Using 1290 hours of GEOS-2 electron gun measurements between 0800 LT and 1900 LT we have analyzed the dependence of dayside magnetospheric convection in the equatorial plane at L=6.6 RE on the IMF sector structure, i.e. IMF By≶0 and IMF Bx≶0. For all IMF sector orientations the plasma flow at noon is directed predominantly sunward with a slight dawnward component. For positive IMF By the plasma convection around 0900 LT has a duskward component which turns into a dawnward component for negative IMF By values. The ratio between the electric field amplitudes at 1500 LT (dusk sector) and those at 0900 LT (dawn sector) increases from about 2 for IMF By positive to 3--4 for negative IMF By components. The convection pattern does neither show a dependence on the Bx component of the IMF nor is it significantly different for gardenhose (Bx ⋅ By0) orientations of the IMF. These results support the idea of component merging rather than the antiparallel merging hypothesis.