When the MG starter motor and battery(s) and connecting cables are in good condition, engine cranking should be no problem with stock equipment, at least in temperatures above 0dF. My MGA now has 350,000 miles, driven in all kinds of weather, and has never had a problem starting in cold weather (above 0dF). If you park the car outside in cold weather and expect it to start when temperatures are below 0dF, or if perchance you tend to leave 20W50 oil in it in below freezing temperatures, then you might consider installing a high torque, high speed gear reduction starter motor.



The most common model is an adaptation of a 1.2 HP Nippondenso starter with an indexable end plate to allow mounting in any orientation. This single model will fit all MG TD, MG TF, MGA, and Pre-1968 MGB. (There is a different model available for the late model MGB). It is a direct bolt-it replacement for the original Lucas starter motor. It has an internal solenoid which can be triggered by a 3-position ignition/starter switch. The internal solenoid can also be wired to the input terminal to operate using an extermal solenoid or the manual starter switch found in the earlier MGs.

You can buy one of these from
BritishStarters.com - Edge Performance Products - Moss Motors
They also appear on eBay and at various swap meets from time to time.

At 06:51 AM 8/13/04 -0400, Mark Harris wrote:
"FYI The Japanese High Torque Starter I recently purchased from britishstarters.com (remanufactured in MA) failed within a few weeks of installation. The clutch mechanism went out and the motor turned freely probably 20% of the time I pulled the starter switch. I informed them and they sent a replacement and paid my shipping costs. Others have related similar stories and indicate these units are relatively frail and prone to failure."