13 replies to this topic

[benny boy]

Right then!

I have a Bill Richards A+ engine. Its ace.

I am looking for a Competition Starter motor due to high compression.

I am confused because I have an starter motor with the one big wire and a seperate solenoid. Is this an Inertia type?

BUT! I am being told by the people selling the starter motors that an A+ engine should have a pre engaged s/m.

Which have I got and which do I want?

Answers on a postcard.....

Cheers chaps!

[AlexM]

An A+ Engine will have a pre-engaged type started like you have been told.

You can tell the difference between the two simply visually, the prengaged will look like two cyclinders (one big and one small) next to each other whilst the enertia is just a single cylinder.

1985 on all minis had the pre engaged type.

High Torque Inertia type
High Torque Pre-Engaged type

I think the pic on the second one is wrong (isnt that a 97 on alternator?

Hope i have been of use

[Jammy]

Hey, O/T, but ah well. I have a 1425 Bill Richards engine. Sounds like your enjoying yours. Whats your spec? How'd you find dealing with Bill?

[Guess-Works.com]

Not all A+ engines have pre-engaged, and in fact has nothing to do with the engine, but more the flywheel...

It's very likely that you have a pre-verto clutch/flywheel, but equally as likely that you have a verto clutch with an inertia ring gear, Grotbag being an 85' mini has one of these...

Pre-engaged are much better than the older inertia, so a swap will involve a flywheel/ringgear change... You can get high power starters, but unless you're running stupidly high cr, a pre engaged should be able to handle it.... I'm running iro 11/12:1 in my 1330 with a pre-engaged with no issues.

Edited by GuessWorks, 20 September 2005 - 10:14 PM.

[Jammy]

Same as guessworks, I think I have the same CR as him and use a standard starter.

[benny boy]

Right then. So Ive an A+ with Inertia Starter (single wire & seperate solenoid) and

inertia ring gear on a pre verto clutch? (Long arm)

Ive been looking at the Brise website for starters - all new components, lighter, more cranking power from less current draw etc. Cheaper than minispares anyway! Winner.

My only problem with the standard s/m occurs when I spin out and don't catch the clutch before she stalls - I have to wait about 2 mins to be able to turn the engine over (with enough speed) to start her up. Marshalls love that - no, really....

Other than that, the engine is sweeeeet. Bill is quality too. He really wanted me to see her being built to appreciate it more. The price did too! Check out the car on bill site www.billrichardsracing.com on customers 2 page. Its the red and white one (now reshelled and in the garage on sticks waiting to be finished).

Cheers for the gen, guys

BB

[Jammy]

At the top of the page? Ben Norfolk?

[benny boy]

Thats the one. Done alot of the mods I said i would, but I was talked out of the timing belt mod after rumours about them breaking alot. Can't afford that to happen!

Ta for looking all the same.
BB

[Jammy]

Nice! You've been a customer of Bills for a long time then?! I'm pretty sure I remember your car being on the site when I was looking at buying my mini off him.

[benny boy]

Oh yes. Me and Bill go back before his bmc days when he nicked all that green paint for his engine blocks.....

Not really! Other than that season I havent done any more racing, not for want of trying. My work has developed an annoying trend of getting me to spend the winter out of the country, when I should be prepping Sophie to get on the hillclimbs and tear poo up!

Finished my front coil over mods by the way. Made some new plates to move the lower mounting point outwards, stopping the spax bodies from arcing right over from compression to extension while the wheel still moves upwards and then hitting the subframe. How the original design was approved.... 'Dangerous and Useless? Get em made!'

BB

Attached Files

•  Scorpion_Sprint_02a.jpg   247.99K   4 downloads

[Jammy]

You got a picture of these alternative brackets? I've just fitted a Spax coil over kit to my clubman.

[dklawson]

Those pictures at MS are not good. The first for the inertia starter is a strange looking aftermarket one, not the stock Lucas unit. The second picture is an alternator... not a starter at all.

This is a pre-engaged starter from a tractor:
http://i20.ebayimg.c.../b5/43/b1_1.JPG

This is an inertia-type (Bendix) starter:
http://i4.ebayimg.co...d/e9/2c_1_b.JPG

I've heard on other lists of off-the-shelf swaps that can be made. All these are for installing pre-engaged starters on A-series engines. In Australia, a stater from a Holden (Isuzu) can be used by slightly elongating its mounting holes into slots. I saw a guy at the races earlier this summer who had done the same using a GM (Geo?) starter on a 1275 Austin-Healey Sprite. Sorry, I don't have any details on those. Lastly, a Canadian acquaintance of mine takes the front, aluminum mounting flange off of Lucas (Bendix) starters and bores them out to be a mounting foot so he can use the pre-engaged starters off of Hondas.

[benny boy]

I took a few pictures with the mobile. You should be able to make out what I did.

Basically, I moved the upper mounting point inboard by redrilling the bracket. Had to be careful to ensure you have sufficient land from other holes/edges.

and moved the lower point outboard be making new extended plates, so the new mounting point is about an inch further out. I still use the U shaped bracket for the upper ball joint (make sure you have enough thread protruding from the ball joint nut - don't want that coming off in flight!)

Check the offset of the wheels you use to prevent fouling on the tyres.

I spent today welding the new plates to the U bracket, so I won't need the bolt that holds the two together.

I'll drop her off jacks soon and check the camber change in extension & compression doesn't allow fouling on the coilover body.

I'll be asking questions in the next post to check understanding!

BB

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•  Finished_setup.jpg   54.42K   2 downloads

[benny boy]

The light caught the plate so here's an original drawing...

Attached Files

•  Lower_mounting_point_reposition.JPG   13.35K   2 downloads