In a message dated 97-11-21 01:24:29 EST, p.bird@virgin.net writes:
> What's all this about the electrics on TR6s. We used to run with the
> lights on a lot and never had a problem with the battery unless you left
> the car for a month without starting the car. Is this a problem
> particular with the carburettor cars or does it effect the injection
> models aswell?
Birdy:
As long as you are not having any problem with the stock set-up - and most
people don't - there is no reason to change. In my particular situation, the
stock Lucas could not keep up with the electrical demands under conditions
that I often found myself in. I do a lot of long distance driving, as much as
I can on the back roads rather than the freeway. A lot of my driving is at
night, in the winter. Going through small towns, driving 25-30 mph and
stopping at traffic lights, the alternator could not keep up with the lights,
heater fan, and the high power radio. I could have lived with it, but I saw
no reason to, when the cure was so cheap and easy.
Another consideration is cost. A replacement Lucas alternator costs about
$100, whereas a GM alternator cost me $26.99 (plus a one time cost of $30 for
a core charge and the mountng braket). If it ever fails, I can go to
virtually any auto parts store, in any town, no matter how small, and get a
replacement off the shelf, without waiting for delivery. In most cases, it is
a 5 minute job to replace it, so you are not stuck out of town for a long
time for repairs. In my particular case, because I had to make a minor
modification to the alternator, I will have to spend an extra 5 minutes with
a hack saw to modify the replacement. I don't expect to have any problem
finding a garage that will let me use their vice and their hacksaw for that
operation. In the worst case, I carry a small hacksaw with me in my tool kit,
so I could set at the side of the road, with the alternator in my lap, and
make the modification there. This would add another 20 minutes or so to the
repair time, still much better than the minimum 24 hour wait for a
replacement Lucas.
As the old saying goes - "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," but if it is
broke, a GM, Fiesta, Mitsubishi, or other alternator is a good option.
Dan Masters,
Alcoa, TN
'71 TR6---------3000mile/year driver, fully restored
'71 TR6---------undergoing full restoration and Ford 5.0 V8 insertion - see:
http://www.sky.net/~boballen/mg/Masters/
'74 MGBGT---3000mile/year driver, original condition
'68 MGBGT---organ donor for the '74
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