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buickv8s
Steve W

(8 posts)

Registered:
05/14/2024 11:29AM

Main British Car:


Buick 215 / Rover 3500 spinning backwards???
Posted by: buickv8s
Date: June 09, 2024 05:50PM

I have a Buick 215 engine - it appears to be mostly Buick 215 but the block is an early Rover 3500 block. I don't have any history on this engine so I pre oiled it and checked a few other things before trying to start it. Everything looks good until cranking it over. The starter is spinning the engine backwards. As in the harmonic balancer and the distributor are both spinning counter clockwise.

[youtube.com]

see video

I thought this could have a reverse rotation kit in it. But when I watch the number one cylinder's valves while spinning it over with a wrench clockwise, I see that the cam is normal.

Anyone have an idea about this? Can I have the starter rebuilt to spin in the proper direction? Just get a 215 starter??? Unfortunately I had a spare 215 starter but sold it last year.


Moderator
Curtis Jacobson
Portland Oregon
(4593 posts)

Registered:
10/12/2007 02:16AM

Main British Car:
71 MGBGT, Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: Buick 215 / Rover 3500 spinning backwards???
Posted by: Moderator
Date: June 09, 2024 10:27PM

Are connections reversed at the battery?


buickv8s
Steve W

(8 posts)

Registered:
05/14/2024 11:29AM

Main British Car:


Re: Buick 215 / Rover 3500 spinning backwards???
Posted by: buickv8s
Date: June 10, 2024 07:22AM

The connections are not reversed at the battery. But if they were - wouldn't the solenoid push in the wrong direction??? Thus never kicking out the bendix?

Does anyone have an original / stock Buick 215 starter for sale?


BlownMGB-V8
Jim Blackwood
9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042
(6500 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 12:59PM

Main British Car:
1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS

authors avatar
Re: Buick 215 / Rover 3500 spinning backwards???
Posted by: BlownMGB-V8
Date: June 10, 2024 09:25AM

Might be a starter for a boat engine. If there are two installed one is often set up for reverse rotation. Sounds like you might have that starter. No real way to rewire it, rotation direction is set in the field and armature windings and even if you hook up the battery backwards it runs the same way. A solenoid doesn't car about polarity either.

Jim


DiDueColpi
Fred Key
West coast - Canada
(1384 posts)

Registered:
05/14/2010 03:06AM

Main British Car:
I really thought that I'd be an action figure by now!

authors avatar
Re: Buick 215 / Rover 3500 spinning backwards???
Posted by: DiDueColpi
Date: June 10, 2024 05:06PM

Jim's right. There is no practical way to reverse a starter.
Even if you could, the bendix is spinning the wrong way and will just freewheel.
The Marine starter is a good possibility. More possible to me is it's just a Lucas starter for something else.
Many of the Lucas starters used the same mounting pad making it an easy mistake.

cheers
Fred


buickv8s
Steve W

(8 posts)

Registered:
05/14/2024 11:29AM

Main British Car:


Re: Buick 215 / Rover 3500 spinning backwards???
Posted by: buickv8s
Date: June 13, 2024 09:18AM

You are right. Need to change the armature and the drive. It would have cost more than a new starter to have this starter converted to spin the correct direction. But I found a starter that works - out of a Range Rover Classic. It fits in this early 3.5 liter block with the Buick 215 flexplate. This thing runs great when it is spinning in the correct direction.

See the video:

[youtu.be]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/13/2024 09:19AM by buickv8s.


MGBV8
Carl Floyd
Kingsport, TN
(4557 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 11:32PM

Main British Car:
1979 MGB Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: Buick 215 / Rover 3500 spinning backwards???
Posted by: MGBV8
Date: June 13, 2024 10:43AM

I didn't think a Rover starter would work in a Buick/Olds block. I have an adapter ring to ad to my Buick starter to use it in my Rover 3.9.

You block does not look to be a Buick.



BlownMGB-V8
Jim Blackwood
9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042
(6500 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 12:59PM

Main British Car:
1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS

authors avatar
Re: Buick 215 / Rover 3500 spinning backwards???
Posted by: BlownMGB-V8
Date: June 13, 2024 02:39PM

Shh...(Think he said the block was Rover?)


MGBV8
Carl Floyd
Kingsport, TN
(4557 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 11:32PM

Main British Car:
1979 MGB Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: Buick 215 / Rover 3500 spinning backwards???
Posted by: MGBV8
Date: June 13, 2024 03:51PM

Oops. I saw the "Buick 215 engine".

Actually, I wouldn't call it a Buick 215.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/13/2024 03:58PM by MGBV8.


ag1234
Arthur Gertz

(118 posts)

Registered:
03/29/2023 08:26PM

Main British Car:


Re: Buick 215 / Rover 3500 spinning backwards???
Posted by: ag1234
Date: June 14, 2024 10:39AM

" Art Silva" 215 V8 for a Corvair swap ? Motor was out back, so needed reverse rotation. I drove one, nice package. Great for a rear-engined, LBC ?
Art.


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