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BertVolmer

BertVolmer

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Hi everyone! As I was asked not to be a lurker when I got my account, here's a first post from me. I live in Groningen, which is in the north of Holland and I own a 1968 Midget since last summer. A few short trips last fall have given me a taste for much more, and since the weather here is now rapidly improving I hope the time to go on some longer tours is near.
I have a question:
- The rev-counter isn't working. I bought a replacement without looking into the polarity and as it turns out, I got it wrong. In the forum of the Dutch MG club somebody suggested that I might switch the polarity of the instrument from negative earth to positive, without too much hassle. Has anyone got any experience with this?

thanks for any reply!
Bert
 

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Nice looking Midget, Bert! I used to have a 1973 back in the 70,s.
Can't help with the question, sorry.
Welcome to the board, Simon.
 
You might start another thread with a title like "tach polarity conversion" to get more help. However, in the mean time here is what Frank wrote about the subject MANY years ago:


"Items needed: soldering iron & solder, electic tape or heat shrink tube

* Remove the tachometer from the dash, take it to a clean work site, on the seat of the car is not the place to work on the inside of your tach.
* Remove the chrome bezel, glass lens,and inner black rim.
* Remove the 2 screws from the back of the tach, these hold the mechanism to the housing.
* Holding the tach by its face with the ignition light at 3 o'clock ( red line straight up ) locate the resistor which is soldered to the spade terminal that comes out the back. Locate the post imediatly to the resistors left, these must be reversed. Unsolder the resistor from the spade terminal, unsolder the green wire from the left post, solder the green wire to the spade terminal, solder the resistor to the left post.
* Reassemble the tach into its housing replace rim, clean the lens, re-fit lens and chrome bezel.
* Back in the car, you will have a white wire that makes a loop out of the harness and around a plastic terminal on the back of the tach, this loop must be reversed. Mark the wire 2 inches from each side of the loop, cut each side and switch the wire (reverse the loop) solder the connections and tape or shrink tube the bare wire.
* Mark the tach on the outside of the housing NEGATIVE GROUND.
* Install the tach in the dash, hook up the loop and green wire and be sure the housing is properly grounded.

If you do NOT agree with these ideas, if you are "mechanically challenged" or are just down right "stupid" I suggest you perchase New parts from a supplier of your choice and have a local shop do this work for you.
"
 
Wow! That is old. And that disclaimer at the end was because some nimrod questioned my "down and dirty" disc brake conversion on that same website. So I added that disclaimer about the dealer and new parts.
I thouhgt it read "go to your local BMC dealer" Maybe Les changed it on the old PDLJMPR site.

Frank
 
Thanks! This is the sort of help I was hoping for.. The "mechanically challenged" bit applies to me as I know little about mechanics. However, a good friend who does my maintainance is going to be pretty pleased with such a detailed account!
Bert
 
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