Morris Minor Owners Club

ever since i rebuilt my engine in august, the battery seems to not have enough umph to turn the engine over fast enough to start it first time.
when i turn the key, the engine turn over slowly (like when the battery is dead) and then it starts.

having had the battery tested, its all good, holds its charge and according to the test thingy at the garage its all good.
so what's not right about this situation?

it starts fine on the handle, its just very reluctant to turn over with any pace to start first time.

can only think of bad connection lose earth or very tight engine

or bushes in starter motor worn?

all connections are clean and tight and the starter motor is new, so solved that one.

a for the tight engine, it is a tight engine, but not sure how to cure such a thing. presumably a tight newly rebuilt engine is a good thing

No - it should not be tight - but if you can start it on the handle it can't be THAT tight. How many teeth on the new starter pinion?? Should be 9. And -it may not be a 'good' starter.... even though it's new. I would add a second good strong earth strap from any of the engine/gearbox bolts to a good solid/bright connection on the bodyshell. Any evidence of the Ignition 'kicking' against the starter? I guess not - since again it would be pretty much impossible to start on the handle.

9 lovely shiny unworn teeth on the starter.

it used to start fine until i rebuilt the engine, but i have been assuming its just because its a nice tight engine, the battery which is one of halfrauds finest pieces of junk just isnt up to the task.

not sure what you mean about Ignition 'kicking' against the starter

If the timing is too far advanced it will fire the mixture before the piston get to TDC which will make it kick back which could break your wrist or thumb starting on the handle.

Can you 'borrow' another battery to see if the problem disappears ? Also - have you considered the possibility that something is slowly discharging the battery overnight? Try disconnecting the battery when you park up at night - and then reconnect in the morning just before you start up. Any better?

Too easy to knock Halfords. I bought a battery from them after the restoration in 1998 and only replaced after 7 years because it seemed like a good idea! It was still working and holding its charge perfectly well. The replacement is now 6 years old.

Definitely worth trying another battery to be sure, but either the engine is really too tight, which if it has been run for even a short while after being rebuilt, it should not be, or there is a starter motor or connection problem somewhere.

A decent capacity battery is well worth while - I do not subscsribe to the cheapest, smallest option. For +ve earth I would fit an 077 (45 Ah) as the smallest and for -ve earth an 065 (50 Ah). Our 1380 has a 10T starter (9 years old), which is the standard Lucas replacement and an 065 battery. Even with a CR of 10.5:1, it spins over very easily and starts very predictably whether it is hot/cold, the next day, or 1-2 months later.

I am in a similar situation, the engine turns free and I am rebuilding my pick up and currently installing the wiring, The engine turns over but sluggish and the battery is good but not sure on the starter. It does turn as I said but sluggish. I have no earth strap fitted. I have tested the starter before I installed it how fast should that turn on the floor?

You MUST have an earth strap - otherwise you are running the starter current back through the choke and accelerator cables - they will melt........

will that make the starter turn quicker? I have a spare starter to solenoid cable is that good enough to use? From gearbox to cross member or is there anywhere else I can put it?

Any where on the engine bay? Photos welcome

Of course! From engine to any solid /clean /bright metal part of the shell - or back to the earth connection of the battery if you wish.

Ah...................so its not the starter then just the lack of this cable

What the best place to atached to the engine to run to say the engine tower to the chassis

It needs to bridge the rubber of the engine mount, between the block and the base of engine tower is common.

Yes that would be ideal - just make sure you connect to nice clean/paint free metal. This 'may' not be the problem - but it certainly could be !

fitted the earth strap from the gearbox to the cross-member and lo and behold................starter turns handsomely now!

Will be started up I hope

Great success!

well, my parents brought a very big hammer to crack a nut, one shiny new electronic ignition dizzy and a new earthing strap and hey presto, starts on the button.

bit of a drastic method of getting around a problem, but its christmas and they bought it as a little prezzy for Primrose, so i had to fit it

Parents........ehhhh, you just can't beat them !