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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - high torque starter

I am looking for a pre engaged high torque starter motor. On e Bay prices are between £80 and £300. Witch one is good and reliable? It is for a 1275 frog eye daily driver.

Flip
Flip Brühl

I'm on my second Powerlite, decided to stick with it after seeing tales about the alternative.

On the current one the blue rubber insulating cover over the thick twisted wire to the solenoid split in fairly short order whereas the previous never did (more piss-poor rubber?).

Certainly not cheap but a lot easier on the ears than the original crash type starter and should be easier on the battery and wires if less load but more torque.

https://powerlite-units.com/starters/rac403.html


Nigel Atkins

Why do you need one? I never had a problem with a 1420cc A series and the normal Lucas inertia starter.
David Billington

ETA: last time I asked as David has it came down to want rather than need (same for me).

and I missed the edit for this link -
https://powerlite-units.com/files/public/data-sheets/RAC403_data_sheet_05_August_2019.pdf
Nigel Atkins

There are no problems when the engine is cold and the battery is full in warm weather. If the engine is warm and the weather is cold; below 0 degree C it takes more than one revolution to start....
I had to rebuild the starter motor twice in 20 years. (bearings brushes and another time the field coil)

Flip
Flip Brühl

Powerlite is not the only one. On the E Bay list for mini are:
SBC
GX 4404X
GXE4527X
RAC 463
RAL 80s
Summit

Any body with some experience?

Nigel why are you on your second powerlite? What happened?
Flip
Flip Brühl

Flip

Are they just available for Mini, or do they do Spridget versions?
Dave O'Neill 2

Flip,
I think it became a victim of one of my clutch problems (please don't ask what clutch problems - from using the wrong "specialist experts") combined possibly with an unusual period of non-use which coincide with a very short period of some unusual weather conditions. A tooth or two on the stater and/or the flywheel got damaged causing an occasional very nasty sounding missed start. First time was when queueing to go on the stage at the NEC so I had to push the car forward each time and just hope it didn't do it when I had to start it to drive on to the stage. Just for once I was lucky and it didn't do it then or the rest of the day IIRC.

With cars, if it wasn't for bad luck I'd not have any luck.
Nigel Atkins

Flip,

"below 0 degree C it takes more than one revolution to start.... "

I think it will. Naive question but have you considered uprating your battery to one with a higher cold cranking rating (CCA)?
Jeremy MkIII

Ive got a powerlite starter and an odyssey PC610 (I think) battery. I didn't really need either - but when its your hobby that's not the point is it. Sometimes I switch it off just so I can experience it starting again!!
S G Macfarlane

RAC 463 is the model number of the Powerlite starter(s) I have.

I might be wrong but GXE4527X looks like a catalogue part number rather than relating to a specific part (is X for alternative, or exchange, I can't remember).

GX 4404X suggests similar to me, again could well be wrong.

Summit, I think of Summit Racing.

I only have experience of Powerlite (other than the standard factory type starters).
Nigel Atkins

Nigel,

Maybe not clutch problems but starter usage. A mate found to his cost on a Audi he had that using the starter badly would kill the starter internals. IIRC the situation was when the motor fired but didn't properly start so he would hit the starter again and it resulted in IIRC breaking the plastic gears in the epicyclic reduction box in the starter motor. After doing it twice he learned to let things fully stop before trying the starter again.
David Billington

Hi David,
I would hope I was a bit too long in the tooth and experienced with old British cars to act like a stereotypical BMW or Aldi driver, but perhaps I'm so old I didn't notice I was. If I had done such a thing it would been such a rare event and certainly not regular. I expect my car to start reasonably quickly or something is wrong and needs attention.
Nigel Atkins

Nigel,

I know BMW and Mercedes drivers get heaped together as assuming they have automatic indicators and other things that don't need driver input but you'll have to enlighten me as to what an Aldi driver is? ;)
David Billington

David,
just as a total generalisation, it seems now that all the bad BMW owners now buy Aldis and that the VW Group had made their diesel engines of just a few years back to produce the maximum of black soot storms, although I'm sure the on-board computers would prove they were the cleanest running vehicles along with excellent mpg.
Nigel Atkins

Nigel,

I was pulling your leg a bit, I presume you have auto correction on as twice you have spelled Aldis where I presume you meant Audis. I'll have to pop over to my local budget superstore and see what discount cars they're selling this week.
David Billington

The gear reduction starter for the 4 cylinder Isuzu Trooper is a direct fit. I have had to return Moss units because they would not mount.

Any rebuilt unit for the Trooper will be a great improvement over the Lucas starter in terms of longevity.
Glenn Mallory

Thank you Glenn!
Flip Brühl

O/T

David,
sorry missed your post - spell-checker can't cope with my spellings. Audis used to be owned by reasonable drivers but now it's all about the badge (always has been in this country but so much more so now) so we now have Aldi drivers.
Nigel Atkins

Glenn..
That's interesting info. Thanks!
Greybeard

Grey,
that sort of info used to be about when I had my previous Spridget but seems to be lost a bit with the passing of time, like T9 instead of the better Toyota conversions.

Do check if it's suitable for the 1500 though as something at the back of my mind thinks it may not be -BUT - as you know my memory is very poor and once again I could be talking out of the wrong orifice.
Nigel Atkins

Not a bad point Nigel, but I believe the original is interchangeable between the A series and the 1500, so that's a good start. (You see what I did there?) 😆

Although thinking about it they're on opposite sides so there could be an issue over clearance of the solenoid. Like you said, it would need a coat of looking-at.
Greybeard

This thread was discussed between 05/08/2019 and 18/08/2019

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