Subject: Re: [Mgs] Just a "click" when starting

From: "Pete Chast" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2012 18:21:38 -0400

Douglas,

I'd be checking and cleaning all contacts including the chassis
 from engine ground. Something could be loose/not grounding properly.

Pete Chast

On Mon, 13 Aug 2012 18:11:23 -0400, Douglas McKinnie <[email-masked]>  
wrote:

> Sometimes when I get into the car and turn the key to the "start"  
> position,
> there is just rather a substantial "click" sound and nothing more. It  
> always
> starts normally if I turn the key back to "run" and then try again.
>
> I'm just wondering if this is something I should be concerned about.
>
> Douglas McKinnie
> '70 MGB-GT
> Western Massachusetts
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From: Aaron Whiteman <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2012 16:02:48 -0700

Sent from my iPad

On Aug 13, 2012, at 3:11 PM, "Douglas McKinnie" <[email-masked]> wrote:

> Sometimes when I get into the car and turn the key to the "start" position,
always
> I'm just wondering if this is something I should be concerned about.

Oh the timing!

Over the past few weeks, I had noticed that my starter was slowing.  One day,
it didn't do anything but 'click'.

In my case, it was the starter itself that was close to dead.  Without a load,
it would turn (slowly), but on the car, it did nothing but draw amps.

As Max wrote, make sure your connections are and grounds are good and clean.
If the problems go away, you're golden for a while.  Worst case, you need to
be concerned about a dying starter, but if yours is anything like mine, it'll
let you know bad things are coming as long as you are listening.

With an assistant, put the car on a jackstand, chock the rear wheels, put the
brake on, put the car in neutral and check the voltage
 * at the output of the starter relay.  Should be about 12V when the assistant
turns the key to start.
 * at the solenoid control circuit; since this is the other end of the output
of the relay, it should also be about 12V.
 * at the second large pole of the starter, which provides rich chunky amps to
turn the starter motor.

You are playing with high-amp unfused circuits, so be careful.

In my case, the starter relay was loud enough to mask the starter solenoid
circuit, so I shunted the battery directly to the control circuit, discovered
the solenoid was working "click!", but the starter wouldn't turn.

Fortunately, they are (in the words of our local auto electrics specialist)
"highly rebuildable".
_______________________________________________

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---

From: "Chad" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2012 18:44:34 -0500

The high torque starters are great.  There is a seller on Ebay under "MG MGB
MGC Modern Gear Reduction Starter Motor MGB-GT"  sells them for $190, much
cheaper than the regular sources.  One thing nice is they take much less
power to run them, nice feature if you are having issues in that department.

Chad

-----Original Message-----
From: [email-masked] [mailto:[email-masked]] On
Behalf Of Aaron Whiteman
Sent: Monday, August 13, 2012 6:03 PM
To: Douglas McKinnie
Cc: <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: [Mgs] Just a "click" when starting

Sent from my iPad

On Aug 13, 2012, at 3:11 PM, "Douglas McKinnie" <[email-masked]> wrote:

> position, there is just rather a substantial "click" sound and nothing 
> more. It
always

Oh the timing!

Over the past few weeks, I had noticed that my starter was slowing.  One
day, it didn't do anything but 'click'.

In my case, it was the starter itself that was close to dead.  Without a
load, it would turn (slowly), but on the car, it did nothing but draw amps.

As Max wrote, make sure your connections are and grounds are good and clean.
If the problems go away, you're golden for a while.  Worst case, you need to
be concerned about a dying starter, but if yours is anything like mine,
it'll let you know bad things are coming as long as you are listening.

With an assistant, put the car on a jackstand, chock the rear wheels, put
the brake on, put the car in neutral and check the voltage
 * at the output of the starter relay.  Should be about 12V when the
assistant turns the key to start.
 * at the solenoid control circuit; since this is the other end of the
output of the relay, it should also be about 12V.
 * at the second large pole of the starter, which provides rich chunky amps
to turn the starter motor.

In my case, the starter relay was loud enough to mask the starter solenoid
circuit, so I shunted the battery directly to the control circuit,
discovered the solenoid was working "click!", but the starter wouldn't turn.

[email-masked]
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From: "Pat Hand" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2012 17:22:08 +1000

Hi 

I have fitted a High Torque starter to my 1971 MGB, it works great, and uses
less power.

Regards

Pat Hand

74 MGB
49 MGY T

-----Original Message-----
From: [email-masked] [mailto:[email-masked]] On
Behalf Of Chad
Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2012 9:45 AM
To: 'Aaron Whiteman'; 'Douglas McKinnie'
Cc: [email-masked]
Subject: Re: [Mgs] Just a "click" when starting

Chad

-----Original Message-----

Sent from my iPad

always

Oh the timing!

[email-masked]

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From: "PaulHunt73" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2012 09:16:11 +0100

A 'substantial' click is probably the solenoid operating, but either failing 
to power the motor or the motor is failing to turn the engine.  If the 
ignition warning light barely dims with the click, then it is probably for 
former.  If it dims greatly, then the latter,  possibly because of bad 
connections at the battery, battery earth to body, or engine/gearbox earth 
to body, although these often cause the solenoid to chatter as well.

'Hi torque' starters - there are two kinds advertised.  One claimed to be so 
but is a conventional ungeared starter, and geared starters.  Only the 
latter give the benefits of significantly lower cranking current and higher 
cranking speed, albeit at significant extra cost.  The other ones are just 
more expensive without having much more 'bang for the buck'.  Geared 
starters usually have the *solenoid* in line with the pinion and the motor 
to one side, with the motor slightly smaller than the solenoid, as opposed 
to the conventional very large motor (in comparison to the solenoid) motor 
in line with the pinion.

PaulH.

----- Original Message ----- 

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