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MG MGB Technical - relocate voltage stabilizer?

I was just curious, could I mount a replacement voltage stabilizer lower down on the bulkhead and it work OK?

Those things are just so hard to change out!

I did an archive search and found nothing.

David
David Steverson

Just make sure it is well grounded and that it is right side up.
J Heisenfeldt

David.
I have been repairing mg'sfor 25 years and to this day IO have never had to change or work on a voltage stabilizer . I have replaced wiring harness' and only then have touched a stabilizer.
Sandy
conrad sanders

Conrad,
I had to change one on my '77 a few months back. Fortunately, I had the seats out installing new foams.

Maybe wearing eye glasses, lying on your back with your head up behind the dash is not a good combination, definitely not fun.

Now, I bought a '73 B and the stablizer needs replacing.

So J, following what you said, I should be able to mount this further down, as long as I can get a hole through the bulkhead.

I just wonder why the factory mounted it so far up?

David
David Steverson

David, as far as the original location it may have been located by the same engineer who located the defroster cable to the heater connection.
J Heisenfeldt

Sandy,
I too have worked on B's for a long time and only JUST had to replace a voltage stabilizer on my daily driver.

David,
Access is greatly simplified by removing the tach. It's pretty much a straight shot from there.

Tom
Tom Sotomayor

Try an electronic one, it's definitely fit and forget and does not have to be placed vertically.

See - http://www.freewebs.com/classicstabilizers/

David Booker
David Booker

I'll second the previous poster's comments, I've fitted one in my B in a more accessible position behind the dash after I had problems with the original. I liked it enough to fit one to my TR6 as well while I had the speedo out [it's mounted on the back of the speedo in a 6]
Ron
R. Algie

Or you can make one:
http://home.comcast.net/~whaussmann/InstrStabilizer/Instr_Stabilizer.htm
werner haussmann

Be aware that an electronic stabiliser results in a slower gauge rise time than the original thermal unit, "not a lot of people know that" as Micael Caine never said and one of those cases where the original is better than modern rubbish.
Paul Hunt

hi
i have a 64 nov mgb. my electrician says i do not need a voltage stabilizer, since the dynomo has been replaced with a alternator. is it true
thanks
vignes
vignes pillai

Vignes, you still need the voltage stabilizer. The stabalizer has an output of 10 volts for the gauges. The generator or alternator has an output of 13 to 14 volts.
John H

Different things. The dynamo used an external control box in the engine compartment to regulate the charge to the battery. The first year the factory fitted an alternator that also had an external voltage regulator, again in the engine compartment and again for the battery. Later alternators had an internal voltage regulator.

The *instrument* voltage regulator is needed to get the correct readings from the fuel (and electric temp) gauges regardless of whether dynamo or alternator is fitted, and is inside the cabin. It is this which is being discussed here.
Paul Hunt

hi
thanks PAUL, will fix one to my mgb.
vignes
vignes pillai

Vignes - With all due respect to Paul, your 64 MGB does not need a voltage stabilizer for the instruments. The only electrical gauge (other than possibly the Tach and I think that in the 64 that is mechanical) is the fuel gauge and it is different than later fuel gauges and does not need a voltage stabilizer. Go to Advance Auto Wire at: http://www.advanceautowire.com/ click on Stock Schematics, then on MGB, MGC and MGBV8 and look at the diagram for the 64 MGB. You will find that it does not have the stabilizer. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

I wasn't saying Vignes needed an instrument voltage stabiliser, John H was, but seemed to be confusing that with dynamo and alternator regulation which is what Vignes was asking about in the first place. I was merely explaining the difference between the two.

As to whether Vignes needs an instrument voltage stabiliser or not it depends on the precise chassis number of the car and what type of fuel gauge is fitted. Up to chassis number 48756 (September 64) a Jaeger fast-acting fuel gauge was fitted that didn't use a voltage stabiliser. From October 64 Smiths slow-acting fuel gauges were used that *do* need a stabiliser.

Electronic tachometers were fitted from the same date but are fed with full 12v, not from the voltage stabiliser.

Paul Hunt

This thread was discussed between 29/07/2008 and 18/08/2008

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