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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Dyno to Alternator + Colour Blind !

afternoon all. . .been a while since i have posted, having been busy on other cars. However, i have now fitted an alternator to my Gan 5 neg earth car, and don't follow the wiring diagram offered by Moss as 1) i can hardly read it and 2) im colour blind ! so is there a wiring diagram that anyone can offer me written big and bold ? I have looked on line and all i seen to find is confusing to and from chats between various people who i guess have solved the issue concerned in different ways..... Help
P Bentley

I thought Gan5 were all wired for alt's to begin with weren't they? But since you are asking, I guess not.

Which bit aren't you clear about?
Lawrence Slater

Isn't the appropriate diagram in the appropriate Drivers Handbook. That's the one I use for my 1978 as its the only one I can find that's accurate. (All other diagrams for 1500's are different in some shape or form)

I have scanned it in and increased its size before printing. Or scan it in and zoom in on the oarts you want in more detail (windows based PC's have a poor sight software system). Or alternatively copy it and magnify at the same time on a good photo copier. Should be able to get it up to A3 and maybe bigger without loosing definition.

Hope this helps.
Dave Squire

#3 on google list
http://www.minimania.com/HOW__TO_CONVERT_FROM__GENERATOR_TO__ALTERNATOR
David Smith

What alt are you using...I went with a GM single wire alt, with built in regulator...that was the best choice of all and easy.

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

thanks all. . .

Lawrence, mine was a dynamo car, so prior to the change over you suggest, but it is a GAN 5

Dave, I don't have a Drivers handbook, not sure i have ever seen one. . .

David, going with your suggestion. . the Mini Mania procedure is the one i will follow and report back.

Prop, not sure other than to say the one that comes as a kit from Moss Europe.

Looking forward to a battery that charges and lights of more than one candle power each :)
P Bentley

Try these two merged schematics.

Huh. Too small. I'll separate them

Even though in colour, I think you can still follow them though.




Lawrence Slater

1,


Lawrence Slater

2,

Doesn't matter if you have a 4 fuse box, just ammend as appropriate.


Lawrence Slater

Peter,
in case you're not joking and to further promote the 'good book' that's full of very useful info for an owner - (Ref 0057) - https://www.mgocshop.co.uk/catalog/Online_Catalogue_Handbooks_5.html
Nigel Atkins

I cannot think that the handbook would tell one how to convert from a dynamo to an alternator.
David Smith

Actually the drivers hand book is an interesting read while waiting for the fire department to show up and put your car fire out.

Haha

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

top work guys, advice, diagrams and humour. . .awesome response. plan to sort the car on Sunday, will report back. Thanks again
P Bentley

did you go to a posh school David, "tell one"

I posted in reference to Dave's post and Peter's comment and that the current Driver's Handbook would having wiring diagrams for both dynamo and alternator showing the difference (but not how to)

and the book will be useful for further jobs and informing owners (if they thoroughly read it and refer to it when required) a great deal about their car and how and when to service it, and by reading it a new Spridget owner can often know more about the car than many long term owners (excluding many who post on here of course)

plus my commission has been very low recently as I've been slack on promoting 'the good book' - I've caught up just recently though so thanks for the further plug :)

just noticed the 's' in the hyperlink so try this instead - http://www.mgocshop.co.uk/catalog/Online_Catalogue_Handbooks_5.html

and the contents -




Nigel Atkins

Or for the instant gratification and downloadable free versions look her:

http://www.spridgetguru.com/Spridget_Books.html
dominic clancy

Nigel I went to a state grammar school - where I was taught, among other things, grammar. 'One' is useful in many ways, e.g. 'do one'.
David Smith

I was largely brought up in the US by British parents and learnt the usage of 'one'. One of my English teachers in the US noted my use of it around 1981 while in Wichita Ks and assumed it was due to my parents as it's not something that one would learnt in the US, also my pronunciation of 'schedule' was UK rather than US and so a few 'what did you say moments' in class resulted.
David Billington

Thanks Dominic & Nigel.

One will try to fix ones car on Sunday ! :)
Appreciate the wisdom guys.


Peter
P Bentley

LOL. Good one Davis S. :)

Lawrence Slater

I dun one as soon as I saw the bear!
Nigel Atkins

Hi all
My car is a 1972 May GAN5 with a dynamo originally and I converted it to alternator power using the excellent diagram #1 that Lawrence posted.
If I can do it , anybody can.
Cheers colin
colin frowen

I got the diagrams off the web, but can't remember where now. They may have come from an MGB site.
Lawrence Slater

i found on you tube that Moss Motors have a dedicated channel and cover the dyno to alternator conversion and offer diagrams to help too. . .you wise owls probably know all this, but they cover lots of other bits and bobs too that could help others.
here is the link to the conversion video. . . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NsAYiUHsho
P Bentley

Thet's very good, and here's Moss's playlist.

http://www.youtube.com/user/MossMotorsCom/playlists
Lawrence Slater

No fix at the weekend. . .chap who was coming by ran out of time, something to do with Christmas i expect ! so nothing to report as yet.
P Bentley

Good luck Peter. As a fellow colour blind fellow I know exactly where one is coming from. What the hell were they thinking of making wiring colour coded! In the gloom of a garage a green wire and a brown wire look pretty much the same to me. I can tell them apart but couldn't tell you which was which. Often the same problem with pale yellows and greens, murky reds and Browns and blues and purples.
I really need to find alternative employment to the Irish paint shop!

I did buy a lovely pair of green suede brogues once as well! You'd have thought the git in the shop might have warned me!
Matt1275

I am colour blind and contemplating a complete rewire. Either Other Half will have to keep coming out into the garage to tell me whether that is red or green (or brown) or I could wire it all in one colour. Although sometimes I can differentiate the colours, the real problem is with those dual-colour wires where the narrow stripe is very difficult for those of us who are colour blind.

Many years ago when I was going through a period of working away from home during the week I had a problem with which ties went with which shirts. We devised a system of sewing a tab with an identifying letter onto each tie and then marking the tail of the shirt with the codes of the ties which co-ordinated.It worked very well!
G Williams

Graeme,
My wife used to send me on business trips with a written list of what tie went with what. Now I try and stick to blue or red ties and blue and white shirts.You're dead right though, those bi coloured wires are a pain in the whatsit. My painting at school using those old Rowney paint boxes with the paint discs was apparently something to behold! The non-afflicted just don't get it!
Matt1275

I'm hoping that when I rewire I can snip a cm off various bits of cable and then get the Mrs to tell me their colours so I can relate them to the wiring diagram. I should be able to match the same cables with those on the loom.
I know the fire extinguisher is red!
G Williams

Graeme,
Good idea you could mount them on a board with the colours written alongside and take a photo and send it to me! Don't you believe them when they say the fire extinguisher is red. Its all part of a big conspiracy!Snooker on the telly was so much easier when it was in black and white and Whispering Ted Lowe kindly informed us that "for those watching in black and white, the pink is behind the blue" or some such.
Matt1275

Matt: I came across one of those dot pattern tests on the internet the other day. The problem was that for each test they offered a choice of three numbers and you had to tick which number you thought you could see in the pattern. In none of the cases was the number I could see in the list!
G Williams

Matt I thought the pink was always next to the brown.
David Smith

Graeme those dot patterns are the ultimate in humiliation. Either I can't see any number at all or as you say a totally different one. Pleased to know it's not just me!

Dave, oo-er! I worked that one out for myself eventually!
Matt1275

Thanks for the comments guys, One is now fixed up and making 13.8 volts which as i understand it is good. From the very short drive after all appears to be well.

Anytime soon i will have a drive in the dark and be able to light the road ahead, my word One is living the dream !

My gloating will no doubt continue as hopefully wont have to choose between lights or wipers or heater !

P Bentley

One is highly amused!
Matt1275

Hope you doubled up or replaced the cable with a larger one due to the potential for higher currents from the alternator.

Also (apparently) you need to be careful with using a battery disconnector switch which breaks the earth on the battery. If you break the earth with the engine running it can damage the alternator. Im sure someone here can confirm or correct that one.
Graeme Williams

Hi Graeme, i made the tea whilst this was going on and although i haven't looked since, i don't believe the wire was doubled or replaced. I have assumed that as the upgrade is sold without heavier duty wiring all should be fine, but the gist of your post suggests otherwise. . .whilst i am not questioning your post, is it strictly necessary ?
P Bentley

If you do the sums on the current generated by the new alternator and the size of the original wire IIRC it gets a bit marginal. However ISTR that one of the conversion notes I read said that the dynamo has two wires which can be connected to the same terminal on the alternator hence giving the extra wire capacity needed.
David Smith

This thread was discussed between 01/12/2014 and 18/12/2014

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