'79 HC Starter Motor

[ADRIAN]

If you look on Ebay, see item number 273915704115. This is a reconditioned and an original Lucas type, with side fit brushes, with band cover. (later types have "end fit" brushes and motor is shorter in length) And this Ebay item is a 10 tooth on the pinion, so its a Viva type. The "core" of the reconditioned units may have been re-wound, many times over and over, but this should not be an issue. Obviously, a "new" Lucas unit, unused never been reconditioned unit would be the absolute best thing to have, but you simply wont find one of those. Why has the one you bought failed? Is it the teeth on the pinion worn out because of wear on the flywheel ring gear? If you have wrong (chevette) flywheel fitted, the bevels on the ring gear are on the opposite side, for use with pre-engaged starter, and the pinion of the inertia starter would not mesh and can wear out both ring gear teeth and the pinions teeth very quickly. The starter itself should not have failed, - unless you have made a mistake somewhere in fitting it or wrong electrical connections?

[Fred Dukes]

Tim Chick was doing reconditioned motors and alternators - I am not sure if he still does them - try 07718 302896
timchick45@live.co.uk vivaha on here.
I have working s/h for £30 delivered

[nick_smith]

Thanks both

Will definitely follow your advice for a spare but managed to take one off a chevette that’s been sitting for years and it’s done the trick. Would love to find the quick release button for the starter motors on these!

Buy cheap buy twice

[ADRIAN]

Chevette and late model Viva HC have pre- engaged starters, where the teeth goes from the front to rear, and the bevels on the teeth of the ring gear faces the front of car to meet it. On the earlier inertia, it is other way around, the pinion on the starter is at the rear, and it flys forward, (towards the motor) for teeth to meet the bevels on the ring gear, so the bevels on this type are the back, facing rearwards to meet it. Getting the wrong starter, will damage the starter motor and its pinion teeth, and chew up the teeth on the ring gear, to eventually destroy it. Yours is a late HC, so is likely to have pre-engaged starter as standard, and you may have the fitted inertia type incorrectly. Hopefully, you have changed it just in time, before damage to your flywheel ring gear.

[nick_smith]

Thanks Adrian, won’t start up again until I can verify I have the correct starter in there.

I have attached a picture of the two previous starter motors that were fitted. One that was on the car when I bought it is the lucas one on the left. The latest fitted from a chevette matches these.

[ADRIAN]

They are both inertia starters. (not pre-engaged and neither correct for Chevette) Show a close up photo of your flywheel ring gear so to find out which one type should actually have.