Engine not turning over so took starter motor off car (2.0i Pinto with solenoid on outside of starter) and put it in vice to connect up to spare (charged) battery.

Battery earth to earth terminal on solenoid, battery live to live on solenoid. When I put a jump lead from battery positive to spade on solenoid, shaft with gear shoots out of starter but does not spin. What's at fault?

Thanks.

Earth terminal on starter??????

From memory there aint one?? you have a chassis(starter case earth) and a solenoid terminal (either a 6mm eyelet or a spade terminal) and a main battery terminal (8mm eyelet) which has a braided cable on the opposite terminal and goes into the starter end case(Is this what you think is the earth teminal cause it aint)
Good luck

There is no earth terminal. It earths through the case.

main power cable to big terminal
earth to vice
short a piece of metal from big terminal to small terminal on solenoid

hey presto

When the solenoid activates, first it throws the shaft out to engage the flywheel. As it approaches the 'fully out' position it makes a connection that feeds power to the motor.

First, make sure that the shaft is going to its fully extent. If it is, there are contacts inside the casing that sometimes get dirty or corroded. Otherwise, check the connections to the main winding, and the brushes.

@rse! Thought that the terminal on the solenoid with the braded wire going into the starter was an earth!

Connected earth jump lead to case, positive jump lead to solenoid terminal with wire going into starter and it spun.

Swapped positive jump lead to other positive solenoid terminal and a third jump lead between battery and ignition spade terminal and shaft came out and starter spun.

Fitted it all back in the car, connected up properly and turned the ignition, battery turned engine over twice and died - well it has been sat in the garage for the two years it's taken me to get to this stage!

Tomorrow I'm jumping it with my CRV diesel and with a bit of luck, it will start!