Don't over look the obvious

[MRG1965]

Just thought I'd share an old lesson I thought I'd learned years, ago but have been schooled again.

 

My TR4 was starting very poorly and intermitantly. Thought the battery or starter was at fault as she would turn over slowly or fire up with a strained rotation.

 

Tested battery and this was fine, started to look at replacement starter motor at £180.

 

but then had a sudden thought, earth strap. Used a jump lead from negative terminal to the engine block, disconnect low tension wire from coil and she spins over like new and dare I say a modern car.

 

£20 spent on new earth straps, battery to body and block to chassis. I also added for good measure a strap from battery to bell housing as I was not sure the body-chassis connection would be good and clean after 50 years as I don't think the body has even been off.

 

Not so much an old dog learning new tricks, more an old dog forgetting the basics and assuming the problem must be expensive or complex.

 

Starts like a dream now.

 

Mark

Edited August 27, 2014 by MRG1965

[Dave Larnder]

Mark

What happened when you reconnected the LT wire? and why did you remove it in the first place?

 

Dave

[BrianC]

Not so much an old dog learning new tricks, more an old dog forgetting the basics and assuming the problem must be expensive or complex.

 

My TR3A was off the road for many years and when we eventually got a TR4A for Lynda, I had to re-learn how to drive a TR and how to maintain it. A couple of years later, I had to do the same with my rebuilt TR3A.

 

40 years ago, I could do most of the jobs on autopilot. The only good aspect is that rediscovering the old tricks reminds me of my youth and how we all learned the hard way by running our TRs as daily transport with minimal funding, garaging, etc,

[MRG1965]

Mark

What happened when you reconnected the LT wire? and why did you remove it in the first place?

 

Dave

Hi Dave, wanted to see the engine turn over to see how well it did without the engine firing up so I could gauge the difference.

 

Mark

[MRG1965]

My TR3A was off the road for many years and when we eventually got a TR4A for Lynda, I had to re-learn how to drive a TR and how to maintain it. A couple of years later, I had to do the same with my rebuilt TR3A.

 

40 years ago, I could do most of the jobs on autopilot. The only good aspect is that rediscovering the old tricks reminds me of my youth and how we all learned the hard way by running our TRs as daily transport with minimal funding, garaging, etc,

Hi Brian, yes it is satisfying relearning old tricks and remembering...

[RogerH]

Hi Mark,

that extra earth from battery to engine/bell housing can make a great deal of difference.

Battery to body and chassis to engine is fine but you are then relying on the body somehow trying to make it to the chassis.

There are many bolts that should do the job, BUT if the shell has been painted then you have insulators left, right and centre.

 

Extra earth is a good move.

 

Roger

[MRG1965]

Hi Mark,

that extra earth from battery to engine/bell housing can make a great deal of difference.

Battery to body and chassis to engine is fine but you are then relying on the body somehow trying to make it to the chassis.

There are many bolts that should do the job, BUT if the shell has been painted then you have insulators left, right and centre.

 

Extra earth is a good move.

 

Roger

Hi Roger, yes even if some of the bolt connections were clean it must be a convoluted route. I'm a simple chap and like simple solutions.

 

Mark