Don't know the details of that Lucas starter (as if anyone does),
but assuming it's similar to a conventional Amurrican one,
the symptoms may indicate:
1. The Bendix is not disengaging from the ring gear.
Turning the engine a bit in the normal direction of rotation
tends to back the pinion gear down its helical ramp, out of engagement.
The implication is the Bendix is dirty, gummy, worn, or corroded (maybe all
of these),
or the return spring (if any) is weak.
2. Any sound at all when it's in sleep mode? A click?
Silence or just a click may indicate a bad commutator segment
(pitted, broken segment, broken wire), open winding, or worn-out brushes
Again, turning the engine with the Bendix still engaged would move
the commutator to a new position.
3. If the starter spins but doesn't engage, again, that implies gummed up
Bendix,
or bashed up pinion or ring gear teeth, preventing engagement.
Starters aren't that complicated, but first you need to get them out!
Probably a fair chance that the starter is at least partially parts
interchangeable
with a civvy automotive or truck Lucas starter, and there are lots of
rebuilders out there.
Note that NAPA in the US has a huge inventory of parts you wouldn't expect
to find,
in a long rack of catalogs, available on overnight order...
-Dave M.
...no MV's yet, just old tractors so far...
...and spent many years fiddling with Lucas, Smiths, and Girling bits!
BTW, it looks like the addressing on the list is set up so replies
go to the individual sender, rather than to the list?
Adding a "Reply-To" on the list setup would change this.
At 10:28 PM 6/17/2001 -0400, you wrote:
>Lucas Princess of Darkness strikes again. As a post script to my starter
>woes. You may recall I could not get the starter switch to engage with any
>degree of certainty recently. Like today when I was on my way to a car
show.
> Two hours later, it just starts up like there was never a problem. Runs
>perfectly! Even won 2nd place at the Rancheria Air and Vehicle Show.
>
>So lets say the starter switch is in one of the "I won't work" modes and I
am
>tinkering around looking for a reason. I've discovered when you use the
>engine crank and roll the engine over just a turn.... the starter
>works???!!!! Coincidence? Perhaps. But, I like to think of it as one of
the
>completely unexplainable events attributed to the nether world of Lucas
>Prince of Darkness.
>
>Given how little I used the Ferret, I suppose on that odd time that it won't
>engage the starter, a little hand crank to coax it to work is an
>inconvenience I could live with, but it's an odd one isn't it? lol
>
>Lastly, my profound thanks to those of you who have responded with
>suggestions such saying incantations, burning the Ferret at the stake or an
>exorcism, all very helpful I'm sure and taken under advisement.
>
>Jack Lee
>
>===Mil-Veh is a member-supported mailing list===
>To unsubscribe, send e-mail to: <mil-veh-off@mil-veh.org>
>To switch to the DIGEST mode, send e-mail to <mil-veh-digest@mil-veh.org>
>To reach a human, contact <ack@mil-veh.org>
>
-------------------------------------------------------------
Dave Merchant
http://www.nesys.com
http://www.nesys.com/3d.html
http://www.nesys.com/HCEA/index.html
http://www.ncweb.com/users/kosh/
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=1001363
kosh@nesys.com
kosh@ncweb.com
-------------------------------------------------------------
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Jul 05 2001 - 00:40:37 PDT