Starter motor plastic cover removal

[Dave Wheatley]

I spent an hour yesterday trying to remove the plastic cover with no success. Now I am ancient and do not have a lot of strength in my hands any more. Is there a simple way of removing it, and are there any fasteners to undo. 1978 BGT. The starter is mounted with the solenoid at the bottom and I have decent access under the car. I am wanting to check that the connections are correct and secure. Perhaps just cut it away to reveal the solenoid connections? Does it do any good? I've not had a cover on any other car.

[Michael Barclay]

Hi Dave
The starter motor cover is not the easiest to remove. The plastic goes hard with temperature and time. Try using a hairdryer on the cover to make it softer and more pliable. You should then be able to wiggle it off. The wiring to the solenoid is the main feed from the battery then to the rest of the car electrics so would advise keeping the cover as it protects the wiring from corrosion and road dirt.
Best regards
Mike Barclay

[Dave Wheatley]

Thanks Michael. No fasteners then. I'll try the heat this afternoon, and report back.

[Charles Farran]

Hi Dave,
I've removed mine a couple of times over the years - it is certainly much easier when it has had some heat on it ,either a little while after a drive long enough to warm the engine up & the various components attached to it or the hair dryer ( or something similar) approach. I found the only way was to push & pull it from below towards the front of the car and pull downwards. (This can be assisted by also doing the same from above, with the distributor cap & leads off the oil filter if timed when doing an oil service). Helps to clean & warm the rubber boot up before replacing otherwise it is hard to hold & ease back on.
Double check you have put the wiring back on correctly before replacing the boot!
Cheers,
Charles

[Dave Wheatley]

All sorted. Bit of heat plus brutal levering from underneath! I didn't want to force it if there were fasteners.
Thanks to all.

[Charles Farran]

Well done Dave.
I have seen many MGBs where the boot is missing either through loss or owners finding it too much hassle to put back on & have seen the effects of muck & corrosion that Mike refers to, so worth making the effort to put back on!
Cheers,
Charles

[Dave Wheatley]

Thanks Charles,
The reason I wanted to get the cover off was because I had had slight starting problems which I had reported on here, where the engine only fired when the key was released. But the wiring appears to be OK, and the solenoid has the extra 12v take off for the coil during starter operation, so I'll have investigate a bit further!

[Charles Farran]

Well done Dave.
I have seen many MGBs where the boot is missing either through loss or owners finding it too much hassle to put back on & have seen the effects of muck & corrosion that Mike refers to, so worth making the effort to put back on!
Cheers,
Charles

[Charles Farran]

Dave,

Apologies - i don't know why my last post was put up again!
I recall the issue. With the boot removed have you tried connecting a test light or meter to the terminal on the solenoid that is energised when cranking(with the other lead to a suitable earth),having disconnected the existing non ballast feed? That, i believe, will tell you if the problem is at the solenoid end as it should only be powered under cranking conditions.

Cheers

Charles

[Michael Barclay]

Hi Dave
I would start by checking out the starter and ignition relays screwed to the inside of the driver’s side wing. Look at the diagram on top of the relay and with the ignition turned on, connect a meter (DC volts) between pin 30 and ground on the ignition relay and check for full battery voltage. Then measure across pin 87 and ground you should read the same voltage. If not, it would suggest the relay is failing. Do the same with starter relay checking the voltage when the key is turned to the crank position. Again any significant volts drop will indicate the heavy duty contacts in the relay are starting to fail when current is passed through them. Next put a meter (DC volts) between the + side of the coil (White and green wire)and ground and measure the voltage. With the ignition on you should get between 6 and 9 volts. When turned to the cranking position this should rise to full battery voltage effectively bypassing the ballast resistor. Hope this helps.
Best regards
Mike Barclay