Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi there,

The starter solenoid is gone, connecting the terminals with a starter cable runs the starter-motor.
Is there an easy way to remove the thing, can hardly get my hands in there.

Thanks for any advice,

Edward

PS; it's a '59

If you can take out the glovebox it is quite easy to reach to undo the cable and then there is just one nut holding it in place.
With the glovebox in place I would imagine it is very fiddly.
Are you sure it is faulty and not just the cable come off or broken? Does it work when you press the button in between the two terminals?

Pressing the button does nothing, connecting the two terminals with a starter cable does work.
Must be the solenoid.

Even with the glove-box removed it's very tight.
Removing the cable from the solenoid was easy, think I will just drill a new hole for the new solenoid and leave the old one where it is now, cable is long enough.

Edward

It's just one nut, isn't it? Is it seized, have you tried releasing fluid?
Once it is loosened you can undo it by holding the nut and turning the solenoid.
If you use a new hole I don't think the bracket that holds the cable will come with the new solenoid so you will still need to get it off.

It's not a 'solenoid' - it's just a cable operated 'pull start' switch. A solenoid is where a small electrical current causes a magnetic field to form - which in turn causes an iron core to move, which in turn usually(but not always) operates a much higher current carrying switch. The later cars with key start do have a 'solenoid'.

Your absolutely right, it's not a solenoid, it's a pull/push switch.

Calling her a few nasty things, getting my arms cut in return, finally removed the switch.

Struggled with fitting the new one, then found out that the new switch has metric nuts!

Starts and runs as new now,

Edward

Great success!

Well done, it is fiddly but NOT the worse job on a moggy.

You haven't seen my arms, a new cat is less destructive

It is my opinion -- and this is just me -- that the worst job on a Minor is putting the rear springs back on the car after having them removed. Close runner-up is the front suspension. Both because of the bloody bushes. But yeah, the "solenoid" switch can be a devil to remove; on Mog the trouble was getting the cable to come out.