MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Alternator help ....needs a good cleaning, but how

The alt. light on my work truck started coming on and off aweek ago, just spratically, every now and then,,,with no pattern while driving....I just tightened the alt. belt and its still doing it, and I noticed the alt. is covered in oil both engine and power steering, from a repair several weeks ago...so my guess is there is oil in the alt...

What is the best way to clean the alt...Preferable not taking it off the truck(buried and hard to get to)....is there a spray cleaner like airosol brake disk cleaner that I can spray the whole thing down with.....a bit leary of using brake cleaner because of the plastic and rubber parts

any ides
prop
Prop

The only part that should need to be cleaned would be the brushes and commutator; oil on the rest of it should not bother it. You probably are not going to succeed in correcting it without pulling it, but feel free to make a liar out of me.
David "brush with life" Lieb
David Lieb

I'm with David on this one, but would submit that if there's any way of getting spray to the thing, I'd use an electronics cleaner instead of brake or carb cleaner. I don't know if you can still get "tuner cleaner." (Remember when TVs used click tuner dials? That's the origin of the stuff.) I have a can that I've used for years to clean connectors, etc. I understand that it cuts oils and oxidation without damaging electronic bits.

Anyway, if it does indeed come down to pulling the alternator, you can get rebuild kits for not a whole lot. That, or a rebuilt alternator, would be my choice.

-:G:-
Gryf Ketcherside

yeah thats my thinking to, If I have to pull the alt. I might as well, get a rebuilt after all with 280,000 miles, I doubt it will last another 100,000... I thought I might try the spray cleaner approah 1st, And see if I can get lucky and save myself, $150 and 6 hrs, and cut up knuckles and hands....I really want to work on the midget instead of truck anyway.

prop
Prop

Go to your local electrical store and buy yourself some "switch cleaner", spray this in and see what happens (I'd let it dry before starting the car)
Will Munns

OH!!!

thanks for the insite will, hadnt thought of that....thats all I need is an electrical fire...good point!!!


2 votes for switch cleaner.....then thats what Ill try.....thanks guys, really wasnt sure what type of spray cleaner to try.

wish me luck
prop
Prop

well,

That didnt work....now the light stays on full time...looks like a rebuilt alt. in my immediate future.

Augh
prop
Prop

Just put a Lucas alternator on it and see if it can take a joke ;-)
David "Look for a rebuilt on ebay" Lieb
David Lieb

Prop,

You would most likely have a chemical fire (the cleaner burning).

I go to Checker Shucks Kragen and they keep giving me new Lucas alternators every time mine blows up for free. No one tell them they are stupid for putting a lifetime guarantee on something that has a lifetime of a day to a week! really I have only had 2 lucas alternators go out over 6 years with 2 Midgets, ain't that bad.
Stefan

Prop maybe you need to fit a GM alt

:-)

If the alt has finally given up its ghost I seriously doubt if cleanin out any oil has done any damage

when solid state stuff has had enough it WILL just go away, often by getting noticeably "badder and badder"

Of course I do like Lucas alternators, but I do not know how the Ford or Bosch replacements work out over there and if this was in England I would find you a very good replacement from the Ford stable.

Over here Ford Fiesta alternators (off petrol engined Fiestas), make good replacements for the LUCAS ones on our Spridgets.
Bill

Stefen. I am assuming you are using the Autolite rebuilds from Checker. A freshly rebuilt one, installed on my 79B, went out in less than seven months of use and killed the battery when doing so. (It was showing 18.25V output after I installed a new battery.) The current crop is labeled "rebuilt in Mexico". Not sure if this is an improvement or not. Previous ones were rebuilt in the US and lasted for 5+ years before showing any problems. Recent crop, but still seemed to have been rebuilt in the US, were junk. I hope the ones rebuilt in Mexico will be better. They are less expensive.

I just ordered a new Lucas alternator from Moss. The box notes that it is "Made in Turkey". Okay. Will test it on on my BGT when I get the new engine in this month. (Fingers crossed.)

Last week I visited a friend's shop and spoke with his mechanics. Asked them what was a good, new car. The response was, "There isn't one. Stick with your old cars like we do." Interesting.

Bill. Have been far busier, over the last year than is good for me. Thus, I may have neglected to post something which I keep meaning to say to you. I, quite very much, enjoy your posts and always look forwards to reading them. The low key teaching method you use to extend our knowledge and the sense of humor (humour) you display while doing so is something that I have only seen displayed by the finest of instructors. We are fortunate to have you as a member of our family.

That being said, my recent experience with US Ford alternators has not been good. My wife owned a Mustang for ten years before replacing it with her current Mini. Four alternator replacements during that time, two while under factory warranty. The third one was out of factory warranty and caused a minor electrical fire costing $700 in damage. That was more than our house payment was per month, so it was a fair bit of money then.

I do not know how long the factory Lucas, from back when they were made in the UK, last. The longest I owned one was a little over five and one half years. Purchased new, the only electrical problems ever noted were in the turn signal switch which had to be replaced twice during that time period. American cars, of that same period, also demonstrated a high degree of reliability of electrical system components.

Wish things were of similar quality today.

Les
Les Bengtson

luckly this is a toyota truck, the alt has 280,000 miles on it, so they aint going to last forever,,,,got the junk pretty well unbolted and out of the way so tomarrow I can pull the alt. and hopefully have it running tomarrow evening


David thats not a bad Idea, maybe the truck will sit up and drive right if it knew I was going to put on a lucas on..lol....A GM isnt a bad Idea, but it would take forever.....being that the current alt and truck is 15 years old I think Ill stay with the proper alt.



I was really hoping it was just all the oil, antifresse, steering fluid thats been poured all over it was the culpret but I guess not....the aalt. is in such a bad place, and catches everthing...

well wish me luck tomarrow

prop
Prop

Prop, good luck!

Over on this side of the shining water most Ford equipment recently seems to have been sourced through Bosch. Most of this is very efficient but there will always be failures from manufacturers.

Many (modern) Lucas alternators are basically Bosch units I think.

Autolite used to be very reliable.

Les you pay me too high a compliment, far too kind!

(now we need a colour smiley set so I can blush)

Bill

I'll have owned my Midget for 13 years when late spring rolls around, and for all that time it's been on the same Lucas alternator which, for all I know, is the original. At least it was on there when I bought the car in '95, and it's still happily alternating. Frankly, I seldom even think about the alternator unless I'm moving it out of the way to address the #1 sparkplug. So no complaints from me!

(He said, a week before replacing his alternator...)

-:G:-
Gryf Ketcherside

This thread was discussed between 16/03/2008 and 18/03/2008

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS is active now.