I installed a rebuilt starter (Lucas 2M100) in my 1987 XJ6. It engages and actually turned a couple of times. Now it engages but doesn't turn. Could I have got it in crooked? The battery is good.

Thoughts, comments, suggestions please. I need to get it running again.

Thanks for the help.

Neal Lewis
wnlewis@southwind.net

 

My gut feeling is that you just got a dud starter, but......

There is a spacer....probably 1/8" -1/4" thick....that will sometimes get stuck on the old starter. If that happened, and you didn't see it, and installed the new starter without it, the positioning would obviously be all wrong

(I pesume we're talking about a 1987 Ser III XJ6 with a 4.2 engine, and not a 1987 "XJ40" type XJ6)

Good luck

DD

 

There was no spacer on the starter I took off (bare metal on the starter and the surface where it mounted). That starter was very dead.

O'Reilly's, where I bought the starter said there was no gasket and no gasket listed.

The car is a late 1986/early 1987 XJ6 and not an XJ40. It has the 4.2 litre engine and an automatic transmission.

I could probably make a spacer, but I would need to get the dimensions.

I would prefer not to ruin this starter. Thanks for the input.

Neal

 

Not only is there a spacer as Doug pointed out, but it has two dowel rings to correctly align the starter drive with the ring gear. PM me if you need one, I don't think you'll be able to sort the problem out with it missing.

 

Starter is off. Spacer is there. I just didn't see it for paying attention to mosquitoes.

Since the starter is off, I will take it to O'Reilly's to have it checked.

The ring gear felt OK. The teeth on the starter look OK.

I will know more tomorrow.

Neal

 

The starter saga continues. I took the rebuilt Lucas 2M100 to O'Reilly's and asked them to test it. The first time they tested it, it spun nicely. The second time they tested it, it failed. The third time they tested it, it spun, but not as fast. The fourth time they tested it, it failed. The fifth time they tested it, it turned very slowly. The sixth time they tested it, it failed and would not turn any more. When we took it out of the tested it smelled burned.

So I went to Wichita, traded that one for another one at an O'Reilly's in Wichita. This one got checked first and passed three times. It was a Lucas 3M100.

I put it into the XJ6. The only problem, the top bolt spun in the top hole of the starter casting (stripped out threads). I wanted to see if it would start the car, so I tightened the bottom bolt snug and gave it a quick try. The car started and ran. However, I got a grinding sound like the starter had not disengaged. So I stopped the engine and took out the starter. I took the starter to the local O'Reilly's and showed them the stripped out hole. They have a new starter on order which is supposed to arrive tomorrow.

Now, the question I have is this: What is the difference between a Lucas 2M100 starter and a 3M100 starter? Is there any reason to prefer one over the other?

Thanks for the help,

Neal Lewis

 

When you shut down your engine, compression stops the flywheel (flex plate) with one of three segments of the ring gear aligned with the starter drive. Series III XJ6 are notorious for shredding ring gear teeth, although the problem will only be 4 or 5 teeth in one of the three particular spots. This happens even with a perfectly good starter with a properly aligned drive.

When you get a good starter to install, make sure you rotate the engine and get a look at the ring gear teeth while the starter is still out. You might be putting in a good starter (at last), but you have the additional problem of what it is trying to engage with. Damaged ring gear teeth won't hurt the replacement starter, but they ain't gonna grow back...you have to buy a new set, which means pulling the transmission and replacing the flex plate. The starter will just "Zing" for several attempts until it catches enough teeth to crank the engine. Next time you start the car and the starter is engaging with one of the other two locations on the ring gear, it will start normally on the first try. When the teeth get bad enough, it won't crank at all.

 

That's what I was thinking. Oh yuck! Oh well this is my first Jaguar and I got is for a song (didn't even have to dance). The body is good. The engine and transmission appear to be good. The interior is pretty good (a few cracks in the leather and the dash needs to be replaced. The AC needs to be charged. And it needs a paint job (I'm thinking of London, Midland & Scottish "Crimson Lake" with their gold pin striping as applied to the Duchess class Pacifics). I actually found the supplier of the paint who provided it for a steam locomotive that was recently rebuilt.

 

Oh OK, I didn't read where you were thinking that which is why I wrote it all out. PM me if you need a good used flexplate (or a starter, for that matter).

 

Thanks to everyone who replied with advice. It helped me.

Third time appears to be the charm. I got another replacement 2M100 Lucas starter from O'Reily's. Had it checked at the store. Starter ran well. Bolt holes had threads. Checked the ring gear by prying it around (carefully) with a large screwdriver and both looking at and feeling the teeth. Everything OK. Put the new (rebuilt) starter on. Started the car. Turned over nicely. Sounds good.

Now I need to check the brake booster and either fix the vacuum line, or replace the booster. The 4 way switch must be replaced. The turn signal stalk must be replaced (no turn signals and no brights). The AC needs to be charged and the sensor for the brake reservoir needs to be replaced. The T valve in the trunk or the control switch on the dash (or both) need to be replaced. The car is only drawing off the left tank at the present. The return valves need to be replaced because it will only return to the right tank. The fuel level gauges in the tanks need to be replaced. And I would like to retrofit a British style exhaust system on the car. The American one is really clunky looking and rusted out. The headliner needs work, but it's still up there. And the dash wood needs to be replaced. Got new ignition keys made and have the key for the glovebox, but need the other key.

That's about it for now.

Neal

P.S. Thanks again to all of you who responded. Your help was much appreciated.

 

That's good news. I have good used parts in stock for most of your wish list if you are interested. It is not advisable to gamble on used fuel switching and return valves though, as they too frequently fail. PM me if you are shopping.