I hate MGs........

[DougF]

Maybe you are dreaming of the car at night and that is why your tank is empty.

 

[Deleted member 3577]

Yup, I've seen it, Dave: switch off, thing *coughs* and starts to "diesel"... Backwards!

It happened a few times after I first bought the car.
It hasn't happened since....

Apparently I blew the gunk out???

My advice if this happens to you......
Red-line the sucker when its good & hot. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/driving.gif

(or maybe use that SeaFoam stuff?)

 

[Nunyas]

If I recall correctly, the only times my car ever dieseled (backwards) were when the coil was on it's last legs (ignition issues) and when the air/fuel mixture was wicked lean.

 

[tazochai]

Do those of you with the starter so good you just look at the key and it starts (grin) have gear reduction starters? Or your original starter?

What happened to me was the car started like normal (which meant it would start on either the first or second attempt) that morning. I stopped at the drugstore on the way to work and when I came back out car would not start at all. I heard the click and the ignition light came on but nothing else. Had it towed to shop.

Mechanic told me just now that my starter got stuck in the flywheel, so they had to put it in a forward gear and rock it backwards to get it out.

He offered choices
1) replace my starter with a rebuilt starter (cheapest)
2) replace it with a gear reduction starter
3) look at the ring gear on the flywheel and replace that, which involves taking out the engine, so that is the last option I suppose.

I told him to go ahead and do option 1, then I remembered reading this thread, was wondering if you all had gear reduction starters.

 

[Steve_S]

Original starter. There is no reason to spend money on a gear reduction starter unless you're building a very high compression engine. Original units are cheap to rebuild and should last for years, even decades of normal use.

If your ring gear is heavily worn or damaged, a gear reduction starter "might" get you by for a few years without replacing the ring gear, due to a different way of engaging the teeth.

 

[DrEntropy]

Steve's correct. Just replace the thing with a standard unit.

Our B has a ring gear so badly worn it throws the pinion back out when it reaches that part. It still starts on the key. After it's sat for a week or two it takes two tries. Old style starter. I'll get a "round tuit" when it needs a tranny rebuild. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif

 

[dklawson]

In the A-series world, I'm aware of people who take pre-engaged gear reduction starters for Isuzus and slot their mounting holes so they can mount them on their 1275s. I also have an acquaintance who's taken the front plate off of old Lucas starters and modified them to use as adapter plates to mount Honda starters on A-series engines. I agree with Steve S. My engine's not so demanding that it needs a gear reduction starter.

BTW, neither my Triumph nor my Mini start on the first turn of the key UNLESS they've already been started once that day. Both cars are weekend vehicles and it takes at least three turns of the key to get them to start that first time.