Shelsley Walsh

**jreacock** · 13-05-2024, 17:42

Hi all.

I took the Stratos to Shelsley Walsh on 10h of May, had 6 decent runs up the hill and took a film on the mobile.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haR38U0jTu4

The video is awful, but at least the audio is ok. The following day, I was at Prescott Italia and I'm hoping to have a better video from that. Anyway - she went well at Shelsley - I took it easy as we're supposed to on an un-timed event where you can take passengers up. On the way home, I stopped for fuel - got in, pressed the starter button and nothing at all happened, aside from the ammeter needle hitting the -50A end stop.

I tried a few times with no change. Obviously, I didn't keep the button pressed more than half a second with >50A being drawn. No fuses blew - so I guessed that it was the main battery to starter cable that was somehow being shorted, or something internal to the starter motor was shorting. Called the RAC (3 to 6 hour wait), but luckily, a couple of guys in a Beta Coupe on their way to Presott stopped and helped me bump it. Got it home fine, still the same issue. A bit later, I had a fiddle with the cable going to the starter, and the thinner spade ended wire also going to the starter (they're not easy to get to - so I just manipulated them without disconnecting anything) - and it started fine. Unfortunately, I didn't try it before I fiddled, so I couldn't tell whether it was me or just it now being cooled down that had affected it.

Next moring (of Prescott), I decided to take it anyway - and it started fine as it always has done. However, preparing for the first hill run - it did the same thing. So - I gave the wires a wiggle and it started. I need to mention, that there's an alloy heat shield that rests over the top of the starter and touches the spade of the solenoid connection, but there were no obvious signs of any contact between the connector, its wire or the heat shield.

It behaved for the next two start-ups, and failed again on the last one, and no amount of fiddling would get it going. There was probably 60 to 90 minutes between drives, so it was always being allowed to cool back down. I bumped it to get it started to come home - and just had to make sure I didn't stall it on the way.

So - I plan to take the starter off - unless I can see anything obvious in the run up to doing that - but while I was sat on the garage forecourt waiting for the RAC, I was having a look for new starter motors - and they don't seem too bad to get hold of.

Anyway - any feedback is much appreciated, but I'll update as and when I find the problem.

Cheers - Justin.

**ProtoTipo** · 13-05-2024, 17:54

Thanks for posting the video Justin. It's sounds great.
I'm sure Wosp do a 246 starter:

**Basher** · 13-05-2024, 18:52

Justin She’s sounds absolutely beautiful going up the hill, it’s nice to see the car out and about doing exactly what it was designed to do. Probably need a nice go pro camera strapped in car.
thanks for posting
Dave

**hollytree** · 13-05-2024, 19:15

I know my car is not the real thing but it has an Alfa ignition barrel.
After a couple of years, it would start fine, i would go out and when trying to start again, nothing!!
Got a new ignition barrel and worked OK for a couple of years but then started happening again.
The cables were all OK, but even though the contacts in the key barrel were closing the starter motor relay contacts I think that was still too much and had burnt the contacts in the ignition barrel.
Good contact on any day was a gamble.
I could start the car with a short piece of wire by turning the ignition on and holding one end on the starter motor main power post (12v) and the starter motor relay connection. Make sure in neutral!!
I changed the barrel (again) and fitted another relay in the engine bay to sit between the key and the starter motor relay.
All been fine for a couple of years.
Not saying that is you problem, but was mine!
Steve

Is it the starter motor, or the relay or some poor contact somewhere in the electrics.

**Longtimefan** · 14-05-2024, 13:00

My brother had a not dissimilar problem with another Fiat product of not dissimilar vintage in the mid 60’s.

He had then a Fiat 500 that had a thick cable connected to the starter terminal via a tag together with a lighter cable on the same terminal. He was having intermittent starting problems and found that moving the cables on that terminal enabled the car to be started, but it wasn’t ideal, so disconnected them to give them a clean. This action served its purpose, no more starting problems.

A few days later, he embarked on a weeks trip from Wolverhampton to the Isle of Skye and back, which went well until he reached some 9 miles from home when it stopped and yours truly was called out to rescue. Close inspection found that during reassembly the smaller wire had not been reattached and therefore the battery had not been charged and was flat. My brother was not over mechanically minded, a lucky round trip!!

**jreacock** · 17-05-2024, 13:17

Thanks for the comments.

I've secured the heat shield so that it doesn't hang and rest onto the spade of the starter motor. Access was very difficult, but when I removed the spade, I noticed that the insulation close to the connector, and where the heat shield would have been in contact - was a bit melted. So - that could well have been the problem. No corresponding black mark on the the heat shield though. It seems to be starting fine at the moment now that I've wedged the shield up, so I just need to use it a bit more and get some confidence back. I'll just make sure to park facing downhill for a while when I'm out and about.

While I was trying to get access to the starter connections, I removed the 2 muffler end pipes, and afterwards, I fitted the straight through versions. They make things quite a bit louder and actually change the behaviour of the car. It's a bit more responsive, seems to rev more freely and doesn't like being below 3000rpm (previously, I'd have put the threshold at 2500). It might just be me, but that's how it feels.

I think the mufflers will go back on before I go to Prescott again this Sunday.

Cheers - Justin.

**Bernard** · 17-05-2024, 18:26

I'll just make sure to park facing downhill for a while when I'm out and about.
I had a Mk1 Ford Cortina as my first car.... I had to park facing downhill for about 3 months !!!..

.......... also drove all the way back home from North Wales to Nottingham with barely a clutch... things you do when you are young !

Do you plan on competing the Strato's or you do it just for fun ?

**jreacock** · 18-05-2024, 00:00

Hi Bernard.

I guess it takes a while before the trust returns after this kind of issue. I'm filling it up from petrol cans, rather than taking it to the garage, as it's the second car that has failed to start up on that particular forecourt. My S4 also stopped there when the alternator went kaput and the car's electrics had all been powered just from the battery during the longish drive that we'd just been on. I should have noticed the voltmeter but didn't.

Unfortunately, I'm nowhere near a good enough driver to compete - it would be too risky for the car, so I'm just planning to take it to shows / events and maybe the odd hillclimb if I can get the scrutineers to allow it. If I could hillclimb it - it would still just be for the fun of it, rather than trying to get a good time - tempting though it is when the light changes from red to green. I must say - it does pull off pretty well with those P7s on. I'm used to the Fulvia HF wheel-spinning and snaking away from the uphill start line, whereas the Stratos feels like it's being catapulted.

**Solar Chris** · 18-05-2024, 12:26

I was at Shelsley the day after on the 11^th May and managed to end up as the featured car in the start line photo on the event sponsor’s recap article !
https://www.hagerty.co.uk/articles/e...mb-in-the-sun/