89 clipper starter motor type

Hi all
I have an issue with my clipper.
I leave him for a day and the battery seems flat put the battery on charge and it's fully charged. Put battery back on the car and it struggels to turn the engine and then nothing.
So have started at one end (I.e remove starter, check ok etc…) then work my way up.
I have 2 spare starters that I can try but neither fit the car  
One Is to big, I can't get a socket on the bolts and one has a short drive bit at the end.
Both are from vw golf convertibles but obviously seem different
So two things really, any ideas on the flat battery (by the way it's only 3 months old)
And starter motor are they different for different clippers/convertibles
Cheers kurt

I would suspect that you have a couple of issues.
Yes there are a few different starters for these guys.
I can be specific to  2 different Automatic Starters which depend on which type of flex plate that you have (spoked or solid).

There are 2 different ones for manual that I know of, the Diesel Starter Higher Torque and Manual now you all have different engines than were available in the UK that weren't an option here in the states with different transmissions than I would see….So I really can't swear to ya'lls differences, but can only comment on what I personally have seen.

There is also the Starter bushing that can wear and needs to be replaced @ 100km on the clock.  At least that is what I did on my diesels.

If yours is sluggish may I make a statement and a observation.  Adding a Heat Soak Relay to off load the high current off the ignition switch, and eliminating about 3 meters of wire so that instead of going from the battery to the ignitions switch to the starter solenoid,  you have.

Battery to ignition switch to relay.  The relay takes the battery straight to the starter about 1 meter… and your starter is so much happier with it.

www.cabby-info.com electrical look for heat soak relay.

Second is an observation.  Have you replaced your battery to frame and frame to engine/transmission earthing cable?  If yours are still original (yes it may have new terminal ends but still old unshielded cable) it has  probably  started ot internally corrode.  These unshielded cables are exposed to road grime and salt, and battery outgassing so instead of being a Big hulking wire, you are reduced to parallel strands of wire, which can't fully operate as good as a new one.  

The main power lead for the starter may also need to be replaced as that too can get the same condition.  

How old is the battery? I had this issue and a new battery solved it.. Worth looking at.
If the Battery is sound then I'd check alternator is charging.  with engine on put multi meter on the terminals you should get around 14V. You can also check the output from the alt to see if you're getting voltage drop across the cables. They get old and tend to rise in resistance, so I got cables off a MK3.

not sure about auto but starters on manual cars should be held on with 8mm hex key bolts so shouldn't need to get a socket on them. I would be testing your battery before changing anything.

I wouldn't replace anything without testing it first as its easy to test resistance on a wire and if it has really high resistance it will get hot, the battery is connected straight to starter and alternator so shouldn't need to add any relays, if they were needed it would already have it.

the starter is earthed through its body to gearbox then through - battery cable so easy way to test the earth is run a jump cable from the starter motor bolts to - battery terminal, if it changes then you know its an earthing issue.  

What make and power battery do you have?

Thanks for the help/replys
Very much appreciated.
I took the battery off mine and put it on my daughter's polo and it did the same.
It's a lion battery with 4 year warranty so although 3 months old it's going back to eurocarparts for replacement.
Then I have a few days off next week, I shall be checking and replacing some of my battery wiring it's probably way overdue for a check.
As for the starters mine are 17mm bolts so maybe different/wrong but I think all the engine mounting bolts are 17mm and that what they are mounted to so I assume is correct and the other starter motors I have is just fatter in the body, you just can't get the socket on the bolts it's so close to the body and the other one has a really short shaft (so to speak) same body etc.. just the cog piece is closer to the housing, it's obviously part of some spare I have picked up over time but I know the fatter body one came off my first cabby which was an 83 manual and it definitely doesn't fit the one I have now is an 89 manual.

they are definitely m10 8mm hex key bolts for the starter so probably been replaced at some point, the lower one goes through the mount in to a 17mm nut so can be undone by that but the top one has a captive nut in the front mount.

 I don't think they changed the starter motor body on any big block mk1s so would think the skinny one would be from a mk3, I had a 1996 citi golf and the starter looks the same as my 83 gti

   
mk1 and mk3 starters