Which starter motor?
Discussion
Just before Xmas, my starter motor went bye-byes.
Being typically me, I didn't get round to doing anything about it until last month. Took the old starter to a local Motor Factors and they immediately identified it as a Ford item, which I thought strange being connected to a Rover engine, but they seemed to know their stuff and considering the somewhat Frankenstein nature of Caterhams I thought "OK".
They managed to source a replacement within a couple of hours. Side by side on their counter, the two looked identical. So, I paid a very reasonable £90 and took the new one home.
However, after spending over three hours trying to fit it, it was clear that it wasn't right. It was ever-so-slightly too long in the body and the solenoid was fouling on the exhaust manifold.
So, a couple of days later I took it back. Thing is, by this time my old one had been spirited away into "the system" to be refurbished, so we had nothing to compare replacements to.
It was at this point that the Motor Factors hit a brick wall.
My engine is a 1.8 K series (although originally a 1.4) with the Caterham 6-speed box. The original starter had a "spacer/adaptor" thing on it, which went between the starter and the bell-housing. This "spacer/adaptor" was clearly made to measure; in fact it came off in one piece with the starter.
It was a Bosch and had a sticker on it with "0986 018 240 (12v 1.4kw)".
Could anyone point me in the right direction as to which starter I need?
Being typically me, I didn't get round to doing anything about it until last month. Took the old starter to a local Motor Factors and they immediately identified it as a Ford item, which I thought strange being connected to a Rover engine, but they seemed to know their stuff and considering the somewhat Frankenstein nature of Caterhams I thought "OK".
They managed to source a replacement within a couple of hours. Side by side on their counter, the two looked identical. So, I paid a very reasonable £90 and took the new one home.
However, after spending over three hours trying to fit it, it was clear that it wasn't right. It was ever-so-slightly too long in the body and the solenoid was fouling on the exhaust manifold.
So, a couple of days later I took it back. Thing is, by this time my old one had been spirited away into "the system" to be refurbished, so we had nothing to compare replacements to.
It was at this point that the Motor Factors hit a brick wall.
My engine is a 1.8 K series (although originally a 1.4) with the Caterham 6-speed box. The original starter had a "spacer/adaptor" thing on it, which went between the starter and the bell-housing. This "spacer/adaptor" was clearly made to measure; in fact it came off in one piece with the starter.
It was a Bosch and had a sticker on it with "0986 018 240 (12v 1.4kw)".
Could anyone point me in the right direction as to which starter I need?
ks.
grenpayne said:
Looks nice, did you haggle?
I'm not much of a haggler, to be honest. In an Egyptian souk, or with the looky-looky man on the beach in Tenerife perhaps - but not on the phone to a very nice man in Kent.So, I'm £275 poorer. However, I'm still owed £90 from the motor factors that sold me the wrong one.
Whatever. I'm just happy to get it sorted.
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