll just replace it.

Yes, it's got reduction gearing.

Geoff

I contacted SC, but they didn't seem to know if there was a difference between a RR one and one to fit the SD1. So have ordered one from AES, specifically to fit cars with the RV8. About 20 quid cheaper than Rimmer.

Hmmm. I see that Mr. Dean just got in from the pub, evidently well wrecked again, and now feels constrained to bestow his imagined wit and genius upon us all. I hope he has a deservedly stinking hangover tomorrow.