Starter and solenoid location

Post Reply
jstoezel
Posts: 207
Joined: September 19th, 2010, 6:21 pm

Starter and solenoid location

Post by jstoezel »

Hi:

Is the starter pictured below anything special? The solenoid is located towards the centre line of the transmission. This is the setup that used to be running on my car. I bought it minus the transmission (and the starter).

The starter I have on my transmission is mounted so the solenoid is located towards the rear left tire. Mounted this way it interferes with the bodywork and the exhaust. I can't rotate the starter to get the solenoid towards the centre line of the transmission, the solenoid interferes with the bell housing.

I'm not sure of the provenance of my current starter, over the years it's been painted many times. I would say it's stock? For a lack of a better description, I think it's a Bosch, it's big and heavy.

Is there a way to modify my current starter to fit this way? I looked on CIP and they all seem to have the solenoid located where mine is...


[ external image ]

Thanks,
Jean
Jean-Sebastien Stoezel
WCMA FV #0
fv22
Posts: 87
Joined: June 24th, 2006, 8:38 pm

Re: Starter and solenoid location

Post by fv22 »

No picture is showing up on my computer to see your starter but it sounds like a typical vee starter. If your set up is anything like mine the starter will not be able to fit the "normal" way. You may have to make clamps to hold starter in position rather than sitting the starter onto the stud and bolt of a regular installation. I will take a picture of mine later and post for you to see.
Bob
FV22
hardingfv32-1
Posts: 1014
Joined: December 1st, 2006, 8:01 pm

Re: Starter and solenoid location

Post by hardingfv32-1 »

If you use a light weight gear reduction starter, with a little work/machining you can clock the starter to almost any position.

Brian
cendiv37
Posts: 386
Joined: June 25th, 2006, 7:29 pm

Re: Starter and solenoid location

Post by cendiv37 »

Jean,
Like Bob said, your picture is a very typical FV starter installation. Basically you ignore the holes in the flanges of the starter and use spacers and/or washers to capture the small flange on the casting of the starter to hold it in place. I've done it for both a normal Bosch starter as in your picture and then again for a gear reduction starter. Frankly, the Bosch starter was much easier to do and just required a pretty simple shaped ("T" cross section) spacer at the top and a thick, chamfered washer on the short stud to hold it securely. T-shaped spacers would be best in both places if you have access to a lathe. You could make it work with just some washers and a grinder. The version of the gear reduction starter I used required quite a bit of material removal from the starter and a more complicated spacer/captive washer system to make work. With either starter, you may need a file handy for a bit of trimming to get everything to seat flat against the bell housing mounting surface with the starter clocked enough to work.
Bruce
cendiv37
fv22
Posts: 87
Joined: June 24th, 2006, 8:38 pm

Re: Starter and solenoid location

Post by fv22 »

Hard to write down but heres how I installed mine...
Put starter into bellhousing hole but do not place "ear" onto stud so starter can be rotated. Find spot that works without solenoid hitting anything.
Make 2 brackets out of approx .125 steel that will go onto stud and over starter ears. Concave out bracket to fit snug around starter. Make spacers same thickness as starter ears to space bracket out from bellhousing. I put a slight bend into center of brackets to give some spring action against starter ears to hold tight. Also drilled hole through back of case to install a bolt at top ear (slightly crooked bolt in first pic). Look at pics, if it does not make sense to you pm me.
Bob
FV22
[ external image ]

[ external image ]

[ external image ]
jstoezel
Posts: 207
Joined: September 19th, 2010, 6:21 pm

Re: Starter and solenoid location

Post by jstoezel »

Hi:

Thanks for the replies.

Bob, I have the exact same starter, thank you for sharing the pictures. This really helps. I guess I'm onto more fabrication now :).

Greatly appreciated,
Jean


fv22 wrote:Hard to write down but heres how I installed mine...
Put starter into bellhousing hole but do not place "ear" onto stud so starter can be rotated. Find spot that works without solenoid hitting anything.
Make 2 brackets out of approx .125 steel that will go onto stud and over starter ears. Concave out bracket to fit snug around starter. Make spacers same thickness as starter ears to space bracket out from bellhousing. I put a slight bend into center of brackets to give some spring action against starter ears to hold tight. Also drilled hole through back of case to install a bolt at top ear (slightly crooked bolt in first pic). Look at pics, if it does not make sense to you pm me.
Bob
FV22
[ external image ]

[ external image ]

[ external image ]
Jean-Sebastien Stoezel
WCMA FV #0
brian
Posts: 1348
Joined: June 26th, 2006, 12:31 pm

Re: Starter and solenoid location

Post by brian »

I vaquely remember that Cambell motorsports might make machined adapters for this purpose.
The above post is for reference only and your results may vary. This post is not intended to reflect the views or opinions of SCCA and should not be considered an analysis or opinion of the rules written in the GCR.
Post Reply