[TR] Lucas Electrics

[tr3driver at ca.rr.com]

---- Paul Dorsey <dorpaul at negia.net> wrote: 
> The homegrown auto-electrician who rebuilt starters, generators, etc. (from 
> the 60's to present) told me how 'dependable' Lucas starters were.  I'm 
> conflicted...please enlighten me...um, encandle me?

Most of them were actually pretty good.  Just look at how many of them are still around, 50 years later !

Even the "Achilles heel" of the TR2-early 3A starter, the bonded rubber drive, is mostly a problem after people start modifying the engines, IMO.  I never had one fail, until I built an engine with 87mm liners and 11:1 compression; then they started dropping like flies.  It even killed one of the "fail safe" replacements sold (at one time) by BFE.

Of course, like everything else on these cars, they do require maintenance.  Brushes and bushings are consumables, it's normal to replace them from time to time.

Randall