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MG MGA - Power Steering

This is picking up on the comments by John Francis, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom in the thread about Stoneleigh.

Can you tell me any more about this power steering conversion?

MGOC seem to reckon their MGB one is not tranferrable to MGAs

Alasdair
A F Enticknap

Alasdair

The electric power steering unit was fitted to a rather nice 1600 with a crossflow head (how you adjust the distributor with the inlet manifold and twin SUs above it beats me).

The chap running the stand said that it was currently a prototype fit in the MGA and that they still had to finalise the tooling and produce the fitting instructions. He expected it to be on the market for the MGA in the next 2 to 3 months. I sat in the car and operated the steering. It was fitted with the same 14" steering wheel that I have in my car. It certainly made the steering a lot lighter stationary.

I have attached a copy of their flyer.

Steve


Steve Gyles

Steve, The innovations are interesting but I cannot contemplate that you have even looked at power steering for your MGA! I am an old bloke but still able to cope with MGA steering. An (even more) elderly friend has a 14/40 Vauxhall (with notoriously heavy steering) and has not been able to find anywhere to drive the (mechanical) pump from the 14/40 engine. I don't know if he is aware of the electric system, will phone him tomorrow.
Barry Bahnisch

Barry

I am not contemplating it - yet, although my right shoulder has permanent damage that may require surgery later this year. Bottom line is that I would fit it if it meant I could keep driving the car past my sell-by date!

I tried it out because it was there. It is quite unobtrusive under the dash. To the casual eye, if you were not looking for it, you might not notice it was there.

I actually stopped at the stall because of the cross-flow head. It was only then that the staff came over and started chatting to me. Until then I thought it was the cross-flow head they were selling! If I had the money (£1500 ish I understand from John Francis)) I would spend it on that first, not the power steering.

Steve

Steve Gyles

I have not seen the details of this conversion, but from Steve's comment about it being under the dash I assume that the electrical component turns the standard steering column and steering rack.
I am not too keen on that. People get into the habit of doing full lock turns while stationary. This puts enormous load on the rack and pinion gears. A proper power rack and pinion applies the load only to the ends of the rack, such as in later Triumphs.
Some new cars such as MGF and BMW etc. have electric steering components designed from the beginning for the loads involved.
I have always thought that one of the best things about a MGA is the light, precise steering.
Now power steering on an early Triumph TR sports car, I might go for that!


Mick
M F Anderson

Mick

If you delve into their website you can see what it looks like in the MGA: http://www.ezpowersteering.nl/index.php?p=3&a=OTU=

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All

Please don't take the view that I am promoting this product. I am just reporting on what I saw and experienced at the show yesterday.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Steve

Thanks for this info and the brochure. Certainly a different approach to power steering form MGOC. Will file away for future consideration.

Alasdair.
A F Enticknap

This thread was discussed on 22/02/2010

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This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGA BBS is active now.