So Cal Metropolitans Tech Tips

How to convert your Metropolitan from positive to negative ground
The So Cal Mets caution you when you do this change.

DO AT YOUR OWN RISK

Many Metropolitan owners have converted their cars from the factory original POSITIVE

ground to the more standard NEGATIVE ground electrical system.

With this conversion, you may add an FM converter, plug items such as Cell Phones,

CB radios, and accessories into the cigarette lighter without ruining your electronics.
Others have added cd players under dash stereos to their Mets.

AGAIN: DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK

This tech tip was originally published in the
Metropolitan Owners Club of North America's newsletter
The Met Gazette

Switch the wires at the coil.

Turn your battery around and connect

positive cable to positive post on the battery.

Connect the negative cable to the ground.

Get a wire long enough to stretch from the

battery positive to the engine compartment.

Have someone hold one end of the wire (with end of

wire exposed) to the positive post on the battery.

The 2nd person take the other end of the wire

(wire exposed) and brush it against the "F" (field)

post on the voltage regulator until you see a few sparks.

You are now converted. Check all your fuses

to see if any blew out, and if you had gauges, you will need

to reverse the wires or the display will be backwards.

You can now connect an fm converter,

radio, and plug stuff into the cigarette

lighter without ruining your electronics.

HOT WEATHER RUNNING

The hot running mets can be helped by installing a BY-Pass insert in the thermostat opening. The original thermostat had two control systems one blocked the flow to the radiator during warm-up the second control allowed coolant to recirculate within the block during warm up. When the engine came up to temp. the first control opens the water flow to the radiator and the second control closes the reciculate path forcing all the water to go to the radiator for max.cooling. original thermostats are not easy to come by and most have been replaced with a single valve that only controls the flow to the radiator and does not stop a lot of water from running thru the recic.area and not cooling down. A sleeve is avaiable that blosks the by-pass passage allowing the use of a standard thermostat. these sleeves were available for MGB 1500 engines check with a parts house that sells MGB parts.

Any questions give me a shout Larry Larkin(San Diego)

Engine heating is why it is so important to check and adjust the valves and ignition timing periodically ~ I hear Customers tell me " the valves are fine " but when I check them , they're always tight , not fine at all .
Water Wetter is a very good product ~ it is also important to remember to change the coolant every three years at the very latest , even " Long Life " coolant because coolant becomes corrosive after a time , regardless of miles driven .
If you mix your coolant , use distilled water (cheap @ drug stores & Markets) , pre mixed coolant is good too , especially Honda brand .
Any time you're in a parade or idling in heavy summer traffic , or even ascending a steep hill and you see the temperature rising , simply pull out the heater knob & turn the fan on full . you're already hot in the interior , it won't make you any hotter and your engine will love you for it .
Synthetic oils also help your engine run cooler .

-Nate