Bud,
The car is suppose to be negative earth and does have an alternator. Just
because the car has an alternator doesn't mean the DPO didn't TRY to change
the system over. If you were able to meet the guy I bought/rescued this car
from...you'd understand completely why I originally posted this question to
the list. I understand that alternators are a negative system but didn't
know if it was original equip on this car or if the DPO replaced a generator
with an alternator...I digress back to the third sentence of this reply. :o)
What I have decided to do is this:
I've got the Bentley shop manual for the 75-79 Midget 1500. It shows the
electrical schematic for the 76 Midget, which I assume is pretty much the
same for the 77 (someone please correct me if I'm wrong). I'm going to
completely go over every inch of the wiring before I connect a battery to
the system ( I believe it is the safest thing to do considering that I have
a chunk of harness in with the parts the DPO gave me and I have no idea
where he cut it from! (yes...CUT it from)).
Thanks for questioning. Some of the best answers are in the form of a
question. :o)
Dan Dwelley
77 Midget
Alexandria, Va.
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-mgs@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-mgs@autox.team.net]On
Behalf Of Bud Krueger
Sent: Thursday, December 31, 1998 11:22 AM
To: Dan Dwelley
Cc: Ajhsys@aol.com; mgs@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Positive earth Systems
Dan,
It sounds as if the car hasn't been started since a lot of work was
done.
The instruction to check the cabling based upon the battery + and - markings
is
the only real way to do it. Cables come in both colors. The thing that I'm
having trouble with is the idea that you could possibly have an alternator
with
a positive ground. Granted I'm an OF brought up on TD's with generators
that
can be polarized to go either way and I'm new to MGs with alternators, but I
don't recall ever seeing an alternator with a diode bridge connected to
provide
a negative output voltage. Does your car have an alternator or a generator?
Bud Krueger
52TD
77MGB
Dan Dwelley wrote:
> <I can't imagine anyone going to the trouble of converting an LBC to
> positive earth!>
>
> You didn't meet the guy I bought it from!
>
> There have been areas of the electrical system that have been removed and
> other areas that have dangling wires so I don't rely on anything that I
see
> on this poor little neglected car.
> It's amazing the things you find once you get them home! This car needed
to
> find someone to take care if it.
>
> Dan Dwelley
> 77 Midget
> Alexandria, Va.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ajhsys@aol.com [mailto:Ajhsys@aol.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, December 29, 1998 5:02 PM
> To: mgs@autox.team.net; ddwelley@UU.NET
> Subject: Re: Positive earth Systems
>
> >My 77 Midget looks to be a Positive Earth car but I seem to recall
reading
> >somewhere that Positive Earth was phased out (no pun intended) around
1968.
> >Is this true or were positive earth cars available through 1980. Is there
> >another way to check this out other than just looking at the color of the
> >battery cables and which one is grounded to the frame?
>
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>
> Dan,
>
> All 1977s were negative earth. If the negative cable from the battery is
> grounded to the frame (Or the block. I'm not sure and I'm not near the
> car.),
> and the positive cable goes to the starter solenoid (I'm sure of that
> one.),
> it is negative earth. DO NOT rely on the color of the cables. Both of
mine
> are black, and both of the cables in my sons pick up truck are red. DPOs
> are
> almost all color blind.
>
> I can't imagine anyone going to the trouble of converting an LBC to
positive
> earth!
>
> Allen Hefner
> '77 Midget
> '92 Mitsubishi Expo LRV Sport (also negative ground)
|