Changing from positive to negative earth

The MGA With An Attitude

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CHANGING FROM POSITIVE TO NEGATIVE EARTH - ET-202

First things first. Changing your MG electrical system polarity is easy and cheap, so
don't even think about a polarity converter for your new radio. The Positive Earth
Society is for concours buffs. Anyone else should feel free to change.
Disconnect all battery cables from the batteries. Lift batteries, rotate 180 degrees, drop
them back into the carriers, and clamp them back down. About then you should notice
that the connector posts are different diameter, the positive post being larger, so the
cable clamps don't fit the same. For two 6 volt batteries, the interconnecting cable can
just switch ends and be re-installed. For the long hot cable running from the right side
battery to the starter switch up front, you will have to remove the original negative
post clamp (cut cable and re-strip if necessary) and install a bolt-on positive post
clamp (about $4). For the chassis ground cable, just pick up a new cable of
appropriate length at your local cheap parts store or discount department store (maybe
$6). For a single 12 volt battery, position the grounded post at the front near the
frame, just in case you should happen to short the post or connector to the chassis
with a tool you won't weld or burn the parts (or yourself).

Positive post bolt-on connector, left. -- Negative post cast connector, right.
Install the hot terminal first, while there is no ground connection on the battery, so
you can't accidentally short the wrench to ground. Install the grounded cable clamp
last, where it doesn't matter if you touch the wrench to ground. If the connectors in
the pictures appear dirty and corroded, they are a little, but looks can be deceiving.
While the bolts are a bit corroded, the bolt-on clamp has a solid bite on the copper
cable. The rest is mostly accumulation of a little dirt as the posts and connectors were
thoroughly cleaned and coated with silicone grease at assembly. All is well here with
very tight electrical connections.
Next you need to re-polarize the generator. For this you can use a jumper wire to
pickup power from a hot terminal on the starter switch or fuse block (brown wire),
and make a momentary connection to the field terminal on the back of the generator
(the smaller terminal). Or even easier, just momentarily short together the A and F

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Changing from positive to negative earth

terminals on the control box. See charging circuit. Just a quick spark is enough.
Connection of a half second or less will do.
To be nice to the spark plugs, you should switch the two small wires on the ignition
coil to make the spark jump the right direction across the plug gap. The engine will
run as well either way, but the plugs should have a longer life with correct polarity.
See ignition circuit. Original positive earth coils may be marked "SW" and "CB" or
"IGN" and "DIST". These are the terminals that will be switched. The white power
wire will end up on the CB or DIST terminal, while the wire running to the distributor
will end up on the SW or IGN terminal. Newer coils may be marked "+" and "-",
which makes it easy. Just connect the hot white wire to "+" and the other wire to "-".
The windscreen wiper motor may run backward, but this would only make a minor
difference in the parking location of the wiper blades. NO problem there. If necessary
just R&R the wiper arms on the spindles to make them park where you like.
Original MGA heater motors are not polarity sensitive and will continue to run in the
right direction. These motors have two black wires. If your heater motor has one
black and one colored wire, then it's a replacement motor, probably from an MGB.
That one will probably run backward when the polarity is changed. The rotation could
be in either direction depending on the intended original application of the heater
motor. You can try the wire connections either way to see which way blows more air.
Or you can pull the 4 inch air hose off the front of the heater box to see the fan inside.
The fan should turn clockwise (looking through the connector pipe from the front) for
all MGA except the Twin Cam. The MGA Twin Cam has a mirror image heater box,
and there the fan should rotate anti-clockwise.
Original MGA fuel pumps are not polarity sensitive and will continue to work
properly with no wiring change. However, nearly any aftermarket electronic fuel
pump would be polarity sensitive, and you would need to switch the wires.
Additionally, many MGA have had a new fuel pump installed at some prior time, and
the replacement unit may be polarity sensitive. The original fuel pump had bare
contact points. Later replacement pumps had a capacitor across the contact points for
arc suppression. This is a small metal can with a single wire on each end, similar to
the "condenser" capacitor in the distributor. Such capacitors may have been installed
other places in the car for radio noise supression. These are also not polarity sensitive,
and these fuel pumps do not need any wiring change.
The picture here shows a capacitor type fuel pump on the left and a diode type fuel
pump on the right. Click picture for larger image.
More recent replacement type fuel pumps may have a
diode across the points for arc suppression, and these
are polarity sensitive and do require an internal
change. Powering these up with reverse polarity can
blow the diode, either open circuit or shorting to
ground. The diode is usually a tubular lump of plastic
with two wires coming from the end(s). These pumps
commonly have a bump on the end cover to allow space for the large diameter diode,
but some may just have a taller cover and still be flat on the end.
Positive earth fuel pumps originally have a blue tape around the body or sealing the
joint between the cover and the body of the pump, and the red lead of the diode
connects to the points contact blade (as shown in the picture). Negative earth units
originally have a red tape, and the black lead of the diode connects to the points
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Changing from positive to negative earth

contact blade. Any of these pumps could be missing the tape. If you're not sure what's
inside your fuel pump, the only way to find out is to remove the end cover for a look.
If your fuel pump has a diode, you will need to reverse the diode wire connections
(clip and solder if necessary). You may also buy a new diode with the proper
terminals to allow installation without cutting the wires. See additional notes on fuel
pump polarity. Do NOT switch the external wires at the fuel pump. The original black
chassis ground wire is electrically connected to the body of the pump. If you apply
power to this wire you create a shorting hazard between the pump body and any
nearby metal chassis part.
If you happen to have an original (optional) AM radio in the car, that would be
polarity sensitive, but many of those have a polarity plug on the back to reverse the
input polarity capability. Otherwise most people are switching to negative earth
specifically to install a modern electronic radio or some other modern electronic
device, or an alternator, all of which will be negative ground. The likelihood of
anyone accidentally having a very early issue positive earth alternator installed on an
MGA is pretty much negligible.
That's about it. Nothing else (original) in the MGA is polarity sensitive. If everything
started as original you simply repolarize the generator and switch the primary wires on
the ignition coil. All lights and controls, flasher and fuel gauge will function as well
with reverse polarity.
One thing to watch out for would be if soneone had previously installed a positive
ground electronic ignition module. This part would have to be replaced when
changing the electrical system to negative earth.
Some people find the need to install an electric tachometer. Starting with the 1965
model year the MGB had the five main bearing engine which does not have the
mechanical tach drive. The 1965-1967 MGB electric tach has a face appearance
similar to the MGA tach, and may be used in the MGA when installing a five main
bearing engine. This tach is originally positive earth, and must be converted to
negative earth operation if you change your electrical system to negative earth. See
next page.

Thank you for your comments -- Send e-mail to <Barney Gaylord>

2003-2008 Barney Gaylord -- Copyright and reprint information

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