tr7triumph.com

I have been looking at buying a new high torque starter motor for a long time now. Think the purchase is getting closer lol. I did read the following though about the new units and wondered if anyone could explain what it means:

“Superior torque for high compression motors?

May sound a bit of a daft question, as I know that it means it is better, but wonder how much better for nearly 150 pounds.

Phil it means high compression engines take more turning over, as compressing the charge in the cylinders to a higher pressure requires more effort from the starter.

Your 7 should be 9.25:1 I believe. This is somewhat higher than the US cars at 8.5:1, but still not very high.

Your 150 pounds is not that high, & is similar to my 7.

My 8, with more cylinders to compress is 210 pounds, & the standard 1999 Range Rover 4.6L starter has no trouble with it. My experience with it is that the turnover speed is governed by the size, & state of charge of the battery.

With the 7, unless you have transferred the battery to the boot, & fitted a larger one, I doubt you have enough battery power to drive a high torque starter for long. The 7 just can't fit a decent battery in the right hand drive version, but then doesn't really need it either.

Don't forget you're in Oz now. It doesn't get cold enough, at least near Sydney, to require anything special for starting. Keep your starter in good condition, & the same with the battery, & you'll have no trouble.

How are you finding it? You should be warm, & perhaps a bit wet by now, as long as you haven't been blown away. Are you pleased you came?

Save the money & use it to buy petrol, to do some exploring.

If you haven't by now gone for a run up the Putty road, from Hornsby or Windsor, & for a run down the coast from Sutherland through Audley & the national park to Kiama you're mad.

I expect to hear a report of your enjoyment of these drives by the new year, if not sooner.[:D]

Hasbeen

I put in a high torque starter thinking that was my problem when it turned out to be dirty connection to starter relay. I left it in. It is a small motor (solenoid almost as big) that has gear reduction to give it extra torque (similar in idea to 50's/60's Chrylers). It takes less battery power and is about 30% lighter they say. It's a standard Nipon Electric that is indestructible with only the solenoid contacts needing replacement (every 30 years or so) for a couple of bucks and available at any auto parts store. The only custom part is the adapter plate dolne here in N/A by Gustafson Machine.

http://www.gustafsonmachine.com/


I got mine through a Doctor (selling them on eBay) for $186. The starter heat shield (on California cat converter cars) wouldn't fit the small motor of course so I made a mirror image of a Chevy heat shield (meant for RH side) out of a piece of aluminum that is held on by starter mounting bolts.

TR7's compression here is 8 to 1 (8.5 to 1 for V-8's).

If your starter is working fine I'm sure you can spend the money on something else the car needs. If your starter or solenoid is shot and you don't have access to another for cheap then it's the way to go.







- - - - TR7 Spider - - - - - - - - 1978 Spitfire - - - - - - 1976 Spitfire - - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra - - Yellow TCT

I put one in my 1963 MGB which had a terrible starter and pretty high compression. It works great - doesn't sound sound like an MG starting anymore but I can live with that! My standard TR7 starter works well.

We have them in the Stag, TR8, TR7, TR4, and the Herald. They work great. The TR4 motor is built up, the Lucas Starter just could not keep turn it fast enough when it was hot. I upgraded the other cars when their starters failed.

I still have a Lucas unit in my other TR7 and it works well on the stock motor also.

Edward Hamer
Petaluma CA

I have one on my 81 FI DHC, works great.

-Tim
http://www.morSpeedPerformance.com

The Bosch starter in the Disco (and probably other modern LR V8 as well) IS a gear reduction starter
- even though it just looks like a slimmer version of that bloody heavy Lucas starter. The reduction gear
in these is an in-line planet type gearing as opposed to the NipponDenso starter design that is a side-
fixed ordinary gearing.

Standard starter easily starts my TR7 - why do you want something different ? I suspect the ' 150 pounds' is the cost - not the compression!

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Century Gothic, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by bmcecosse</i>

Standard starter easily starts my TR7 ... <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Quite correct, only problem this side of the pond is that they are getting scarce and having one reconditioned is now more expensive than buying a modern one.
So that's what I did ...





Added bonus is that the modern one weighs some 4 kg's less than the standard one.

<center>
<font color="blue"><i>1980 TR7 DHC (my first car, now restored and back on the road)
1981 TR7 FHC Sprint (better known as 't Kreng)</font id="blue">
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Thanks for the comments guys and it is all true. My main thought was to just upgrade and then keep the old one as a spare and to get it conditioned. I also like the light weight aspect of it all