Starter solenoid refurbishment

[Colin Lindsay]

Anyone ever tried to refurbish the starter solenoid on our cars - the square version? I have quite a few rusty versions but only two of the push-button red button varieties, one of which no longer pushes. It would be nice to get it working again. Anyone tried? I've had a quick practice on a fixed-button model but whilst the case comes off easily enough I haven't yet tried to remove the innards. Any thoughts?

  

 

[Peter Truman]

Colin I modified your Left Hand no button solenoid to have a remote push button by drilling a hole thro the solid raised black section see attached photo.

I can't remember what the little red plastic button/cover is off, as I did the mod around 30 years ago, Oh and yes it works but in reality I've probably only used it a couple of times since installation.

I've recently converted the Mk2 Vitesse to a Hi Torque Starter see  under the solenoid it's a Isuzu Trooper (Aus Holden Rodeo) starter, it's wired thro the old solenoid, but I think I might wire it in direct and remove the remote solenoid ie to remove some of the congestion around the carb throttle lever, and twin battery cables near starter note the battery is in the boot and the battery cable is routed along the outside of the main chassis rail. In the proposed modified cabling only the cable near the speedo cable would be used and wired direct to the Hi Torque Starter underneath the starter, there's adequate clearance/space under there.

[Pete Lewis]

i moved my Vit6 solenoid to sit on top of the baulkhead not tucked down the front with the throttle and battery leads /hot exhaust congestion 

and solves the loose spanner short out when you drop something

Pete

 

 

[Colin Lindsay]

It's for the challenge, more than anything, and to beat the boredom of a long protracted lockdown... I suspect the coil is held in with a single wire to the front spade terminal, which is merely soldered on, so will try that later in the day.

The internals are simple enough, just a t-shaped bar on a spring-loaded pole that moves to bridge two contacts when energised so not rocket science by any means - if I get that far a good cleanup will probably work wonders. I just don't want to repair it to destruction hence the old rusty guinea pig will suffer first. There's one online for £30 (but £15 postage????) so it's worth a try, just another thing under the belt. 

Peter - that's a nice job; I may practice on the casing of the test unit later. Did you have to extend the inner rod, or does it, as I suspect, sit right out into the dimple on the rear of the case, so it's only a matter of cutting off that part and replacing with the push button?

[jmh]

I have done a few - often its the ground (internal) wire, soldered to the casting, that comes lose. Take care when you assemble the casting: Using pop rivets with care; its very easy to break the plastic housing. 

[Ian Foster]

Colin

The solenoid on my GT6 started playing up after 51 years and 200k miles (bl**dy Lucas rubbish) and couldn't hold sufficient current.

I have a modern starter so was able to bypass the solenoid switching facility but retaining it as a joining post. You have to run a separate energizing wire to the starter's own solenoid and remove the link wire, but it's all easily reversible. 

I managed to find a NOS original solenoid for a reasonable price, which I may fit in the future.

I will be interested to see some pictures of your investigations.

Ian

[Peter Truman]

Colin it was that long ago I can’t remember but I did try pushing the red button today and it kicked the starter so it’s connected thro the red plastic cover and presumably a rod or something to investigate any further I’d have to remove the solenoid and that’s a right bugger! Probably why Pete L moved it onto the bulkhead shelf.

[Colin Lindsay]

I'll confirm this afternoon... feel a bit of investigative destruction coming on.

[poppyman]

You will open it up and find this Colin. 

[Colin Lindsay]

1 hour ago, poppyman said:

You will open it up and find this Colin. 

Well I didn't so there!! That was an interesting 90 minutes, but sadly we fell at the last hurdle. However:

As I suspected, the copper wire from the coil comes out to the spade terminal, so a soldering iron will remove that. In behind there's a little rubber seal around the tube for the copper wire.

  

This being freed up the coil simply lifts out. It's attached to a backplate with a very thin earth wire, here on the right.

The other end of the case has two long copper terminals which are sealed into the case with rubber seals, but can be easily resealed on replacement with Tigerseal or the like. There's a gap then two C-shaped copper brackets, plus the plunger which raises when energised to bridge these and so make a connection. The plunger does not touch the two copper terminals but the brackets which are free to move make the connection - a failsafe, maybe?

 

They all clean up very well, case sandblasted lightly and then reassembled. There's a crinkly wasker on top of the coil, and an o-ring round the middle of the case to seal it. Rebuild in reverse order, making sure that the copper wire from the coil protrudes through the hole in the case. I rivetted the case and of course this is where it went conky-grew, one of the rivets broke the corner off the case. Replace the o-ring seal under the spade terminal, resolder the terminal (in the pic it's a quick temporary solder to confirm it's working) and happy days I have a solenoid that now clicks when energised.

 

So that's how it's done - to test, apply power to the spade terminal and an earth to the case, you'll hear it click. 

Now: the reason for all that was to learn from mistakes, so I can now try the rarer red push-button version and get it working again. Notes: don't forget the crinkly washer on top of the coil, nor the spring on the plunger, don't be too rough with the rivets, seal round the copper terminals before screwing the long spade terminals and lock washers back on, and make sure before rivetting that the small copper wire from the coil is protruding out of the body, otherwise the spade terminal will just push it back in again. Simples!

 

[PeteH]

6 hours ago, poppyman said:

You will open it up and find this Colin. 

Wot`s one ov them then?. 🤣.  How many more know what it`s FOR 🤣.

Pete

[Chris A]

37 minutes ago, PeteH said:

Wot`s one ov them then?. 🤣.  How many more know what it`s FOR 🤣.

Pete

You'll start something now with that. Hope you will be able to handle it 🤔

[Peter Truman]

Colin here is a NEW very old spare solenoid I have in my store and this arvo I drilled (1/8in) the end and fitted a pusher button (red nail varnish) the internal spring push's it back after operation so it now has remote operation.

If needed I could fit a rubber bladder to make it fully water tight but in reality water wouldn't get thro my new button

 

 

[Colin Lindsay]

It's a very handy thing to have, if you're working in the engine bay and need to turn the engine over. I have a lot of the new round versions with the large rubber button (which seems to age very quickly, and splits) plus a number of the square non-button versions, and just wanted to refurbish this one which is stuck solid - blame lockdown. The alternative is to go outdoors and trim trees. I've found quite a few companies selling the rubber switch covers for Maglite torches, which might be a perfect size; no red yet but I've found bright orange...

[Pete Lewis]

on trucks in the 80s we had a plastic /rubber cover to protect these Sols from weather  find an old Dodge 500  , they were plagued with terminal corrosion

( probably initiated by the demise of the Commer brand ) Ha 

Pete

[Peter Truman]

I also have 2 old round ones they had perished boots but I found a neat fitting pliable plastic boot that fitted neatly over the lip and cable ties into the groove so completely water tight.

I had around 7 of these boots (red) but friends have used them for the same purpose on all manner of Trumpies Spits, Gt6, and the TR range. I think the boots came off the emergency stop switch’s for each pump when the station was getting its 15 year complete upgrade, my motto waste not want not!