Triumph Repair: 69 TR6 wont start, wd 40, table spoon

Question
When I tried starting my 1969 TR6 after the winter storage, just a clicking noise.  Replaced the battery and cable connectors.  No help. Just get a discharge indication from the electrical gauge.  Where do I start?

Answer
Hi Patrick,

First thing to do is confirm that the engine is free turning by just putting it in 4th gear and with the hood up push the car forward and backward a few feet and watch the fan blade to see that the engine is rotating. If it does not rotate remove all 6 plugs and put about a table spoon of penetrating oil like WD-40 in each plug hole and rock the car forward and backward to see if you can break it loose.

If that is ok, put a test light or volt meter on the large post of the solenoid on the starter that is closest to the starter motor and activate the starter to see if power is transmitted to the starter motor from the solenoid.

If you don't get power to that large post then remove the small wire from it's post on the solenoid (usually white w/red tracer wire) and take a jumper from a power supply (the upper large post on the solenoid) and just scratch it across the small wire post on the solenoid to see if it activates the solenoid. (Be sure the car is in neutral and hand brake on at the time)
If it does not activate the solenoid you have a failed solenoid and if it does activate the solenoid and the starter does not rotate you have a bad starter motor or a locked up engine which you should have already tested above.

Howard