Sorry, I scanned over this thread a bit quick and missed that

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Noli Illegitimi Carborundum

At a guess the Solenoid on the starter motor is not throwing the bendix gear to the flywheel. When that happerns the starter will spin but not engage the ring gear.

Were does it say that the motor turns over?

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A recent study found the average Aussie walks about 900 miles a year
Another study found Aussies drink, on average, 22 gallons of alcohol a year
That means, on average, Australians get about 41 miles per gallon

Kind of makes you proud to be an AUSSIE

If the starter spins but doesn't turn the engine, it can also be the overrun (sprag) clutch on the pinion is slipping. This is way more common than the solenoid not throwing the pinion into mesh.
I know all about this problem, I owned a Fiat 124 sport for 23 years!:mrgreen:

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

If a solenoid engages and starter spins it means the solenoid is working perfectly. If the starter spins and gear does not engage with ring gear (or sounds that way) it could be the starter drive has a slipping Roller clutch, a broken throw out lever or the throw out lever Pin has fallen out or broken. People seem to blame the solenoid for everything in a starter problem. It must be the only part they know the name of in a starter assembly. I hope this poor guy can work this problem out amongst all this confusion of wild guesses and diagnostics.

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DID I MENTION THAT I AM THE BEST SUPPLIER FOR MINI ELECTRICAL PARTS AND REPAIRS?
"Let us remove your "SHORTS"

The doctor is doing a house call on Monday- if starter whirrs but doesn't spin the donk, it's coming out...

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

I had the same problem about two months ago, the starter motor would spin but not throw out.
Roller clutch was fine, throw out lever was fine, pin was fine so changed solenoid and guess what... it worked.
So it can be a solenoid and not a wild guess!
Cheers Pete

_________________
A recent study found the average Aussie walks about 900 miles a year
Another study found Aussies drink, on average, 22 gallons of alcohol a year
That means, on average, Australians get about 41 miles per gallon

Kind of makes you proud to be an AUSSIE

is fuel injected? is there a spark?
if not, check the crankshaft sensor, close to the starter. if it is not working right, the ecu won't do anything, no fuel, no spark.

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Rover 214 atm ....

Nah it's an old one, has a dizzy.
None of these new-fangled electronics problems, this one has to be good old Lucas electrical.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

I thought it was a SPI, going off the topic heading?
If it is, it will have a dizzy of sorts, all it has inside is a shaft and rotor button.
Cheers Pete

P.S Here is a manual to have a look at (4.5MB)
http://mini.nicehelp.co.uk/Work%20Shop%20Maunal.pdf
Also circuit diagrams (1.04MB)
http://mini.nicehelp.co.uk/Circuit%20Diagrams.pdf

_________________
A recent study found the average Aussie walks about 900 miles a year
Another study found Aussies drink, on average, 22 gallons of alcohol a year
That means, on average, Australians get about 41 miles per gallon

Kind of makes you proud to be an AUSSIE

Early SPi's had a dizzy, MPi's had a coilpack the same as the late SPi Jap spec..

Geez Marcello still no love with the lil racer.....somethings got to give and you know the secret to this problem, good luck with it mate!

As I said above the dizzy has nothing in it, just a shaft and rotor button.
Cheers Pete

_________________
A recent study found the average Aussie walks about 900 miles a year
Another study found Aussies drink, on average, 22 gallons of alcohol a year
That means, on average, Australians get about 41 miles per gallon

Kind of makes you proud to be an AUSSIE

that's what mine has, it's a pure distributor and has no timing function at all. Certainly no points inside and spark timing is controlled by the ecu with input from the reluctor wheel (crank angle sensor)I

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Noli Illegitimi Carborundum

Did I say it did? Geez Pete, you are very defensive in this thread mate, settle...the post was directed more at KLAS to say not all SPi's are dizzyless

Cheers Jason

I am sure that KLAS knows all about injected minis as he and has mate's are the ones that have designed the programmable ECU for the SPI.
Which can be read about at the following link.
http://www.umsforum.mini-cooper-clubman.de/YaBB.pl

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A recent study found the average Aussie walks about 900 miles a year
Another study found Aussies drink, on average, 22 gallons of alcohol a year
That means, on average, Australians get about 41 miles per gallon

Kind of makes you proud to be an AUSSIE

thanks a lot, but for sure i don't know all about injected minis.

but you can say if it uses MEMS it needs the crankshaft sensor to see the engine turning over.
so if you turn on the ignition and you hear the fuel pump you can be quite sure that the ecu is powered right. trying to start the engine and nothing else happens than the starter is working look if you can see the rockers moving through the oil filler. if yes, the starter is working right. with the next try to start the engine look or feel if fuel is injected. my arms are long enough to turn the key and reach one finger close to the injector to feel the fuel, i usually don't have a person helping me. than check for a spark, best with a helpfull person. if both are not there check the crankshaft sensor. if only one is missing, forget this sensor, it's working.

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Rover 214 atm ....