A big thank you to Peter C for pointing out correctly how I dorked up my
rebuilt starter motor. When attaching the cable, I must have turned the lug
and caused the wire inside to short to the housing. When I turned the key,
the starter turned slowly and a little smoke leaked out, leaving the lug warm
to the touch.
Yesterday I pulled the starter out and took the end cap off. Sure enough,
the heavy connector under the lug was twisted. I straightened it,
reassembled (which was the reverse of disassembly), and hooked up my jumper
cables from the battery to the starter. (I had the starter in the bench vise
to hold it still.) Pos to starter lug first, then battery ground to the case
of the starter (as per Frank C, thanks!), big spark, and the starter ran
beautifully.
I put that starter back in the car and went for a short drive around town
with #3 son. Everything seems to be fine and it started about 4 times so
far. The weekend should bring some more early spring (optimistic) Midget
driving. Sunday is forecast to be 60 deg and sunny.
I will now contact Peter with the number off my old starter and order new
brushes. I'm hankering to rebuild it as a spare. Or maybe sell it on e-Bay
(Your Personal Trading Community) for $200 as an original, antique MG starter
motor!
One quick question. The starter I took out (the one in the car when I bought
it in 1998) has a date 12.68 on it. Think that was a rebuilt installed at
some point in the car's past? It is a '77 Midget. Or did they just have
lots of old stock hanging around Abingdon? That doesn't seem likely.
Allen Hefner
SCCA Philly Region Rally Steward
'77 Midget
'92 Mitsubishi Expo LRV Sport
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