Subject: [Mgs] 74 MGB starter issue

From: William Killeffer <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 19 Mar 2013 21:53:26 -0400

Back in November, I had to park my 1974 MGB because it appeared that the
starter had gotten stuck and would no longer turn the engine over. I could
still roll start it, but doing that on the flat ground at my home and the area
nearby can be a bit of a chore. The starter would not respond to being banged
on with a hammer or anything like that.

The battery is less than a year old and has been on a charger since all this
happened. I have replaced the ground cable in the battery box (one single 12v
rather than two 6v) and made sure to keep it short and attached to a clean
area of the body.

I got the wanderlust today and went through the rather laborious steps to get
it rolling under its own power and drove to see the parents a short distance
away.

My father speculated that the starter might not really be stuck, and that a
current test might reveal another issue. He has an inductive gauge measuring
amperage that is designed to fasten onto the hot wire running into the
starter.

I put the gauge on right before the wire actually connects to the starter, and
he turned the key. As always, we could hear the solenoid clicking, but no
response from the starter.

Assuming I had the gauge attached properly, the needle barely deflected when
he turned the key. He said that in the case of a stuck starter that is
attempting to turnover, the needle will make a large deflection because the
starter is pulling alot of current. In this case, barely any current was
pulled.

Dad said this could be a sign of bad brushes or some other contact issue,
especially since the solenoid clicks. The starter is no more than four years
old and was purchased at Autozone. In theory, it should still be under
warranty, but I cannot find the receipt from where I purchased it. Dad said
that if I can drop it, the Autozone folks will test it. We know how much fun
dropping the starter is, but if it makes a difference...

Anyhow, I just wanted to get some additional input from the group about other
issues that might be causing the trouble I am having. Any other ideas and
suggestions would be appreciated.

Thank you,
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