Hot starter motor

Technical Area for all the problems you have in the garage
Post Reply
frats289
Posts: 65
Joined: Fri May 15, 2015 9:26 am

Hot starter motor

Post by frats289 »

I returned from a little blast around the other day, parked the car in the drive and turned off the engine. Ten minutes or so later I returned to the car to put it away and it wouldn't start - it turned over slowly as if on a heavily discharged battery. As it had done this once or twice before I left it for half an hour and it started fine.
The starter is a high torque type purchased from Real Steel and has performed fine for 20 years. It is very close to the exhaust manifold and indeed so close that I had to grind away a notch in the flange connecting the manifold to the pipe when I first installed it.
Has anyone suffered a similar problem and would a heat shield sort it - or has it come to the end of it's life.

Frank Allen
User avatar
peterc
T289R Member
T289R Member
Posts: 2041
Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2014 9:05 am
Location: Surrey

Re: Hot starter motor

Post by peterc »

Hi Frank,
Yes, I needed to replace my first starter motor after a few years due to more or less the same as the conditions you describe. I tried overhauling the motor and solenoid mechanism with no particular improvement.
I had also already lagged the bottom bend of the exhaust due to its proximity. Mine is a Rover lump but suspect it applies to a Ford as well.
I re routed the exhaust as recommended by Dave Pilbeam so the bottom bend is now angle out towards the cill so adds a bit more clearance.
I still get occasional reluctance of the solenoid to engage but normally a second attempt resolves.
Yes I guess it's the end of the starter motor life unless you are better at rebuilding it than I was.
I think you have done well if this is the first time you have needed to replace the starter as your car was built a fair time ago.
Peter C
Post Reply