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MG TD TF 1500 - Starter switch to starter cable 332-065

Bought one of these from Moss. They show the same cable as fitting the MGA and the packaging stated MGA and not MGTD.

It is too short, as shown in the picture below. I can't tighten down the connections without putting an undue strain and tension on the cable.

Anyone else have this issue? Jeff Zorn tells me he sells a dozen or so a year and hadn't heard any complaints until now, but he is looking into it.

David Littlefield

Here is a picture of the Moss cable (bottom) compared with a British Wiring product (top) that I subsequently ordered.

Note that British Wiring has two different part numbers for the MGTD and MGA cables, while Moss only has the one.

David Littlefield

Why not go to an auto electric shop and have them make a cable that will fit better.
Cheers - Dave
DW DuBois

And who was it that said Moss was getting better at supplying us parts that fit !! THAT is why I quit buying from them 20 years ago. David, what is the length of that cable, if I still have an original (with brass ends to boot) I'll send you one first part of the week. Or you can just get one from B/W. Curt
CCV Curt

As Dave mentioned do it yourself. I bought 1m of 35mm˛ boat battery cable and cramped the lugs in a vice with a drill bit to form the kink. A job done in a few minutes.

Regards
Declan
Declan Burns

Thanks, guys, I've already got my problem fixed by buying a cable from British Wiring.

I wasn't trying to start a Moss-bashing thread. In fact, I was just trying to determine if others had ordered the same part from Moss and found that it was OK and that maybe I just got one that was mislabeled or manufactured incorrectly.
David Littlefield

Probably worth sending back to Moss with the photos shown. Feedback improves the product for us all.
John Quilter

I have soldered terminals onto starter cable a number of times but have never been able to do a neat job. I find you have to use a flame to get the terminal hot enough to melt the solder but this always scorches the plastic insulation.

Jan T
J Targosz

John, that's exactly my goal. I've sent the pictures to Jeff Zorn at LBCarco, from whom I purchased the cable. He says he will address it with Moss.

He also says he has sold 8-10 of these in the past year without receiving a complaint. So I'm asking the folks that bought this part in the past if it worked OK for them. I may have just got unlucky with a bad part or maybe folks have been getting the wrong cable and not saying anything.
David Littlefield

I got one not that long ago for Bill's TF. It fit fine. I think you just got one bagged wrong.
L E D LaVerne

Thanks, Laverne, et al.

Zorn/Moss got back to me and indicated they haven't had any complaints on this and the one I was sent meets the spec (14"). Looks like the problem is something that is unique to my installation, though I can't figure out what. Maybe the switch is installed too far back, but that's where the holes are?

In any case, it appears there is nothing wrong with Moss' part and I'm good to go with the longer cable supplied by British Wiring.

Looks like anyone needing this can order it with confidence from Moss (or make it yourself, as some suggested).

Thanks again for contributing.
David Littlefield

Jan T, what I generally do is use some heat shrink insulation on the ends to solve your problem. Put two pieces on before doing the job, slide to the ends, warm, and you've got a well insulated cable...
Geoffrey M Baker

David somebody is giving you bad info on the length and I suspect I know who. I just went out and measured mine and it did come from Moss and its about 17" long. In fact it's long enough that I mount the terminal on the starter on the bottom instead of the top and I have the switch mounted flat with the bracket on the inside of the fire wall so it has to reach even farther. As I said ...we just put one on Bill's TF and it is the same 17" with the starter post down low as well.
L E D LaVerne

LaVerne, now that's interesting. Given that and some pure speculation on my part, I suspect at some point Moss decided to reduce part numbers and inventory by combining the TD/TF cable number with the MGA and putting the longer cable in the MGA bags. The MGA folks weren't going to notice or complain about a cable that is 3" longer. Note that Jeff tells me that Moss UK also says this is the same part, but that they have two different parts numbers for TD/TF and MGA.

I'm guessing I got an "old spec", shorter, MGA cable left over from the prior inventory. Lucky me.

In any case, this one is going back to Moss.

BTW, Jan T, I think you're finding that it takes a LOT of heat to get solder to flow on a thick battery cable. Probably too much to solder the ends on without special equipment or without destroying the insulation. I suggest you crimp ends on as Declan describes.
David Littlefield

Reactivated thread.

Trolling through 'starter switch' threads in the archive. Haven't found what I'm looking for yet but curious as to how this one turned out? I'm trying to keep track of items that have proven to be problematic from you know who. Just added the starter cable to the list, which is now 53 items long! At the annual M.G. Restorers T Type Tech Day here in Sydney this list is made available to those members attending.

I don't think you can do better than the correct helmet headed, black, woven cloth covered cable from Rhode Island Wiring. I purchased the engine to chassis earth strap, helmet head + to earth, helmet head - to switch & switch to starter a while ago & am now fitting them. Quality gear from a knowledgeable supplier & great service as well! Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Peter, as I am not after originality but rather functionality I have purchased what is going to work.

In the last few moments I have ordered to ground/earth cable for my TF, here in the US Ebay is a good source of a lot of things, but on the other hand you have to be super careful. There is listings for 299,999 LED lamps for the 1157 in the tail/brake/turn, but on closer investigation they either have equidistant lugs or are designed with +ve and -ve voltage being applied to the two base contacts.

I ended up going with Classic Car Leds in the UK, with the demise of the pound over there I got lamps for all 4 corners for the price of just 2 at Moss. Shipping from the UK to here takes about 8 days.

Recently bought some driving light LEDs from Oz and the shipping took almost 3 weeks. Australia Post used to be really screwed up years ago. If my wife wanted to send something from Melbourne to Hawaii it was 3 - 4 days faster for her to have a friend drop it in the mailbox in Perth.

Peter
P G Gilvarry

This thread was discussed between 06/08/2016 and 25/03/2017

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