starter motor no go!!
Turbo Mini Forums

Hi all,

Just put my freshly rebuilt turbo engine in the car. When i try to turn it over, No spark plugs etc to try and get the oil pressure up,when i turn the key to engage the starter motor i just get a clonk and it all locks up solid!

I free it off again and try again and it does it again,

Could it be that the battery hasnt got enough go in it or something worse?

Engine turns ok when in gear and i push it but locks up when starter motor trys to engage.

Cheers matt

WooHoo Passed it's MOT!!!! One of the cars in The Portsmouth Mini Turbo Massive!!

Try a better battery for a start.

Does the engine turn over by hand with no spark plugs in OK?

if you are sure the engine is FREE!!

then make sure you have earthed your engine on at least 2 places

with earthstraps from the engine to the subframe

also make sure you have a good live connection

it could be the starters sticking or do you have the right starter for the vertro or none vertro clutch ???

this is a start for you

Thanks guys, Yer the engine turns by hand and is free.

I'l charge the battery tonight and see how it is tommorow!

Yer i think the starter motor is correct.

Sounds like it could be the battery tho

Cheers matt

WooHoo Passed it's MOT!!!! One of the cars in The Portsmouth Mini Turbo Massive!!

If I were you I'd just take a battery of a road car or use jump leads to prove. Even if you charge it all night a duff battery may still fail to turn the engine over.

Ahh yer true, I tried jump leads from my dads car but there was still nothing! Maybe il try a new battery tomorrow or atleast one that i know works.

Thanks matt

WooHoo Passed it's MOT!!!! One of the cars in The Portsmouth Mini Turbo Massive!!

EARTH!

I'l take the earths off and clean them and put them back on then just to check.
I put them back where they were on the old engine so they should be ok.

cheers matt

WooHoo Passed it's MOT!!!! One of the cars in The Portsmouth Mini Turbo Massive!!

I would take the starter off the engine and test it on the ground with some jump leads and a battery to see if the starter is working ok then i would turn engine over by hand and look at the ring gear to see if it`s not damged

1293 Turbo mini

Yer i'v tried the starter works ok with just a battery.
Ring gear looked ok when i put it all together.

Cheers matt

WooHoo Passed it's MOT!!!! One of the cars in The Portsmouth Mini Turbo Massive!!

Dont take it as gospel that the starter is ok just from tryin it no-load on the garage floor... I did the same and it was a faulty unit, any kind of load and it died.

stupid question, but have you checked your wiring? have you changed anything from when it last worked?

I swapped the starter solinoid cos the last one gave up the goast so i guess this one could be broken too?!

This is the second starter motor the first one on was doing exactly the same but worked on the last engine.

Cheers matt

WooHoo Passed it's MOT!!!! One of the cars in The Portsmouth Mini Turbo Massive!!

check your wiring mate, then check you earth as a good starting point.....

Well had a go for 2 hours tonight and its still not engaging have tried 2 starter motors and still nothing, Had it linked with jump leads to my dads car and it still didnt work,

Am wondering if the engine is a bit tight and it hasnt got enough oomf to turn it over?

Gonna take radiator out and put a spanner on the crank pully bolt to see if i can loosen the engine up a bit.
Then try a bigger battery and see if that helps!

WooHoo Passed it's MOT!!!! One of the cars in The Portsmouth Mini Turbo Massive!!

you havent got the carb fuel and return mixed up have you so that your filling the bores with petrol

Does it spin over all OK with the plugs removed?

If the answer to that is 'no' and that the starter motor etc checks out OK, then you have a more serious problem that really does need some further investigation before you wreck your engine trying to run it when it is too tight.

When you say it moves freely when in gear how far have you been moving it? Does it require excessive effort to push?
Have you changed the clutch slave cylinder securing bolts by any chance? I had very similar problem once turned out the bolts were too long and actually wound into flywheel hence locking it.

Whats going to break next!?

Turbominis Worst Advice winner 2006, get in

Have you fitted the none verto flywheel
and have you checked the post on the starter is live because the starter will engage but not turn over if the battery live is missing ??????

1293 Turbo mini

The starter motor won't turn it over at all just keeps locking!

All plugs are out, alternator is connected up tho could the belt be too tight?

I'v pushed it up and down my drive in first gear and is fine and also in reverse. But doesn't want to know when the i try to use the starter.

Checked the slave bolts and they seem ok!

Live onto the starter motor is ok and the correct way round, When engine was being built i could turn it over with a spanner on the crank pully was a little tight but put that down to the engine being fresh.

Thanks for ur help,

will have to keep trying,

cheers matt

WooHoo Passed it's MOT!!!! One of the cars in The Portsmouth Mini Turbo Massive!!

What flywheel have you used? and what starter? If the starter is not the correct type for the flywheel then it could be the gear teeth locking up on the flywheel ring gear?

have you tired the old "jump lead for an engine earth" trick?

quick and easy thats all

Using verto flywheel etc and verto starter, Im wondering if the battery hasnt got enough oomf to turn it, yer i had my dads car connected up to the starter motor dirctly and nothing happened! just locked up!

WooHoo Passed it's MOT!!!! One of the cars in The Portsmouth Mini Turbo Massive!!

Have you tried a different starter motor? That would be my next test, if it turns over OK with a spanner on the crank pulley bolt.

yer iv tried 2 starter motors both do the same!

WooHoo Passed it's MOT!!!! One of the cars in The Portsmouth Mini Turbo Massive!!