More grief - stuck starter solenoid

[Guy Gregory]

What a nightmare! Started the car last week, running roughly and I realised that the starter motor was still turning over the engine. Smoke appeared from the cut out and of course, no more charging! I eventually found that the main lead from the fuse board to the cut out had burnt through. My mate Chris, soldered on a new wire and reconnected it all up. We'd confirmed that the dynamotor was still charging - I'd cleaned the 5th brush. Still no charge, so I disconnected the Ian Potts' regulator - eureka, it was charging again, so I got off very lightly. When I built the car, I fitted a secondary solenoid at the base of the bulkhead to ease any under bonnet tinkering and I think this was the culprit, so beware of stuck solenoids!

[gordon higginbotham]

Guy,
Sorry to hear of your problems., Isn't the wire from dynamo to cutout protected by the main fuse? If so why did this not blow before burning out the wire?
Gordon

[Guy Gregory]

Hi Gordon
Thanks for your comments. Electrics are not my strong point! I would have thought the 15amp field fuse would have blown. I did the wiring on the car and can't remember the wiring of the main fuse and why that wouldn't have blown!
Best wishes
Guy

[jameswheildon]

Hi Guy,

I can only think that for the second solenoid to be the culprit you must have started ti with that solenoid. If the points in the cut out remain closed when the car is not charging, that will cause the field fuse to blow, but I think in this case the field circuit was not involved.

[Guy Gregory]

Hi James
I'm away for a few days but will ring on return
Guy

[Guy Gregory]

Having spoken to Foppe and a few others, I've decided the existing solenoid is not up to the job so he's sending me one of the type that he uses

[jameswheildon]

Hi Guy,

It would be good to know if there is any specification on the new solenoid and how that compares with that your existing one. James.

[Guy Gregory]

https://www.demon-tweeks.com/uk/long...-switch-16157/ - this is what Jim Catnach recommends. Fop is sending me a Lucas one that he uses
Guy

[Guy Gregory]

I got my new solenoid today from Fop. Made by Durite and ref: 0-335-09

[Dudley Smith]

I have bought two projector LED headlamp bulbs to improve the usefulness of my headlights which at the moment scatter light in a somewhat haphazard manner....