MG Car Repair: Alternator Connections, bosch alternator, mg midget

Question
QUESTION: Hi, I have replaced the alternator on my 76' MG Midget but I have no clue as to which prong is which. It has a silver-looking prong and two other prongs. How can I tell which is which?

Thank you,
mb

ANSWER: Hi Matthew,
Your car should have had a single three prong plastic plug on your harness and the plastic cover on the alternator should have a hole around the pins that prevents the plug form being installed wrong.

However many cars by now have been altered with different alternators and thus requiring the single plastic plug to be removed. If this is the case with your car you still should have three wires. One large brown wire and two small wires. One small wire should also be brown. and the other should be brown w/yellow tracer. The back of the alternator should be marked with the large pin being (+) and one small pin (+) (the small brown wire) and the other small pin should be marked (ind) which gets the brown w/yellow traced wire.

Howard

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QUESTION: Hello once again!!!
I am able to distinguish the large (+) pin on the alternator but I'm am still confused about the other two. The pins are un-marked. It is a Bosch refurbish. When I test the ohms from the center one to one of the outer ones it runs about .3 ohms. On the other pin it runs about 1.4 mega ohms (this one is silver and seems as if though separate from the other two.) I think the brown and yellow wire hooks up to this one...Right? Will my ignition burn out if I accidentally have the two switched?

Thank you,
mb

ANSWER: Sorry Matthew, I have no idea what Bosch configuration was used, as Bosch was never installed on MGs. You need to contact who ever sold you the Bosch alternator to get the correct connection. All I can tell you is what the car is suppose to have.

I sure can't guess what the Bosch alternator can do to your car, if anything.
Howard

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi, I live in south Texas and it gets really hot and it's
kinda miserable to drive in the heat. Is it any way possible
to install an air conditioning system in the midget? If so,
what kind of compressor would I need to buy?

Answer
Hi Matthew,
I have seen a Midget in FL with AC installed but I never looked at all the details of how he did it. Not much room under the hood for all the stuff necessary, plus you probably would have to turn the AC off when going up hill as an AC compressor takes a lot of horse power to turn. You would be far better off buying a larger car with AC for summer driving.
Howard