smoke coming from starter

[124NC]

Hello everyone. This is my first post and I need your help! I have read some great advise the last two week to get my first Spider running, for a day! Just a little background, 1975, one owner, been sitting for 2 years. I replaced the battery, fuel filter and had the tank drained and cleaned. Rebuilt the carb (thanks for all the post that walked me through that) replace spark plugs and clean distributor.
Today I drove for about 10 minutes, when I got back home I went to restart and she acted as if the battery was dead. I put the booster on and I got one click and that's it. Tried a few more times and same. Hit the starter, tired and started. I let her idle for about 30 minutes while I worked on various things in the car. Then she just died. I then saw a good stream of smoke coming out of the starter! I have a photo if some can tell me how to post it. If looking at the starter from the front of the car it was coming directly out of what looks like a threaded open hole. Waited awhile and tried again and a single click and nothing more. I checked all the wires and all looked good. Am I looking at new starter? If so and suggestions? Thanks for all your help!

[htchevyii]

Were you trying to start the car when it happened? If not, maybe a wire us shorted out?

[nalle]

Just a wild quess.
You had a mechanical problem with starter, Popably the solenoid is dirty etc..
1. when it did not start = starter "wheel" did not move
2. when it burnt starter did not release the mechanical contact, so starter was rotating with the motor.

Any way if operating smoke comes out of electicak equipment, you have to change it.

[124NC]

Thank you for the replies. The smoke came after the car was turned of from idling, none when starting.
That's what I was afraid of, electric+ smoke = Bad things! From what I have reading, I'm guessing the starter continued to engage after the engine started and burned up the inners?
I've read about removal on here any suggestions as to a new one or what I should look for after I remover the old one?

[azruss]

There is nothing you can see from the outside of the starter. Even if you took it apart, you may not be able to see a short in the windings or any other such nonsense. Unbolting the starter is easy. getting it out from there is the hard part. I have always disconnected the center drag link at the ball joint on that side so i have room to pull it out. Many seem to like the gear reduction starters as they are physically smaller.

[124NC]

Just took it out and bench tested. Yep dead!
I must have got lucky, took 20 minutes, cranked the wheels to the right and down it came! Thanks for everyone that had posted on this in the past for the tools needed!
Boy that suckered is heavy !!

[johnsje6]

Did something similar with my '79, was a challenge to remove but did not have to unhook any of the steering linkage - I think it is well worth it to buy a new reduction gear starter for a replacement, so I don't have to do that again for a really long time - I got mine from AR.

[vandor]

> Unbolting the starter is easy. getting it out from there is the hard part.

On his '75 it usually can be wiggled out toward the front under the intake manifold.

[DieselSpider]

Just took it out and bench tested. Yep dead!
I must have got lucky, took 20 minutes, cranked the wheels to the right and down it came! Thanks for everyone that had posted on this in the past for the tools needed!
Boy that suckered is heavy !!

Is the motor dead or just the solenoid? I ended up calling a few local Mom & Pop auto-electric shops and was able to source the solenoid for less than $20 for my oddball diesel since the solenoid had been on his shelf so long that they box had fallen apart. The gent took the time to put the new solenoid on the test bench to verify current draw, pull force and condition of the contacts before letting me walk out the door. He also tested my old unit to verify my diagnosis. Some if they have the parts in their archives may give you a very good deal and provide quick/immediate access to high quality parts.

The one I ended up going with told me up front, I don't know but drop by and I'll see what I can do. Now I have another local shop on my GoTo First list.