| Every Facel has one, but the big cars have a problem in that
replacement motors are very hard to find. Originally fitted to the Chrysler Dodge range,
the motor bolts directly to the bell housing on cast iron Torqueflite models. Manual cars
had the same fitting, and these continued until about 1962 when the aluminium casing took
over and a completely different fitting replaced the earlier model. Although reliable,
after constant use (how many Facels get that nowadays?) the brushes will need renewing and
the commutator skimming like any other make. Frequently trouble arises when the copper
segments of the commutator wear down faster than the insulating material between them.
This means that the brushes make contact with the insulating material and not the copper -
with predictable results. If the motor works at all, it's pretty feeble.
If you have a problem, it should be easy enough to get your motor serviced or rebuilt
in the UK as there is nothing very complicated about them. If you would like it done
efficiently and cheaply, contact the club for advice on recommended companies.
However if, as happened to one club member, you send your motor off to a local repairer
and it gets lost in transit, then you are stuck - literally! A replacement lightweight
starter for a 383 engine, sent from a supplier in Chicago, was claimed to fit. It didn't.
The correct item seems hard to find anywhere in the USA.
So if you happen to know of a starter from a different engine which fits, let the club
know - we will publish any more information. In the meantime, many thanks to Hans Ruhe for
his helpful information.
Mark Walker
(reproduced from FaceLetter of Dec 2002)
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