Author Topic: 1973 MG B  (Read 157571 times)

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Offline Chris_

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #475 on: January 30, 2013, 05:25:22 PM »
That doesn't mean much on these cars.  Half my work is done by feel. :-)
I may have better luck after removing the carburetor.
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Offline BattleHymn

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #476 on: January 30, 2013, 05:32:07 PM »
I may have better luck after removing the carburetor.

I just talked to my brother, who had the exact same setup you have now.  He reached his from underneath, holding the wrench clenched between two fingers.  He thinks he had the most luck positioning himself under the car (right handed), rather than trying to attack that bolt from just under the front of the car (left handed).

If it's just a cork gasket, you might need to replace it, rather than just tightening it down.  I've had the best luck running a rubber gasket on one of the covers, and a cork gasket on the other. 

Something else to look for is sometimes those covers get overtightened and bow in from the center, where the bolt tension is applying the force.  I've had to tap out two of four covers on my two MGs, due to previous owners doing just that.   

Offline Chris_

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #477 on: January 30, 2013, 06:41:10 PM »
That's what I was doing.

It's not the gasket I'm after, it's the filler material inside the oil separator... I think it's clogged.  Maybe I should put that new air compressor to use.
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Offline BattleHymn

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #478 on: January 30, 2013, 07:04:53 PM »
That's what I was doing.

It's not the gasket I'm after, it's the filler material inside the oil separator... I think it's clogged.  Maybe I should put that new air compressor to use.

Yeah, I thought you mentioned you had a leak there, too. 

The material does tend to fill up.  I've cleaned mine at least twice with a kerosene bath.

Offline Chris_

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #479 on: January 31, 2013, 10:26:41 PM »
The way the oil separator is set up, I wonder if I could just replace it with a standard PCV valve.

Probably not, or I would have seen someone mention it by now.  Oh well, back to the stone age... copper scrub pads to the rescue.
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Offline BattleHymn

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #480 on: January 31, 2013, 10:34:11 PM »
The way the oil separator is set up, I wonder if I could just replace it with a standard PCV valve.

Probably not, or I would have seen someone mention it by now.  Oh well, back to the stone age... copper scrub pads to the rescue.

I wondered the same thing when I put the supercharger kit on.  I didn't want to cut or mangle any of the original hoses on the car, and so I never connecting the vent to the supercharger anywhere. 

I know a slight vacuum is good for your lower end, but I couldn't come up with anything that I thought looked right.  A pcv ball valve would have been great, since it would theoretically stop the supercharger from pressurizing the crankcase when it is on boost. 

Offline Chris_

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #481 on: January 31, 2013, 10:35:39 PM »
The valve from the 280ZX is almost a perfect fit.

I haven't fitted one on, but it looks about the same size.  If it's too large, one from a Chevrolet pickup, circa 1981, may fit.
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Offline BattleHymn

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #482 on: February 02, 2013, 08:12:48 PM »
The valve from the 280ZX is almost a perfect fit.

I haven't fitted one on, but it looks about the same size.  If it's too large, one from a Chevrolet pickup, circa 1981, may fit.

I will have to remember to rob one off of one of my parts cars the next time I got out to my parents'.  I was just out there to braze a bracket. 

Offline BattleHymn

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #483 on: February 02, 2013, 08:19:35 PM »
So, my parts came in today.  This picture makes for a good British car oil leak punchline all by itself:



I'm going to try to take the lower end of the braided oil line off without removing the distributor.  I don't think it's possible, but I'm going to try.



Here is the bracket for the supercharger that started out as four pieces.  I brazed them all together, in hopes of limiting movement that is causing the bolts to sheer or come loose.  I haven't painted it yet, I'll wait until tomorrow when I can do so outside.  I had to be particular about where the braze laid, since there is other hardware that passes through the other holes you see:


My brother had a spare front plate laying around, so I was able to tighten everything up the way it is supposed to be on the car, so it's all nice and square.






Offline Chris_

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #484 on: February 03, 2013, 03:48:24 PM »
I got the MG home from the office where it's been sitting for a couple of months.  I had to go shopping for it... had to replace the flasher relay (I have a leak under the dash that rusts it out), all the bulbs on the rear of the car were either dim or out, and I upgraded the plastic fuel filter to one with a metal body.  The plastic one is leaking again.

Other than that (and the lean carbs), it's running fine.
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Offline BattleHymn

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #485 on: February 03, 2013, 06:41:47 PM »
Did you ever get around to spiffing up your ground connections?

I'm wondering if your bulbs weren't/aren't dim due to the two grounds in the wiring harness on the inside of your trunk.  I think they're behind the license plate, inside the trunk.

Offline Chris_

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #486 on: February 03, 2013, 07:02:24 PM »
Not yet. 

My radio barely put out any sound today.  I need to check that.
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Offline BattleHymn

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #487 on: February 03, 2013, 07:20:50 PM »
Not yet. 

My radio barely put out any sound today.  I need to check that.

I had a dim bulb on my last B.  One of the grounds on the back was just barely making a connection. 

I'm not sure what might be wrong with your radio, though.  You've got an aftermarket in there though, right?

Offline Chris_

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #488 on: February 03, 2013, 08:11:40 PM »
I had a dim bulb on my last B.  One of the grounds on the back was just barely making a connection. 

I'm not sure what might be wrong with your radio, though.  You've got an aftermarket in there though, right?
I've had this problem before.  I think I might have moved some wires around when I was changing out that flasher relay.
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Offline BattleHymn

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #489 on: February 03, 2013, 08:13:46 PM »
I've had this problem before.  I think I might have moved some wires around when I was changing out that flasher relay.

I think there is a jumble of those bullet connectors under there near that relay. 

Offline BattleHymn

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #490 on: February 03, 2013, 08:18:38 PM »
I just got done resoldering the radiator hose flange on the radiator.  Some previous owner decided to just epoxy over a crack in the solder, rather than fixing it. 

If I can solder, anybody can solder.  Soldering with a torch seems to have more in common with juggling chainsaws than it does soldering little electronic stuff like I'm used to.  I think I've got the hang of it now, though.

Offline Chris_

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #491 on: February 05, 2013, 09:40:47 AM »
If you can't fix it, find a bigger hammer.

[youtube=640,480]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJ0wovq5mDY[/youtube]
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Offline BattleHymn

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #492 on: February 05, 2013, 04:28:05 PM »
If you can't fix it, find a bigger hammer.

I can't believe I just watched a six minute video of a guy beating out dents in a tube, and enjoyed it.   

Offline Chris_

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #493 on: February 05, 2013, 04:30:29 PM »
I got a kick out of the homemade gasket video.
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Offline Eupher

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #494 on: February 05, 2013, 04:45:07 PM »
I can't believe I just watched a six minute video of a guy beating out dents in a tube, and enjoyed it.   

That vise looked like it had been through WWIII.

Yeah, I know. I watched it too.
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Offline BattleHymn

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #495 on: February 05, 2013, 05:00:25 PM »
So, I was buttoning up the B just now, and noticed that I had forgotten to tighten down the oil filter base to oil cooler hose fitting properly, so it was losing some oil there.

When I looked further down the frame rail, I noticed the oil cap that I thought I had lost last year!  Bonus! 

Offline BattleHymn

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #496 on: February 05, 2013, 07:10:27 PM »
Just got back from a nice drive.  Looks like no leaks.  :yahoo:

Offline Chris_

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #497 on: February 05, 2013, 08:21:53 PM »
Yay, a free oil filler cap.  :rofl:

I had my oil changed at one of those quick change places with another car and the son of a bitch swiped my OEM cap and replaced it with a crappy aftermarket one.  Bastard.
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Offline Chris_

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #498 on: February 05, 2013, 09:34:44 PM »
I can't believe I just watched a six minute video of a guy beating out dents in a tube, and enjoyed it.   
Eli does a good job.  I'm glad he's not putting his name on the videos anymore, though.

Damn kids.
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Offline BattleHymn

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #499 on: February 05, 2013, 09:49:02 PM »
I had my oil changed at one of those quick change places with another car and the son of a bitch swiped my OEM cap and replaced it with a crappy aftermarket one.  Bastard.

Man, that's just wrong.  Did you go back after the OEM cap?