So first job remove the starter motor.
Having stripped it down to check the carbon brushes and commutator which are all in very good condition the obvious problem was the bendix gear sticking on its shaft.
A full clean and all was working correctly.
So I just have to brave the cold wind and rain tonight to refit it.
The second problem is that there is water weeping from the radiator overflow. Now they have designed it so that the distributor is placed underneath the filler cap so any splashes or leakage will drip on the Distributor cap.
On checking the overflow pipe it is loose and needs re-soldering or sealing. Now thinking about this, water should only be expelled if the engine is boiling over which our engine has certainly not been doing.
So I checked the radiator cap, yes correct 4lb type but wrong length.
Did you know you can get two different "lengths"?
Yes we had the wrong one fitted, so even with it on correctly the radiator sealing rubber was not sealing the neck of the radiator.
An easy fix, fit the correct cap and now the distributor will keep dry and as we have a temperature gauge fitted I doubt we will ever let the engine get too hot to boil over.
Chris clorby has been reading this.