Starter motor / solenoid from MG Metro
Discussion
My brother is fitting an MG Metro engine to his car. He's got 2 problems, so over to the PH experts:
1. He needs (he presumes) to fit the engine with the Metro starter motor because it is pre-engaged and the Mini is not (or vice versa). Certainly the Mini starter will not turn the engine over. When the Metro starter is fitted, the Solenoid won't fire it. Shorting out the Solenoid connections turns the engine over. But the wiring won't reach the Metro Solenoid! What is the deal with these items???
2. He's replaced the Metro dizzy (electronic ignition) with the Mini one. Will this work???
Cheers all!
1. He needs (he presumes) to fit the engine with the Metro starter motor because it is pre-engaged and the Mini is not (or vice versa). Certainly the Mini starter will not turn the engine over. When the Metro starter is fitted, the Solenoid won't fire it. Shorting out the Solenoid connections turns the engine over. But the wiring won't reach the Metro Solenoid! What is the deal with these items???
2. He's replaced the Metro dizzy (electronic ignition) with the Mini one. Will this work???
Cheers all!
miniman said:
My brother is fitting an MG Metro engine to his car. He's got 2 problems, so over to the PH experts:
1. He needs (he presumes) to fit the engine with the Metro starter motor because it is pre-engaged and the Mini is not (or vice versa). Certainly the Mini starter will not turn the engine over. When the Metro starter is fitted, the Solenoid won't fire it. Shorting out the Solenoid connections turns the engine over. But the wiring won't reach the Metro Solenoid! What is the deal with these items???
2. He's replaced the Metro dizzy (electronic ignition) with the Mini one. Will this work???
Cheers all!
I kept the Metro dizzy (IIRC), and swapped the metro starter motor for a mini one - the complete unit (not because it wouldn't start, but because it stuck out too far and wouldn't clear the front end), and it always started up fine (well, it would then die constantly until it was warmed up, but it started OK
)Two problems with the starter.
Firstly as you have already found the older minis had the solenoid on the inner wing, where the late minis and metros had a solenoid mounted on the starter.
Secondly the ring-gear changed at some point (I'm not sure when). AFAIK this means the pinion on the mini starter will not fit the metro ring-gear.
So you're stuck with the metro stylie starer, with pre-engagement solenoid. I have seen the existing solenoid used as an terminal, a new heavy cable run from the existing solenoid to the one on the starter. Then extend the command wires from the the old to the new and jobs a good'un.
I'm sure there is a more elegant solution but depends how bothered you are !!
Use the Metro dizzy if you can, its electronic i.e. 'pointless' !!
Firstly as you have already found the older minis had the solenoid on the inner wing, where the late minis and metros had a solenoid mounted on the starter.
Secondly the ring-gear changed at some point (I'm not sure when). AFAIK this means the pinion on the mini starter will not fit the metro ring-gear.
So you're stuck with the metro stylie starer, with pre-engagement solenoid. I have seen the existing solenoid used as an terminal, a new heavy cable run from the existing solenoid to the one on the starter. Then extend the command wires from the the old to the new and jobs a good'un.
I'm sure there is a more elegant solution but depends how bothered you are !!
Use the Metro dizzy if you can, its electronic i.e. 'pointless' !!
Theres loads of stuff on the ring gear/starter probs on eitherMinispares (Kieth Calver) or Minispeed, can't remember which but it has something to do with teeth ratios and knacking your ring gear.
Metro dizzy two outside terminals only, one to coil +ve, other to coil -ve. If you get it wrong it wont start but doesnt knacker anything (alledgedly)
Hope you have more success than I did, hope you have hydraulic clutch operating system also.
Tony H
Metro dizzy two outside terminals only, one to coil +ve, other to coil -ve. If you get it wrong it wont start but doesnt knacker anything (alledgedly)
Hope you have more success than I did, hope you have hydraulic clutch operating system also.
Tony H
I'm going to change from the pre-engaged starter to an inertia one on my 1990 Cooper.
For this I'll need to change the starter ring, but it's a straight swap. (I may revert to the original flywheel and clutch to get rid of the weaker Verto and improve reliability in this area.)
The reasons for this are twofold. The first is that with the built-in solenoid there is less clearance for the oil cooler in front of the starter motor and it won't go on the other side of the grill opening with the big 65 amp alternator I'm fitting.
The other is that if I get a solenoid failure on a rally I can more easily change a remote solenoid.
The oil cooler problem is made worse by the fact that on these cars the engine is approx half an inch further forward, so I'm moving it back again for which I'll need a shorter engine steady bar and a shorter rod-change unit off an earlier car.
For this I'll need to change the starter ring, but it's a straight swap. (I may revert to the original flywheel and clutch to get rid of the weaker Verto and improve reliability in this area.)
The reasons for this are twofold. The first is that with the built-in solenoid there is less clearance for the oil cooler in front of the starter motor and it won't go on the other side of the grill opening with the big 65 amp alternator I'm fitting.
The other is that if I get a solenoid failure on a rally I can more easily change a remote solenoid.
The oil cooler problem is made worse by the fact that on these cars the engine is approx half an inch further forward, so I'm moving it back again for which I'll need a shorter engine steady bar and a shorter rod-change unit off an earlier car.
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