starter motor help

I just replaced my sterter motor in my mgb as recommended by local "mg specialist" It worked great for 3 days until yesterday I turned the key and it started but reved the engine super loud i unturned the key and I can hear the starter motor contunue to try to turn the engine over. I quickly disconnected the battery and it stopped. I reconnected it and turned the key and it started right up. Then Late last night I went to start my mgb again and the same thing happened, it turned on but rev the engine super loud i took out key and it was still trying to turn over but fuel pump wasnt going so it wasnt doing anything but turning, I went to mess with the wires on the starter and touched the wrench to the oil pan a small spark happened and now it seems all the electronics wont turn on. so I am a pure novice with my car and I dont even know where to start. any ideas? thanks.

You don't mention the year of your car, but said that "the wires" on the starter shorted out to the oil pan. This would indicate a '68 or later car. It sounds like you have a faulty starter solenoid that is providing power, to the starter, all of the time. When you shorted out the wires, you probably blew one of your main fuses. I would recommend that you remove the new starter and have it checked out where you bought it. RAY

Take a pause here and relax. There are more than a few things that could be causing your problems. Ray hit on one, but we need a little more information and some give and take between you and the rest of us to get to the bottom of the matter and make reasonable suggestions.

Did you install the starter or did the garage that recommended it be done do it?

Jack

It is a 1974.5 and I installed the starter my self

so should i replace the starter relay?

Like all the books say, disconnect the battery ground first before messing with the electrical connections on the starter and selenoid. If you blew a fuse, just replace it, and check out the utube video where John Twist activates the starter by moving the wire from the starter relay to the bottom fuse. It your starter continues to run, then it is the selenoid, if it stops after you remove the wire from the bottom fuse, it is the starter relay.

Dennis has it... (tu) The engine noise you hear is actually your starter motor being run up to about 48,963 rpm by the engine once it starts, and is due to your starter motor continuing to be engaged with the ring gear on the flywheel after the engine starts instead of being pulled back out of mesh, as it should.

Something is continuing to supply current to the starter motor after you release the key from the "crank" position to the "run" position, and it's either your starter relay, on the inner fender, or the starter solenoid, which is mounted on the starter motor itself. Follow the procedure on the John Twist video and it will lead you quickly to a determination as to which part is faulty.

Since you had a problem with the previous starter and a new one as well, I'd guess the relay is probably at fault.

Dick

I cannot find a blown fuse... The starter motor just makes a whirring sound with no actual engine cranking. also i cannot find the john twist video where he diagnoses the solenoid vs relay problem in starter. Thanks

Jacob,

If the starter is spinning but the engine is not turning, the relay is working and the solenoid likely is not. It's also possible that, when the starter did not disengage and you over-revved the starter, you may have damaged the small pinion gear on the starter motor. Suggest you remove the starter, inspect the gear, and bench-test the starter and solenoid with a battery or booster charger...

Dick

It might take awhile to locate the video. Sometimes you have to watch part of it to see what he's going to cover. And he does have a lot of them!

The video you need to watch is minute 3:30 to 4:30 of:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVxIW_pImjw&feature=relmfu

I am really a novice with my car. I am super busy with school from 8 in the morning to 9 at night all week and on the weekends I work all day. I just got some free time to look at my car some more and its really confusing the shit out of me. The starter motor on there was brand new but I turn the key and it just makes a whirring sound. I am aware how to start the car under the bonnet but I am unaware how to diagnose where my fault is located. How can I tell if its the relay or the solinoid? what moss part numbers should I be looking for? Thanks guys sorry I am not a better mgb owner. I hope to get there someday.... with your help

I would recommend that you join a local British Car Club in your area and get some of their experts to help diagnose what is wrong. They can tell you how to do it and you do the work. If the starter is whizzing and turning but the engine is not turning over it sounds like the gear teeth on the starter or the teeth on engine flywheel are ground down. This happened to me when my ignition switch broke and the starter stayed in the start position when the engine was running. Very serious problem which requires you to pull the engine.