The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

my starter motor is failing, i need to replace it, and at the moment the club dont have any, where is the best place to buy one, or have mine reconditioned. Terry

probably should have said its a late sprint

Although few and far between these days, most auto electricians are similar. Look in your yellow pages would be my first suggestion; go too far and you'll find they might 'milk' the carriage costs.

Make sure they put the correct solenoid cap on though; there are some that look similar/the same, but don't last long.

The chap who did the Club ones most recently retired without notice and I still need to find a replacement. I have a work deadline on Wednesday evening, so hope to take some to a localish chap on Thursday or Friday this coming week to get a price from them for half a dozen or so at a time...

I have been told this won't work but when I was looking for one for my Sprint conversion, I couldn't find a Sprint one. However TR7 starters were common.

Based on the fact the TR7 is a 2.0 litre engine with different head, I thought I would buy one of the starters and see if works. All I can is it does fit on mine and will turn the engine over. Though I do remember someone telling me it wouldn't work.

cleverusername wrote: ↑Tue Jun 13, 2023 4:35 pm I have been told this won't work but when I was looking for one for my Sprint conversion, I couldn't find a Sprint one. However TR7 starters were common.

Based on the fact the TR7 is a 2.0 litre engine with different head, I thought I would buy one of the starters and see if works. All I can is it does fit on mine and will turn the engine over. Though I do remember someone telling me it wouldn't work.

Club spares had two reconditioned Sprint units until quite recently.

There isn't a lot of difference between Sprint, TR7 or 1850 units (the latter only has two mounting holes but will fit a Sprint). The previous reconditioner used to do Sprint and 1850 units to the same spec.

I have discovered I do have a Sprint unit on the shelf, but it needs a new solenoid cap as the small spade terminal has broken off

xvivalve wrote: ↑Tue Jun 13, 2023 4:58 pm I have discovered I do have a Sprint unit on the shelf, but it needs a new solenoid cap as the small spade terminal has broken off

Is the Sprint solenoid cap the same as the 1850 one?

I'm using a TR7 starter on my 73 Sprint. It was got off eBay for another project, and it looked the same as the one that was on the Dolomite when that went west. The one that was on may or may not have been original - I err to thinking not. However, it needed a notch at the edge of the face, which the one I bought didn't have. But that was all of 2 mins work with an angle grinder. With that small mod, it fits fine, and has been starting the car most days for several years now.

The first picture shows the notch in the one that was on the car and needed to be reproduced on the TR7 one I bought. I've also included a pic of the unit as a whole.

Graham

yorkshire_spam wrote: ↑Tue Jun 13, 2023 6:47 pm

xvivalve wrote: ↑Tue Jun 13, 2023 4:58 pm I have discovered I do have a Sprint unit on the shelf, but it needs a new solenoid cap as the small spade terminal has broken off

Is the Sprint solenoid cap the same as the 1850 one?

Yes, I believe it is…and I recall you’d found a supplier for them…

Well, the best price local to me that I have managed to broker unfortunately results in a delivered price to members of some £165 and that's on the basis of having five of the same type done at a time. It would probably take 4 or 5 years for us to sell five based on historical demand. The old boy used to do half a dozen for me, but it was two of each type and he wasn't VAT registered.

An enquiry to Robsport tells me that a delivered price from them for a Sprint unit would be £163.14, but from which there'd be a £60.00 refund once they receive the exchange unit in reconditionable condition, which is actually slightly less that we used to charge!

So, I have to admit it is no longer viable for us to keep starter motors as a Club supplied item and I'd recommend you approach Robsport for Sprint units, perhaps sending an exchange unit in with your order so that the surcharge refund is less of an unknown.

If you have an 1850, 1500 or 1500 fwd, I have one of each left; after they have been sold I'd suggest you approach a local reconditioner to seek to get your own unit reconditioned.

I therefore no longer need core starter units for reconditioning, thank you.

A bit of research suggests that the starter pictured above with the notch is correct for my early Sprint - and cars to 1976 -, and the one the same but without the notch is indeed for TR7s, but fits later Sprints as well. But, as I said, it was only a little work to make the TR7 starter fit an early Sprint. I assume the ones with the notch fit both early and late Sprints.

While I take anything from a company that sells Sprint inlet rocker arms as suspect, gRimmers show the one with the notch listed as GEU4455 for cars to VA17579, and list GXE4469 for both later Sprints and TR7s. They also list GEU44712 for the later Sprints alone, but as being no longer available.

Graham