MG Car Repair: 1976 Midget 1500 starting issues, starter solenoid, jumper wire

Question
Hello Howard:

I have a 76 Midget 1500 that has started and run fine for the last year.  Recently it took a few more cranks to start and progressed to sounding like the battery was getting weak and some starter spinning.  So yesterday after one of the worse episodes of starting, I got it home and charged the 2 year old battery.  This morning I went out hoping it would turn right oever and just got a click.  I have excellent power to the fan, lights, etc.  but just click at the starter.  I have tightened up the connections to the battery, stater solenoid and starter, but still no change.  As a side note, being the novice (and idiot) I am, I neglected to disconnect the battery before tightening the connection at the solenoid and hit the fan housing causing a large spark.  Power to all accessories is the same as before the stupidity.  Any suggestions on where to begin for the starter and what I may have caused with the spark?

Thank you for your help.

Don

Answer
Hi Don,
Other than melt your wrench and make the nut ugly that you were trying to tighten, you may not have done any other damage, as there are no ECUs on this car.
Do this, connect a jumper wire to the battery post on the the starter solenoid. (be sure the car is in neutral) touch the other end of your jumper wire to one of the small pins on the solenoid. (probably the one with the White w/Red tracer wire on it) If the solenoid clicks, the solenoid is at least energizing. If it clicked but the starter did not spin, then you must put a test light on the large post the connects the solenoid to the starter motor. If the light lights and the motor did not spin the starter motor is bad, if the light didn't light then the solenoid is bad.
Howard