Sounds like it's on the way out. Could be the bearings going. Get another
before it dies - re-conditioned alternators are pretty cheap, particularly
if you hand your old one over in exchange.
I've failed to change over in time more than once before now - on a good
occasion it simply stopped charging, so I had to drive somewhere I could get
a new one without using any electrical items (e.g. lights, and it was
getting dark...) so that the remaining charge in the battery would continue
to power the ignition system. On a bad occasion the bearing seized and the
alternator wouldn't turn, so there was a very unhappy screaming from the fan
belt. I removed the fan belt to drive the 3 minutes to somewhere I could
get another alternator, and without the water pump being powered I
overheated in that distance! On the next occasion I could have sworn that
the new alternator I just fitted was a dud, until the guy from the RAC
pointed out that I'd fitted it fine but hadn't connected it up :(
In the UK (and for my old Spitfire, don't know about the MGB) I actually
found that general motor factors (e.g. Partco, Brown Bros) had re-con
alternators in stock, and cheaper than any Triumph specialist. Worth
checking out before you either make a long drive to, or pay a lot of postage
from, an MG specialist supplier.
Richard & Nancy ('73 Black Tulip BGT waking very slowly from 11-year
hibernation)
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