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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 - Starter Motor - which one?

I need a new starter motor for a ’73 BGT. The options seem to be:

Rebuild/exchange the standard one. Prices vary from £75 to £150.

Fit a replacement new outright one for sub £70 – had one of those, it lasted 13 months, I will pass on that.

Fit a WOSP or Powerlite hi torque one – about £250. I think they are both geared.

MGOC have a geared one for £225 – looks like a Powerlite? I may call them tomorrow

I vaguely remember a conversation with someone who competed on trials with his B and his preference was go for the standard one as they are more robust and can stand getting wet – we do events which do sometimes involve fords and water.

Any thoughts or experience of any of these? The threads I have looked at are a bit dated now

Mike Dixon

I have a Wosp on my V8 and it performs well, spinning the engine over about twice as fast as the original. I've no idea about it's water resistance!
Mike Howlett

The little geared starters seem to be the goods.
Being permanent magnet motors they have less electrical parts to go wrong I'd think.
The only one i've seen fail (not an MG) was from a weeping rear welsh plug that allowed coolant to rust the main shaft of the starter stopping the bendix from sliding
Not what you'd usually do to a starter, but if you're expecting it to get wet I'd be tempted to grease the main shaft where the bendix slides to stop it rusting up.

willy
William Revit

You don't need to go as expensive as a geared - as good as those are are. Modern lightweights crank faster, take less current and are faster than the originals and quite a bit cheaper - £70 vs £100 last time I looked. Some don't have the bypass contact for the coil boost on rubber bumper (some geared don't have that either) although with the higher performance its less of an issue.
paulh4

It was one of those in that price range that packed in on me after 13 months - some of which was in lockdown so it did not get a lot of use. I refitted the original Lucas which has just developed an intermittent fault.

I have gone for a WOSP in the end. Not too much more than a rebuilt original one but a lot easier to get in place and fit. Very early days but so far so good.....



Mike Dixon

Where did you get it from? £258 at Moss.

Mind you the lightweight are now £113 and rebuilt original either £130 or £170 for what appear to be identical items. Except the cheaper one is out of stock ...
paulh4

I went for the WOSP one from Moss, bit pricey but if it lasts it was worth getting. It spins the engine over really well , but so, to be honest, did the smaller cheaper one I had before - until it stopped!

Have to say the smaller ones are much easier to fit/get out than the Lucas.
Mike Dixon

This thread was discussed between 12/05/2024 and 26/05/2024

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