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Starting clunk, then it starts

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Starting clunk, then it starts #1
DrewM Drew Maddock 74 MGB roadster, Southern California, USA Sign in to contact	Topic Creator (OP) Nov 22, 2014 11:17 PM Top Contributor Joined 18 years ago 8,133 Posts

My '74 roadster has been running extra fine for the last few months. Not a problem in the world. Knock on wood. But yesterday morning as I was starting the car up in the darkness to go to work, there was a sort of clunk without the starter firing up. Then on the second turn of the key it started fine. Later, going home it started fine again.

With these cars you listen extra carefully for every noise, so I'm probably over-worrying and this may be nothing. But what's the most likely culprit if the ignition doesn't quite catch while turning the key and there's a sound like a knock or clunk? Is that the starter not quite catching? Could it be a loose wire on the starter or a loose wire on the ignition switch or . . . .?

Drew Maddock, So. Calif. USofA

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Re: Starting clunk, then it starts #2
ohlord Rob C A tiny Island off the coast of Washington State, N.W., USA Sign in to contact 1957 Land Rover Series I "EYEYIYI" 1957 Land Rover Series I "OVRLND" 1971 MG MGB 1971 MG MGB "Bedouin 2" & more	Nov 22, 2014 11:35 PM Top Contributor Joined 12 years ago 28,878 Posts

Either relay or starter solenoid is going bad. Usually winking smiley

and check your battery voltage and terminals

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-11-22 11:44 PM by ohlord.

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Re: Starting clunk, then it starts #3
skytetz Marcus Tetzlaff Foristell, MO, USA Sign in to contact 1969 MG MGC "The C Car" 1972 MG MGB MkIII "The B"	Nov 22, 2014 11:38 PM Joined 11 years ago 197 Posts

Drew ,
It could be bad spot on the starter ,or the starter bendix could be hanging up. I have had to push start mine more the once in my 20 plus years of owning MGB's.
Maybe as a winter project remove it and have it checked or rebuilt .While the starter is out have a look at the flywheel ring gear.

Good luck
Marcus

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Re: Starting clunk, then it starts #4
Basil Adams About 12 miles from Sears Point, CA, USA Sign in to contact	Nov 23, 2014 12:13 AM Top Contributor Joined 17 years ago 12,275 Posts

I'd guess only a guess) that th flywheel stopped in just the right place that the starter bendix smacked it rather than engaging the teeth. If it happens again, depress the clutch, put the car in gear, let the clutch out. then take the car out of gear and try starting again. That should create some minor movement of the flywheel allowing the starter to engage. If it starts happening a lot, pull the starter and look at the teeth on the sprague and on the flywheel. Best of luck. Basil 707.762.0974 basiladams@yahoo.com

Basil C. Adams
1956 MGA Coupe (Show Car)
1957 MGA Roadster (Driver)
1958 MGA Coupe (Racecar)
1959 MGA Coupe (unrestored)
1960 MGA Coupe (unrestored)
1960 MGA Roadster (Driver)
MKIII Elva Courier (E1056)
1967 427 Cobra
1972 Alfa Romeo Montreal
A coupla late MGBs
1960 Austin Healy BN7
More Cars than Brains

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Re: Starting clunk, then it starts #5
Donthuis Don van Riet Rijswijk, ZH, Netherlands Sign in to contact 1972 MG MGB MkIII	Nov 24, 2014 05:51 AM Top Contributor Joined 10 years ago 13,334 Posts

Either the battery is no longer OK (one bad cell is enough), or your bendix (pre-engaged) and solenoid switch do not come in all the time. I had this latter case for a number of years, starter missed engaging every 3 or 4 times, until I got fed up with and bought a new one. The alternative, taking the starter apart and cleaning the copper contact on my 2M100 was not my favorite work. New starter motors are much easier to (dis)mount than those bulky old models, so I'm glad I changed to a newer model at the time... smileys with beer

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Re: Starting clunk, then it starts #6
BumbleB74 William Milholen Tidewater, Tidewater VA, USA Sign in to contact	Nov 24, 2014 01:56 PM Joined 18 years ago 8,982 Posts

I would check ALL the connections….I say ALL because my 20 year old pickup was in the shop, and they said they were amazed to see the bolt that hold the solenoid on were literally about to fall out. That said, I drive lots of miles across a bumpy bridge and that probably did it.

Look at all your electrical connectors, AFTER you pull of the ground cable from the battery. Safety first! Good chance you'll find some grunge, or possibly a frayed wire on the relay signal?

1974-1/2 Roadster, "Bumble Bee", Corvette Yellow - in shambles, wire wheels
1976 Roadster, "Virus", Sandglow - "driver" condition (stock + 32/36 Weber DGEV, cast iron header, 25D distributor), bolt on wheels, ON the road!

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Re: Starting clunk, then it starts #7
DrewM Drew Maddock 74 MGB roadster, Southern California, USA Sign in to contact	Topic Creator (OP) Nov 24, 2014 09:13 PM Top Contributor Joined 18 years ago 8,133 Posts

Thanks for the advice. Now I've got a project. smiling smiley

Drew Maddock, So. Calif. USofA

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