Starter rebuild was ready a day early. Got it in, it works. I think a couple of the manifold-to-downpipe studs are somewhat stripped, though.

Before I can road test it, I need to slop up the downpipe-to-center pipe joint with exhaust paste and let it cure.

 

Right behind you


I found new downpipe studs at Welch ( Ohio ) , fast service

The inline 6 was a odd size not found at the hardware stores with 20 different sizes in the store's offering

 

I fear the Bendix spring may not be Bendixing. Still has a smidge of exhaust leakage, but it did get better as I drove it to get fresh fuel and a wash.

Worst thing is, I am pretty sure the starter itself was always okay. I think the three minutes during reinstallation that I spent sanding the high-current wiring lugs with 240-grit was the key action. I had previously attacked them with CRC QD and a handheld wire brush, but likely just hadn't busted through to shiny metal. The car may be now drivable again, but I spent several days, several hundred dollars, and have a noisier, more busted car at the end of it.

 

Your starter shop my not have shown you the cracked internal components to the starter , but that's an opinion without being there

From what I understand the rotor can be replaced by industry standardized parts supply chain that the shops work with

You may want to consider replacing the donut gaskets on the downpipes and double nut on the new threads of the new studs if done

They may have eroded if cautious of putting too much torque on marginal threads of natural nuts working loose

I would take the car right back to the shop so they can hear the underperforming solenoid

That certainly is not good on the flywheel in it's present condition least the sound driving you crazy

Thinking of some things to improve the performance of the starter solenoid

The mussle power to extend the solenoid comes from the left ( confirmed left ) engine bay fuse box # 3

Have you removed the fuse box terminal post cable and only after wiggling the post for looseness

Fuse # 3 is hot at all times and does not require the relay in the corner of the fuse box to close so that is not in the mix

I obtained one from the salvage yard with the intent to cut it open and determine if a loose post like on mine has an effect on the circuit like a current limiting conection

Is your VIN # earlier than that in the bottom right effectivity box in the pic below ?

 

I did put new(-old stock) donuts on the downpipe. To be able to crimp down on them appropriately would probably have necessitated new studs. Had I anticipated that I would have gotten new ones, but I just didn't have time.

I'd really like to find a shop to take on a 75% engine bay refresh. Valve and timing covers off, reseal, new hoses and studs and suchlike. Maybe a year off the road, but a whole lot more confidence and fewer drips.

 

John, its been a learning experience for you and many of us. Don't think your work is in vain. It is hard to believe the old starter might have been ok only for better connections. You cleaned and wire brushed them! Absent looseness or corrosion the connections were likely adequate. And, we know the starter was not original. My old VDP had a belly-up aftermarket starter when I took it on, and needed replacing again. I replaced it with a used original!

I listened to the sound a few times and that was enough. Agreed with P. the shop should hear that, and it should scare them.

If its groundhog day for the starter then there is your chance for some new studs and some gaskets.

 

What I found with my original starter was a noise that turned out to be a missing bushing on the nose of the starter pinion gear

This would let that starter gear engagement come loose and float away from each other

This is different then the linier extension of the pinion gear into the starter gear and the corners of the gears chipping at each other

On my starter as a common Bosch 110 series on the inline 6 the bushing was easy to source and it is made of porous brass to retain grease

 

Thought I'd try, and it works: if I'm off the key quickly enough, just as it catches, there's no awful overrun noise out of the starter!

In the cabin with the windows up, the exhaust leak is totally unobtrusive. From the outside, though, it doesn't allow for wafting elegantly from stoplights. If it doesn't fix itself, I'll have to redo it with new studs.

 

Thanks, just ordered four new studs and nuts. (I have two unused manifold donuts left)

I want to get the car presentable for the local Cars and Coffee in a month when the theme is British cars.

 

On the stud removal from the manifolds will probably have to use a welder's torch level of heat to heat up the thread area

Anything less you may be wasting your time

on the donut gasket sealing seats may have to use a product to soften over a couple of days and mechanically remove the unburnt fuel deposits as a new gasket can't be guaranteed to conform to for a full seal.

Can't think of the popular gimmick product out there but does work to remove deposits from O2 sensors , Seafoam

Easier said then done

 

Well, turns out the studs are backordered anyway. I have ordered a 3/8-24 hex die; perhaps I can revive the old studs.

I'll try to clean the manifold aperture surfaces, but they seemed to be pretty smooth already. I'm definitely not above throwing a bead of exhaust paste at it, too. There's already paste in place of the RH olive.

 

On the inline 6 the studs going into the manifold were a different thread than the running nut side

I have 2 ( but not 4 ) new spares in the garage and should still have the invoice part # and maybe the same for the V - 12

Could still get the specs from a mandrel at the hardware store

Your existing threads can't get any stronger

 

Eh, not trying to win at Le Mans or go to orbit here. Just want to make it to the car show in a modicum of style.

 

Convinced myself to redo the downpipe today. Only one of the four studs was truly in a bad way.

Going over it with the die seemed to help a lot -- helped all of them, really. Unfortunately, I only took a 'before' pic. Surprisingly, I was able to get a drill with a 2" wire wheel up there to clean out the mating surfaces in the manifolds, though they didn't need much.

I'm letting the exhaust paste set up so I don't yet know if it was a success.

 

The hour-plus shakedown drive had a quiet exhaust. Starter works too, and stayed hushed as long as I was out of 'crank' quickly.

It wasn't without problems, though. The transmission light came on as I went over some sharp speedbumps about halfway along; a restart extinguished it. The exterior temp sensor still intermittently goes to -27°C, and the HVAC turns on the heat. I have ordered some jewelers mini files, as I suspect the connector near the left brake duct (I've reseated it once, which IIRC helped temporarily).

 

Cars & Coffee was a success.

 

Very nice, glad you made the showing. Quite an impressive line at the entrance that you toured when you arrived, only to pull in behind a funny little Ford!

It would be cool to set up next to the Austin Powers XKE, first gen/last gen Jag V12s. Well known in the XJS and Series cars, most people would be surprised to see it in your car, in the X300/308 body style.

And the Caterham Seven.... a beast no doubt, and I bet the most fun you can have behind a steering wheel!

 

Well, the rebuilt starter made it through three car shows this summer, but it suddenly is no longer engaging with the ring gear, apparently. It just spins, does not turn the engine, and emits a raspy whir in 'start' without any discernible solenoid click.


Bring-a-Trailer Meet-Up, Avant-Garde Collection


Alderbrook Park British Invasion Show and Shine


Portland Cars & Coffee, British Day

I thought I should bar the engine over to make sure it's not just in a dead spot. I grabbed my biggest socket and tried a few times to fit it on the crank bolt, only to realize my 1+5/16" socket was among the tools stolen from my storage unit. My biggest socket was a 29mm left over from a Miata front hub job. I could not get the crank to turn by the AC belt, it just slipped on the harmonic balancer.

I'm going to have to pull the starter AGAIN and see if it can be re-rebuilt. I suspect the guy who I took it to (who has since retired) neglected to install a bearing/bushing on the nose end, which is why it made that horrible screech on overrun, and sounds pretty grindy now that it's just freewheeling. Hopefully the case isn't chowdered up past the point it can't be overhauled again. These starters don't grow on trees. Bonus, I found a new-old-stock OE exhaust olive for cheap so I can hopefully seal that downpipe joint properly this go-round. I've shot a bit of penetrant at the studs, but guess I'll start at the job in earnest tomorrow.

Not much to report yet, just looking for some sympathy I suppose.

 

i had this issue way back. It may be that the fasteners holding the solenoid to the starter motor have worked loose, which you can fix by tightening them back up in situ, but you will have to get the exhaust manifold off to access

 

Starter is out. Not sure, but I think it's not quite right.