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Sun Jun 01, 2025 8:11 am

Just picked up a rebuilt starter for my 77 Westie 2L automatic. On my original starter the solenoid has separate two terminals (as per John Muir) one for ignition wire and second one for fuel injection/fuel pump relay.

However, my new starter only has one terminal... for ignition. I am thinking that I should be able to connect a piggyback space connector to ignition and connect the fuel injection wire to the "piggyback" terminal.

Any risk/problem in doing that?

Sun Jun 01, 2025 9:17 am

That’s exactly what you should do. Adding a piggyback connector creates an additional potential failure point, so it’s on you to make sure your connections are clean and snug. But it will work fine.

Robbie

Sun Jun 01, 2025 9:20 am

save your old starter and replace the solenoid next time. That is mostly what goes out with them. You can often take the old solenoid apart, lube it and it will be good for many more miles.

Sun Jun 01, 2025 10:17 am

The solenoids on these rigs tend to get gummed up with time and will begin to stick especially on hot starts. Maybe that was all that was wrong with your original starter? For decades I would just drop my starter off at a friend's automotive electric shop every 100K+/- miles and he would put new brushes in the starter for me and lightly resurface the commutator if it was looking bad. In 35+ years I only had to fully rebuild one aging starter that I can remember, with the rest getting new brushes, maybe a bearing, and/or a solenoid relube.

Sun Jun 01, 2025 12:22 pm

Wildthings wrote: The solenoids on these rigs tend to get gummed up with time and will begin to stick especially on hot starts. Maybe that was all that was wrong with your original starter? For decades I would just drop my starter off at a friend's automotive electric shop every 100K+/- miles and he would put new brushes in the starter for me and lightly resurface the commutator if it was looking bad. In 35+ years I only had to fully rebuild one aging starter that I can remember, with the rest getting new brushes, maybe a bearing, and/or a solenoid relube.

That was my experience too. The brushes rarely fail. At first I tried replacing the solenoid with new ones when original Bosch were available but still every 40,000 miles or so it would start sticking. It was just as simple to take it off, spray some WD-40 (mostly solvent) to clean out the dirt and debris with it nose down over a pan to catch the run off, and then relube it with a spray grease. Some people use a spray silicone. Then do it again another 40,000 - 60,000 miles.

Mon Jun 02, 2025 10:42 pm

Well, these beefier start is crankin like a mthrfckr... what a difference. I will clean up the other one for a spare.

Regarding the piggyback spade, my crimping tool doesn't create a very reliable "crimp connection" so when I can, I solder the wire to the terminal (post crappie crimp).

But just when you thought it was safe to hit the highway, I'll be damned if the ghost in my ignition didn't pop up again this evening. Took her on a three hour round trip outing to Mission, BC and back with so much as a misfire. But on my run out to the pastry shop this evening, engine just cut out... but I have a theory/question that I will post on another thread.