If it is a standard style starter, you might be experiencing "heat soak"
on the starter motor. Causing interference with the solenoid from too
much heat. I use a gear reduction starter on my high performance TR6
engine. It helps over come the increased compression and the heat from
the extractors. I also use a heat shield around the starter as extra
protection.
Shawn Loseke
1972 TR6
Fort Collins, CO
www.loseke.net/shawn
Glen Johnson wrote:
>
> Hi everyone,
>
> We just finished putting together our new motor for our 2500 saloon. We
> have a 2.7L overbore, extractors, 2.5" free flow exhaust, fast road cam,
> flowed head with bigger valves, hepolite pistons, fully electronic -
> high energy ignition running iridium plugs and magnacore leads, bosch
> pump, K&N filter on custom airbox for maximum cold air ducting - and a
> few other goodies I probably forgot. We were expecting between
> 180-200bhp and so far have only covered 40km in it and won't start
> pushing it until we have it nicely run in. It is lovely though.
>
> I have a problem getting her to start though. We are running a second
> hand starter which we were sure was good and the battery had been
> sitting for at least 2 months while we were building the new motor. We
> charged the battery up and got things running - but now we have problems
> getting her to start regularly.
>
> When it is cold she starts a treat - first go - and with a glorious
> roar.
>
> When it is warm it is difficult to start (after a run for as little as 5
> minutes - we are usually reading around a 1/4 on the temp gauge.). It
> sounds like the battery is mostly flat and she just gives a few pathetic
> turns and sometimes just a relay click. After three or four goes at
> this sort of attempt it will sometimes fire.
>
> Last night after a test run I returned to the house when she was nice
> and hot (after a run for 30-40 minutes) and she was reading a solid 1/2
> on the temp gauge - and my electric fan was coming on now and then to
> regulate the temp. While still idling in the garage I took a few notes.
> With the ignition in the on position the voltmeter in the dash read
> 12.2V, I verified this at the battery and found that we had 12.2 when
> idling, 11.8 when idling and electric fan running, I also found that we
> had 11.95 volts at the alternator whilst idling without the electric
> fan.
>
> I turned her off and let her sit for a minute. I then tried to start
> her up again and it sounded like a flat battery and there was no way it
> was going to turn over enough to fire. Even though she was running like
> a treat only moments before. I tried and tried and all we were doing
> was draining the battery and getting nowhere. Even with jumper leads
> off my big 4WD battery it would not fire. With the ignition key off we
> read 12.2V across the battery.
>
> I left it to sit in the garage thinking that there was nothing wrong
> with the battery and there was a chance it was heat related.
>
> This morning I returned to the garage - pulled the choke out - turned
> the key (voltmeter reading a shade under 13V in the dash compared to the
> 12.2V the previous night) and she fired and ran very happily. NO EFFORT
> INVOLVED
>
> It has been suggested that the new motor is still of course rather tight
> and when hot the metals are expanded and the starter just cannot turn
> the motor over sufficiently to start it.
>
> It has also been suggested that my battery has insufficient cranking
> amps to do the warm/hot start.
>
> It is also possible the battery has just shat itself - but if this were
> the case I reckon trying to start with the jumper leads would have
> worked.
>
> Can anyone suggest what might be the problem?
>
> She starts fine when cold, difficultly when warm and not at all when
> hot.
>
> Glen Johnson
> Head of Creative Services
>
> Little Devil Media
> L2 - 83 Salamanca Place,
> Battery Point, Tasmania.
> Australia
>
> Phone (+61 3) 6224 8988
> Facsimile (+61 3) 6224 3545
>
> http://www.littledevil.com.au <http://www.littledevil.com.au/>
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