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MG MGA - Starter Bendix cover

Looking for the cover which covers (or may not according to Moss Motors)the Bendix portion of my starter on '59 MGA 1600. Doing some cosmetic stuff and pulled the engine/gearbox and notice the cover not there. There are 3 tapped holes in the gearbox housing...any suggestions??
TJ Connolly

There was a thread on this earlier. I believe consensus was some early cars got it but it was left off later ones. Having owned 7 MGAs I have never seen one except in pictures.
R J Brown

Thanks RJ...........looks like I will have to fab something ...........doesn't seem to me to be a good thing to have the mechanism exposed.
TJ Connolly

"doesn't seem to me to be a good thing to have the mechanism exposed."

It doesn't hurt anything on the early MGBs. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

Mine had a domed one. I installed it and all it did was rattle against the floorboards. When I last had the engine out I promptly took it off and tossed it in a box. If you decide to use one, I wish you more luck than I had!
Tom Baker

Both of my 1600's have the covers which have a rubber cover glued over them. I have had to cobble up the rubber covering (where it was missing) which is not easy.
Barry Bahnisch

Barry, I believe TJ is referring to the part attached to the bell housing (clutch casing). Are you referring to the interior floor part? I seem to remember there was confusion over this last time.
Neil McGurk

TJ, Look in the archives under 'starter cover' - there's quite a bit of information there. Mike
m.j. moore

TJ I have one laying around if you would like to view it to measure.
WMR Bill

See here: http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/gearbox/gt121.htm
Leave it off as a matter of convenience. I've driven the last 220,000 miles without one, including LOTS of gravel roads, and no problem (low starter position).
Barney Gaylord

I had exactly the same experience as Tom. I saw one in a Morris Minor pile of bits, thought "that will fit on the A", and it rattled like mad from day one. I ripped it off afain as soon as I could.

I have had my A for 20 years, and have done a lot of miles in it (for ten years it was my only car). Like Barney, I have never had a problem with the bendix part of the starter. I only had to change the starter when the nylon pushing around the cable terminal failed - it was easier to replace it that fix it (I used a Morsis Marina one if I recall correctly).
dominic clancy

A friend of mine fitted one when he had the engine/gearbox out. Then when it fouled the floorboard, he had to make a special tool to get it off!
Every MGA I've seen does not have a cover fitted. It seems the tapped holes in the bellhousing were prethought, but then never used.
Peter.
P. Tilbury

This thread was discussed between 16/02/2009 and 17/02/2009

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This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGA BBS is active now.