MG Car Repair: MGB Starting, starter solenoid, brown lead

Question
QUESTION: Battery is topped off.
Red idiot light "on."
Ignition switch to start - no starter, loud clunk in fwd. rt side. starter solenoid.
THEN, everthing dead in car. No lights, no red idiot light, nothing.
Wait 5-7 mins. All lights on but same result.

Jumped Brown lead to W/R spade on starter relay. Same result.

Starter, solenoid?

Also rocked car in gear to see if starter had a dead spot.
No change.

Thanks for the help

ANSWER: Hi Joe,
It sounds like you have a bad cable connection either on the positive side or the ground side so first check and clean battery terminals then then check tightness of battery cable on solenoid. Since you didn't tell me what year the car was you need to check the tightness of the cable on both ends that runs from the starter solenoid to the starter motor (on early MGBs) and check the tightness of the nut on the strap on the solenoid that enters the starter motor on later MGBs. Then check the ground strap (engine to frame) and the battery to frame. If you have an older MGB check the cable between the two batteries (older MGBs)
Somewhere in all that you will find your problem unless you have a broken inner post inside the battery / s.
Howard

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: 1973 MGB
All connections and cables OK - single battery.

BTW. necessary to jack up car to change starter?
Thanks

Answer
Joe, yes, you need to raise the car to change the starter and to first check the cable connections and the engine to frame ground strap. If you don't check the connections and replace the starter first you will still have to correct cable connections if you replace a good starter with a another good starter.
Howard