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MG TD TF 1500 - Rebuilding Starter Motor

Hi all,

Rebuilding my Lucas starter as it was making a bad noise and emitting a lot of smoke. Dismantled and the brushes were worn very low, a fellow TD owner suggested that the pinion spring may have failed to disengage the gear (not sure what this part is called) so the starter was spinning as I was driving. I've cleaned up the interior pretty well and the field coils look fine, but the fabric material that was once around them was just falling apart, as was the paperlike insulation material that is in between them and the statrer housing. So I have two questions:

1 - what does the material around the field coils do and is it a necessity? If so, what can I use in replace it?

2 - is the insulation material between the field coils and starter housing required? If so, what can I use to replace it?

Replacing the brushes seems simplistic, I was able to find some online info on that but I can't find anything specific about the field coil material or insulation.

Thanks for your help,

Steve
SD Denham

Not sure about the paper and how to replace it (or with what), but re the brushes, it's important to lightly clean up the commutator (copper drum on the end of the armature) with some fine emery paper and to lightly undercut the insulator segments between the copper segments using a thin file.

BTW, if you need a compressor to compress that Bendix spring and disassemble the Bendix (the bit with the gear on it), I have one and can loan it.
Kevin McLemore

The material around the field coils is a nylon type material. I don't believe that anything can be gained by trying to replace it as long as the material where the pole pieces go through the coil. If the material in that area is also failing, then you need to get some nylon insulation tape to recover that area. the nylon tape can be purchased from someplace like Waytek Wire at: http://www.waytekwire.com/

The other, more sturdy paper that goes around the starter case and under the long screws is called fish paper (at least it was called back in the days I started working on things electrical (just shortly after Noah's arc landed). It can be purchased from Antique Electronics Supply (told you I started a long time ago) at https://www.tubesandmore.com/search/node/fish%20paper Cheers - Dave
DW DuBois

You could (essentially) replace the insulating material with several coats of a good varnish or epoxy paint.

I used to use Glyptal, a varnish specifically designed for this purpose.

I notice its quite expensive now.

http://www.amazon.com/Glyptal-1201-Enamel-Insulating-Paint/dp/B0034D1ZCM


If you use a more standard varnish,I would avoid black as the black pigment might be conductive.
Today white pigment is titanium dioxide and that is a good insulator.

This will fix you up just fine.

I had the deflection coils arc on a projection TV years ago. I spread the coils, found the arc, painted things with(real) glyptal and they worked for 10 more years.

Jim B.
Jim B in NJ

About the only place that I could find Glyptol is from Eastwood at eastwood.com If you do go for Glyptol, get it in the spray can, even though it more expensive that way. The particulat in unused glyptol, will settle to the bottom of the can and is extremely difficult to get it back into suspension for further use. Cheers - Dave
DW DuBois

The real question is how are you going to put the smoke back in the starter?

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Stuart
S Grimm

This thread was discussed between 04/09/2015 and 05/09/2015

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