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MG MGB Technical - Starter Connection 1970 MGB

I am reconnecting my starter after replacing the engine on my 1970 mgb roadster. Unfortunately I didn't take note of the connections and I can't seem to make heads or tails of it.

I have one large diameter black cable that comes from the battery. There are 3 brown wires--two with round tab connections and one with a square tab connector. There is also a smaller diameter white/brown wire with a spade connector. There are two spade connectors on the solenoid and two studs.

Can someone give me an idea on how to reconnect the wires? Any help is appreciated.
Kevin Sheldon

The large black cable and all three brown wires connect to the post on the starter. There should be a rectangular tab with a round hole at one end so you can fit the wire with the square connecter. The white/brown wire(thought it was white/red?) goes to the solenoid. Check out the electrical help section on this site. http://www.mgcars.org.uk/electrical/start_late.html

-Jared
Jared Snider

Should have looked at the schematic myself, it is white brown. My car just happens to have white/red because I have a 67 retrofitted with the later started and just happened to have that wire laying around. It's hard to keep track of what those DPOs did to my car, nevermind what I do to it.

-Jared
Jared Snider

Kevin. Jared is correct in how to hook the starter up. All of the brown wires--two from the alternator and one going to the fuze box, and the large cable from the battery are all hooked directly to the same, large terminal.

The small white/brown wire runs from the starter solenoid down to the spade terminal just above the large connector where the brown wires attach.

The second spade connector, the one highest up on the starter solenoid, shows that you have a later, rubber bumper style starter. On the cars with the 6V coils, there is a wire from this terminal, energised while the starter solenoid is energised, which provides a full 12V input to the coil to make for easier starting. Most of the rebuilt starters I have seen over the last several years have all had the solenoids having the two terminals. I suspect that, since the later model starter can be used with any of the four syncro equipped cars, this is the rebuilders way of only having to stock one solenoid and allowing the retailers to only have to stock one starter for 68-80 cars. My 68 has been working well with such a starter for several years now. Les
Les Bengtson

Thanks Jared and Les.

I still have some confusion. I understand the spade connector issue but I am confused on the other connections

I see two studs that seem to be coming from the solenoid. I don't see one coming from the starter.

The studs on the solenoid are at 12 and 6 and the one at 12 is connected to the started with a copper plate of some sort. Which stud do I connect all the wires to? If all the connections are made to one stud, what is the other one for?
Kevin Sheldon

Kevin, The stud with the plate or strap running into the starter supplies current to turn the starter motor when the engine is started. It should not have 12 volts applied to it at any other time. The starter cable and the leads with round terminals are attached to the other post. My starters also have a lug on this post with a large spade, the thick brown wire with square push on connector goes on that spade. Think of the solenoid as a heavy duty switch, when the engine is started the switch closes to connect 12 volts from the battery cable to the stud with the strap to the starter motor. For more information on the starting circuit see;
http://www.mgcars.org.uk/electrical/starter.html
Good luck, Clifton
Clifton Gordon

This thread was discussed on 02/09/2003

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