I might add this caveat to the previous posts about the Merryman =
alternator. I purchased one of the units after having read of it on =
this mail list. I received the unit promptly, made the installation =
quickly. I tensioned the belt to proper spec, and within 3-4 days of =
around town driving, the mounting bracket for the alternator (on the =
water pump) had broken. The unit as they shipped it only had the one =
mounting ear positioned at the front of the alternator, thus torqueing =
the unit in a manner which put stress on the water pump bracket. I =
called Merryman, and they promptly sent me - free of charge - an add-on =
bracket for the rear of the alternator which bolts into the engine =
block. This has solved the problem. and the unit now appears to be =
trouble free after several hundred miles. The caveat would be to go =
ahead and request the rear bracket when you place the order, you may =
save the cost of having to purchase a new water pump too! By the way =
Merryman seem to be awfully nice people to work with and gladly sent the =
bracket free of charge, even though I would have been happy to pay for =
it!!!
Ross, David and others,
I've seen this Delco alternator conversion at Merryman's shop. It looks
very clean as it does in the picture in NAMGBR Driver. They have taken a
standard Delco alternator that can be found anywhere and modified the
casing so that it is a straightforward bolt in replacement for the Lucas
alternator in later B's. The kit comes with the necessary connector and
instructions to just plug it in to the existing connector. Very clean,
very simple, hence the twenty minute installation. These guys run a high
quality restoration/service shop and know first hand about some of the
weak points with MG's and have come up with the alternator and fan
conversions to upgrade and make the cars more bulletproof. All of the
modifications I've seen that they've made to cars end up looking like
they came that way from the factory. Perhaps some of you saw there stand
at Carlisle(I think row F, but don't quote me).=20
Charlie Baldwin
'52 TD, '60 MGA, '66 MGB
|