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MG MGA - Coil mount

I've mounted my coil on the inner fender, nose down with about 1-1/2" above the clip. However, it will foul the 4" heater hose unless I move it down as far as I can. Normal?
Art Pearse

OK, just consulted Clausager and he says it is mounted on a bracket to the engine mount, on the 1600. I was using the holes on the inner fender which matched the coil clamp.
At $45 I think I can make my own bracket. Does anyone have a sketch or a good picture?
Art Pearse

Think I got it. pattern from the 3 mountng bolts, invent the rest!
Art Pearse

If anyone has dimensions for the 1600 type coil bracket, I would be happy to make a CAD drawing. It could help if you lay the bracket on a scanner to get a scale image. Then I need metal thickness and width of the upturned flanges.
Barney Gaylord

Barney, here is a pic from a past thread, courtesey of Cam Cunningham. The 3 holes on the right fit the engine mount. I'll send you a sketch of what I fabricate.
But a lot of owners seem to mount their coils on the fender and I am wondering how they avoid the air hose interference. My PO didn't have the hose!


Art Pearse

On my 1500 I removed the coil from top of generator and mounted it on the inner fender, horizontal with HT lead to the back, well below the 4 inch air hose, not interfering with anything.

Thanks for the picture. This brings up a question about the bracket design. Art's picture shows the two holes for coil mounting bolts aligned parallel to the wide end of the bracket (which is what I was expecting). This positions the coil at an angle about 35 degrees from the engine axis.

I also received a scanned image of a coil bracket (along with some basic dimensions) from Russell Goebel, from which I am making a drawing. Russell's picture shows the two holes for coil mounting in different locations, which would place the coil about 15 degrees form the engine axis. See attached picture. (Be aware that this is a scan of the flat side of the bracket, and I mirror imaged it to appear in correct orientation. This "photo-shopped" image makes it appear with flanges on the bottom when the flanges are actually on top).

So my new question is, were there two different designs of this bracket with the same part number? For those of you with one of these brackets on your car or in your possession, can you tell me if it looks like Art's picture, or something else? If there were two different designs I could make two drawings (and then we need to determine a reasonable change point in production).

Do not confuse this with the "other" bracket for the 1600 with all round disc brakes. The Twin Cam (and "Deluxe") chassis has different RH engine mount and completely different coil bracket.


Barney Gaylord

Barney, that looks right. My prototype doesn't has the short flange parallel to the line through the pair of mounting holes, and as such the coil interferes with the frame! Back to the work bench, using your pic. Thanks. I'm using 18 ga mild steel.
Art Pearse

That should read "My prototype has the short flange parallel...."
Art Pearse

I presume that you people change the position of the coil for a reason. I would assume that you do this because the original mounting postion of the coil, on top of the generator, is not ideal as the coil tends to overheat there. Well, that was also my belief, but I can tell you now that my coil overheats at any mounting position within the engine bay. Any comments on this guys? Tks.

Frank
F Camilleri

Frank, check the primary side resistance. Should be 3-3.5 ohms. If you have a 6V coil it will take 2X the current.
Art Pearse

Why might he have a 6v coil....Aren't all MG's 12V?
Edward
Edward Wesson 52TD

Yes, but sometimes a wrong replacement is sold...
Art Pearse

Here is my Mk 2 plate in position, before painting.
I turned the outside edge down instead of up as it gives much better access to the engine mount nuts.
Barney, I will make a dimensioned sketch for you.
Art Pearse

Forgot the pic.


Art Pearse

Well, after all that, I find it sorta blocks access to the spin on filter, so I've mounted it on the inner fender, lower, out of the way of the air hose.
Barney, I will still send you the sketch.
Art Pearse

Ah-Ha! Now I get it. The plate with two holes aligned parallel to the end of the plate is the MGA part. From Art's last picture you can see this positions the coil at an angle pointing slightly outboard and a little upward above and parallel to the MGA frame, just inside of the inner fender. And it fits there (sort of).

I just received another bracket tracing with dimensions from John Alexander. This is in the configuration with the two-hole pattern angled from the end of the plate, like Russell's picture. John tells me this is from his 1964 MGB. This pattern positions the coil more horizontal and nearly parallel to the generator.

After reviewing the prior posted pictures, I get the idea that the MGB bracket may not work on the MGA, as it may but the coil in a slightly lower position where it could interfere and maybe hammer on the MGA frame as the engine rocks on the rubber mounts. Russell said he didn't use his bracket because it didn't fit with an inverted spin-on oil filter adapter installed. He didn't say if it worked (or not) with the original hanging filter. I am still inquiring for clarification on that point.

Right now it appears to me that the angled hole pattern bracket is an MGB part. Whether it works with MGA or not, it is good to know the origin of this piece (and I can still make two drawings).
Barney Gaylord

Art my coil is definately 12Volt 3.2ohms. I have changed 5 different coils and mounted them in different places, but the result was the same, very hoy coil. It's a mystery to me.

Frank
F Camilleri

Frank, it must be the dwell angle too long (= small points gap). That's all I can think of.
Art Pearse

Barney, the coil should not rock with the engine as the mounting of the bracket is to the frame side. Since you now have info on both, you won't need my sketch? But I recommend the turning down of the outer flange rather than up.
Art Pearse

This thread was discussed between 07/05/2013 and 10/05/2013

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