Series 2a in AK

[Esha]

I just purchased a '71 Series 2a. It made the 500 mile trip from Eagle, AK to Fairbanks, AK, luckily, because the starter motor just died on it.

Any tips on the easiest way to remove it? And suggestions on whether it's worth trying to get it rebuilt or just replace it?

My baby appears to be starting our long and wonderfully oily relationship so soon.

[onslow]

Hi,
The starter is a doddle to get off remove the postive lead of the end undo the mouting bolts and pull it out.

The best way to refurb a starter is to source some new brushes strip the starter and get some friendly chap with a lathe to skim the commutator so it is unmarked with no ridges.put it back together and hey presto new(ish) starter.Oh yes dont lubricate the bendix as it will jam after a shart while they are designed to work "dry"
Cheers ONz

[Bogatyr]

Esha,
The first thing you should equip yourself with is the Green Bible, or the two volume Series 2 repair manual. Since you have a late 2a, the series 3 manual could also be of some assistance.
In any case, the manual has all of the rebuild techniques, and unless the truck is a daily driver and you need it to get to work, I'd go the rebuild route. Removal should be pretty simple, there are the two bolts, ground strap and the power. You might have to remove the exhaust downpipe to pivot the starter out of the way.

Bogatyr

[Gripper]

The hardest part of the job is not swearing like a trooper when the weight of the motor squashes your fingers when you remove the last bolt!

Gripper.

[Esha]

Thanks for the tips!

I've a couple of friends who are as interested in my project as I am and we've started looking at how to remove the starter. It sounds simple to remove but it is a REALLY tight squeeze. It does look like the exhaust pipe is going to have to be dropped.

Any suggestions where to pick up a set of the manuals? The Rover dealer nearest me doesn't seem to incline to give out tips and not a lot of aftermarket places up this far north.

Esha

[Bogatyr]

Esha,
Yeah, you'll find out that the LR dealers have no interest in you except for a possible novelty value for a "heritage" type event they might put on...

There are a number of parts houses in the US that sell bits and manuals:

Rovers Down South
Thatched Roof Garage
Rovers North
DAP
Atlantic British
British Pacific

I'm sure I've forgotten a few too. Remember to get the genuine manual as opposed to the Haynes, no comparison. Unfortunately, being in AK you'll have to pay more shipping...

Also, keep in mind that people occasionally break off the exhaust manifold studs. Make sure you soak those things in a good penetrating solution like PBBlaster prior to wrenching on them.

Bogatyr

[Esha]

Well, I got the starter motor out and tested. Just a loose connection and shorting out. Got that taken care of, but the shop pointed out something else I need to look into.

The drive shaft on the starter motor seems to be missing a couple of parts. Shop guy said that it looked like someone had been into the motor before and they may have forgotten to replace a couple of pieces. He'd never worked on a rover motor and so wasn't sure, so wouldn't try and replace any parts.

What appears to be missing is a couple of "shims" or "washer" type things between the heavy duty spring and the gear shaft. Sorry I don't yet know the proper terms. There is about 1/16 of an inch or less play along the shaft near the motor where a smaller spring is located. The larger spring seems to be a bit wobbly. The shop guy showed me some other motors and drive shafts where everything is pretty tight together.

Am I missing those shim pieces? And are they critical to replace? I hate to put the motor back in, only to have the drive shaft sieze up a couple months down the road. The shop guy said that it appeared to have been in this state for a while. And can those pieces be replaced independantly or will I have to buy a new drive shaft or full kit?