[TR] Tr3a starters

John Macartney macartney.john at yahoo.co.uk
Thu Aug 19 15:16:37 MDT 2010


There's much to support in Tom Fansher's recommendation in terms of 'reviving'
what may *appear* to be a worn out starter. I gave detailed thought to fitting
my Triumph with a hi-torque unit about ten years ago, when old Joe Lucas began
to sound very tired and rather lazy. Spent some time talking to a starter and
generator rebuilder who claimed the majority of units he'd recommissioned had
nothing wrong with them that a thorough clean and a new bendix wouldn't fix.
His 
price was modest and he rebuilt that unit in just under a week. Came back
looking like new! Must say that when I refitted it the results were amazing.
Leapt into life, cranked far better than it had ever done before and never
gave 
me a moments trouble after that. It was money well spent, I saved a lot
through 
not buying a more modern unit and the savings incurred helped to
finance other 
needy issues. As Tom says, "if it aint broke don't fix it." Try
cleaning it as a 
low cost alternative (?) remedy and make a later decision
based on findings 
after cleaning.

Jonmac
To: David Templeton <davidt at opentext.com>
Cc:
triumphs at autox.team.net
Sent: Thu, 19 August, 2010 21:17:48
Subject: Re: [TR]
Tr3a starters

I've rebuilt two TR3's in the past couple of years and have
updated to the gear 
reduction starter in both. 

I bought from a private
party and had to buy another so I can't comment on good 
vendors. Moss has one
but there are others. There's one difference I'm not sure 
about. The TR3 and
early TR4's had a "pull to engage" starter where the drive 
"pulls back into
the ring gear" and there is a bevel in the ring gear so that 
the starter
engages easily. Both my reduction gear starters are "push out to 
engage" the
ring gear so I removed and flipped over the ring gear so that there 
was no
potential for binding/grinding. Actually, in the "new 3" when we 
installed
the OD tranny, I took the opportunity to install a lightened flywheel 
which
had the bevel for a push drive and so I installed the extra reduction gear
starter rather than redo the ring gear (and I had it on the shelf). 

I don't
think that this has been discussed before and maybe it's not a problem, 
but
I'd hate for you to find out the hard way that it doesn't work like you'd
want it to. 

Also, my buddy and most knowledgeable friend, thinks that
removing the starter 
and taking it apart and REALLY blowing it out helps it
turn faster. He thinks 
that 50 years or so of carbon dust from the brushes
floating around and sticking 
to various surfaces in the starter motor causes
it to turn more slowly. 

So, I'd probably say if it's not broke, it starts
well, etc. etc. etc. why try 
something new. 

Just my 2 cents worth. 
Tom
Fansher 
60 TR3A 
61 TR3A 
62 TR4 
73 Stag 

While I am into minor
"modernizing" of the '3a I am thinking about the 
starter, never had a problem
with the stock and still great, but I have read 
about the modern gear
reduction ones being better etc. 

So, who is a good vendor? What is a good
price? Anyone have horror stories to 
avoid?
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