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MG MG Y Type - Tapley 'Accelerometer'

I have been researching the history of our YT (YT EXR 2583) and have been in contact with the original owner's son. He tells me that the car was originally standard but was fitted with an altimeter and a Tapley "Accelerometer". I have tried to find out more about the latter but with little success. Does anyone out there know what a Tapley "Accelerometer" is/was and what, if any, function it served?

Andy Goodyear
A Goodyear

I believe Tapley is the manufacturer and an Accelerometer measures the differential in speed. A crude example is not dissimilar to you taking a bowl of water and moving it from 0 to any speed left to right in front of you. The water will shift to the left as the bowl moves to the right. The fast the speed of the shift, the higher the water will "climb" to the left side of the bowl. The height of the adverse shift of the mass of water is a measure of the G-force or accelaration of the bowl. Likewiise when you brake or stop the bowl the water would initially level then carry on its movement to the right. The resultant hieght on the right is a measure of "braking" efficiency.

Another thread on the T Series BBS indicates that it is a scientific measure of acceleration - http://www2.mgcars.org.uk/cgi-bin/gen5?runprog=mgbbs&mode=archiveth&archiveyear=8_2008.dat&access=&subject=8&subjectar=8&source=T&thread=200805091205225326 - the difference between an accelerometer and a speedometer - speed is a measure at a constant velocity whereas acceleration it the method by which that speed is reached.

A further explanation can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerometer in Wikipedia.

Paul
Paul Barrow

Back in the 1950s people used to fit war surplus stuff to cars e.g. altimeter which told them height above sea level for instance. Another popular addition was a compass.I imagine it was the 'keen' types who did this.
David Mullen

It is/was a meter to measure the deceleration, i.e the braking efficiency, not the acceleration. I remember it being used on my father's rally cars in the 1950s

see http://www.tapley.org.uk/braketestmeter.html

Michael
j m nicholson

Thank you all for your contributions. Very interesting and illuminating. It does sound like a bit of a 'whim'. I don't think I want to know the efficiency or otherwise of those drum brakes - it might frighten me!
A Goodyear

"It is/was a meter to measure the deceleration, i.e the braking efficiency, not the acceleration"

This was probably true because in that day is was difficult to find an accelerometer sensitive enough to measure furlongs per fortnight, which I believe was the standard units of acceleration of th eT series and Y type cars ;) Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

Many people have commented on the "braking" efficiency, or porported lack of it on our cars.

It is not my intention to rake up old coals over this here, however I must make two observstions:

1) Properly and regularly maintained, and driving appropriately for the road conditions I have NEVER found either my Y's brakes, or those of my ZA, to be lacking in any situation, whether on the regular road conditions or on rallies. Indeed modern car brakes will not get you out of every situation you can get into either. And

2) Certainly the brake efficiency tests of the UK MOT test whether the brake efficiency is appropriate for our cars.

As I said, my comments are NOT intended to stir a hornets nest of responses on the subject, but are probably appropriate to simply be commented upon. I will leave the matter there.

It certainly was interesting to do the investigation though on your initial enquiry though A Goodyear: looking at all the gizzmos you get on amodern vehicle that you dont need it would appear that nothing much has changed in the "Toy Cupboard" add-on mentality department though since the immediate post second World War though - that was a very amusing comment!!

Paul
Paul Barrow

Agree with Paul. If properly set-up and round inside, drums are as efficient as discs, but only for a few hard applications - after that they need cooling down. This can become a problem in the Alps. And of course, ABS in your foot only. I have bought one of these Tapley meters last December at a motorbike jumble (sometimes it is intresting to stray), not the professional version shown in the link above (surprised they still make them), but with a suction cup for your windscreen. It measures both acceleration and deceleration, as well as steepness of an incline. Simply a swinging mass inside, pendulum-like, and a min./max. needle carried with the pointer. Entire instrument sealed and filled with damping fluid, so no DIY disassembly to have a look inside (sniff). I can provide a pic after I return from Asia March 24. Are any Y's known in Hong Kong ?
Remo Peter

Hi Remo

There are at least 2 Ys in Hong Kong - Jean Lau, who's YA is on the Parade and there is also a green YT there too that I am trying to establish contact with belonging to one Mr. Luk. Sadly we have had no luck so far in contacting him, but we keep trying.

Jean loves her YA and if you wanted to meet up with her drop me a note off-line and I will see what we can do to get you a Y fix in Hong Kong.

Enjoy your trip to Asia - where else are you going? India = 3 YTs, 2 on the Parade,
Malaysia = 1 YA on Parade, and another that I know of lurking somewhere
Sri Lanka = 2 YAs

I am sure there are many more ... you never know what you will come across. After all, that is how we came across the Y in Cuba, someone spotted it while on holiday there!

Paul
Paul Barrow

Paul, I was in Shenzheng, Sunday leaving for Taipei Cycle Show, also going to Taichung. All to see where and how the bicycle bits and pieces we sell are produced.
Hong Kong is "holidays" in between. I will contact you abut Jane.
Remo Peter

An interesting tribute to drum brake performance was when my 105e Anglia was recently M O T tested. Not having the official weight distribution figures the front brakes almost stopped the rollers and the car nearly came off them. The tester apologised and remarked that the brakes were outstanding.

I never had any problems with the YA provided one is aware of possible overheating if travelling too fast down hill.
Bryan Mellem

This thread was discussed between 08/03/2009 and 13/03/2009

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