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MG TD TF 1500 - TD dynamo and starter cleaning ??

Preparing to overhaul the dynamo and starter. Currently the starter is apart and ready to be put back together with fresh bushings, the brush height appears nearly new compared to the brushes I received from Moss. Question: What is a suitable means to wash out the housing without removing the field windings? I know not to disturb them but I want to clear the grime and accumulated crud. Is there some aerosol wash that can be used with a tube to direct the spray? I was thinking something in the line of electrical contact cleaner but afraid it will wash the varnish off the coil wires if they were to get damp. Any suggestions greatly appreciated. I was going to use Diesel and blow dry the armature.


The engine is getting a stage three style rebuild. Will I need a gear reduction starter off a MGB to be able to spin the engine with the higher compression or will the stock starter be up to the task?

Also, where are the date codes located on these? I want to know if they are original to the car or replacements

Thanks in advance
W. A. Chasser Jr

Use something like CSC Brakeklean or Electricklean and spray the interior with is. Use a soft brush to get the crud off.

If the date code is earlier than the production date of the car, then the starter (or dynamo) is probably the original that came with the car. If it is later than the production date of the car, then it is a replacement. Cheers - Dave
D W DuBois

It may sound daft but I washed the starter components with hot water and dish washing detergent. Was very effective and didn't damage the windings.



Jan T
J Targosz

Jan -
"It may sound daft but I washed the starter components with hot water and dish washing detergent"

That doesn't sound daft to me. I worked in the electronics shop of a Naval shipyard and the first thing we did when overhauling electronics equipment, be it radar, communications equipment, fire control, all of it went into the wash booth and got scrubbed down with detergent and water. After drying the equipment, we would then start the actual overhaul. Cheers - Dave
D W DuBois

Thanks everyone. Bought some CRC yesterday and made quick work of the starter. Put a new rear bushing in place, cleaned the painted surfaces and shot them with semi gloss black. This morning reassembled the starter. Bushing was a little tight so it got worked a little bit. It doesn't appear to be the original starter though as it has a 1-54 date stamp if I'm reading the #s right.

The dynamo is now apart. brushes, well worn, and front bearing is real rough. I need to drill out the rivets holding the bearing retainer. should I be able to drive out the shaft from the bearing without distorting the retainer before drilling the rivets?

The dynamo has a # after the 12V of 1 050 (spacing between 1 and 0) which I assume is Oct 1950 which would be good for my 12-7-50 build date
W. A. Chasser Jr

WA - You didn't say anything about soaking the bushings in your starter before installing them. The instructions in the shop manual calls for the bushings in both the starter and the generator to be soaked for 24 hours in oil (the bushing material is porous to hold oil inside). The 24 hours can be reduced to about 10 seconds per busing by using the following procedure: put one open end of a bushing on your thumb, fill the bushing with oil until it brims over the open end. Place your other thumb over the remaining open end (it helps to be double jointed here) and push your thumbs together. When you see the oil oozing out of the pores of the bushing (about 5 - 10 seconds), you have complete the twenty four soak and can install the bushing. Cheers - Dave
D W DuBois

That's a great idea, Dave! I used to speed it up by gently heating the oil and the immersed bearing in the oven to abt 300F and then letting it cool for an hour... total time was an hour so your method beats mine considerably.
Kevin McLemore

Sorry to say Dave I did not. I read your trick somewhere but forgot to do it. I used machine oil 3in1
to lube them. I may pull it back apart to redo them.

Working on the dynamo now and having heck of a time getting the front bearing to release from the shaft. not wanting to put much pressure on the cast aluminum. Have soaked it heavily with penetrating oil but wont budge yet
W. A. Chasser Jr

Isn't the Lucas date coding system done with a two digit number for the week in the year then two digits for the year? Thus 24 50 would be the 24th week of 1950?
John Quilter (TD8986)

"Working on the dynamo now and having heck of a time getting the front bearing to release from the shaft"

You are you are correct about not putting too much pressure on the aluminum casting (however, if it gets damaged, I believe that I have some spares). I use a bearing splitter between the bearing and the armature, then rest the splitter on the pads of my 6 ton press and press the shaft out of the bearing. If all else fails, take the armature with bearing and front plate to an auto electric shop in your area - they will be able to get it out. Cheers - Dave
D W DuBois

John, I don't know how Lucas date codes their parts. That was kind of my reason for asking.

Dave I'm thinking I will take it in to a machine shop in the morning. I actually went to an electric shop today and was going to let them do it as I didn't have a source for the rivets. The owner was kind enough to give me what I needed and told me to bring the housing, ends and pulley back when I had it apart and he would bead blast it clean for me. Great! He was rapping on it also trying to loosen it up. I didn't see a press in his shop though so will go somewhere else to get the bearing off
W. A. Chasser Jr

FYI, http://www.ttalk.info/Holcombe.htm might have some info that's worth having a peek at. Bud
Bud Krueger

WA - I would not bother with the original rivets. I use plain old 10-32 screws. The aluminum end plate is easy to tap the original rivet holes to accept a 10-32 screw (taps are available from NAPA and probably from Lowe's and Agent Orange (AKA Home Depot).

A good machine shop will be able to get the bearing out in the length of time it takes them to fill out the paperwork. Cheers - Dave
D W DuBois

Thanks everyone for the advice. I had a machine shop press the armature out this morning and brought it back home to drill the rivets out and remove the bearing. I took everything back to the rebuilder just to have it glass beaded to ready it for paint. on further inspection he wanted to see the armature as there was solder slung onto the inside of the case. Of course the armature I left at home because I was going to do the reassembly. I got the armature and looked at it closely through a magnifier and found that the windings were starting to ever so slightly melt the solder. Back to the shop so the armature could be repaired. It was then I realized that there wasn't a oiler for the bushing and I was appalled at the price for a re pop from Moss. $43 for a felt, spring and a piece of "bakalike"...Really? And Dave , I will remember to press oil through the bushing this time :)
W. A. Chasser Jr

This thread was discussed between 07/08/2014 and 15/08/2014

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