MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGB Technical - Geared Starter Motor

Anyone know what the basic starter is that Moss use for their geared starter motor option?
Any reports over the standard starter, good or bad?

Ta

Colin
Colin Parkinson

I don"t know which motor they us but mine works very well, with the added bonus of substantial weight reduction. Make sure the earth cable, engine to chassis is a good one. I"m just down the road from you in Bradford. Jim
jim soutar

Colin,

I'm really happy with my gear-reduction starter. I installed the G-R starter from Moss (USA) on my '63 Mk I because (the back of) my flywheel ring gear was worn and I just couldn't take that sound of the grinding that occurred when the old starter tried to engage. The G-R starter engages the front of the flywheel gear, which isn't worn. Not totally sure, but I think it's the Gustafson starter that's advertised in Classic Motorsports and other mags.

Anyway, the G-R starter spins faster and the engine starts easier with obviously less drain on the batteries and no grinding.

And yes, it weighs a lot less. I just needed to remove the coil and mounting bracket (along with the distributor and oil filter as it says in the manual), and jacked the engine up off the left mount about 1/8 - 3/16 inch (the left engine mount is freed up when you remove the coil bracket) in order to get my old starter out. Maybe just something peculiar to my car.

My only complaint is that it is not possible to get a socket on the lower nut when mounting the G/R starter. They should have provided more clearance. And with the oil pan so close, there wasn't a lot of room to leverage an open-end wrench. I ended up cutting the handle on a spare open-end wrench down to about 3/4 inch in length and using vise grips to pull the wrench, 1/6-turn at a time, to tighten the nut. It was tedious, but, really, it was worth it.

Cheers,
Greg
Greg Van Hook

Oops, I mean the right mount, LHD driver's reference.
Greg Van Hook

Jim, if you get as far as Halifax, pop in. You can help me rebuild the A engine!!

Colin

07831 387250
Colin Parkinson

They are a lot more money, but more importantly than weighing less take less current out of the battery which extends the life of that as well as leaving more voltage for the ignition. They are also much quieter. When I first tried one I fitted I thought just the pinion was spinning, and was amazed when the engine burst ito life. That only lasted a few days though, as the motor and solenoid assemble was attached to the adapter plate by just two self-tappers and super-glue. Make sure yours is bolted through, and make sure it isn't simply a 'hi-torque' i.e. ungeared starter. On the geared starters it is the solenoid that is in line with the pinion and the motor on the side. On the non-geared it is the other way round, like the originals. Some geared starters come with a captive bolt in one of the mounting holes as it is covered my the motor. Not all geared starters have the additional solenoid contact for the coil boost function on starting which is fitted to rubber bumper cars. This can be replicated by various means, but with the lower drain and better cranking you may be able to get away without it.
Paul Hunt

This thread was discussed between 15/05/2009 and 20/05/2009

MG MGB Technical index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG MGB Technical BBS now