Buick 215 / Rover 3500 spinning backwards???

[buickv8s]

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.  

https://youtube.com/shorts/y1U7ZeUiIvs?si=yvk1ylFddwMFx3xm

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]

Are connections reversed at the battery?

[buickv8s]

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]

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]

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]

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:

https://youtu.be/cpcFxPIqtzw

[MGBV8]

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]

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

[MGBV8]

Oops. I saw the "Buick 215 engine".

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

[ag1234]

" 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.