Author Topic: 1973 MG B  (Read 157736 times)

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Offline Chris_

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #1100 on: October 11, 2015, 04:23:10 PM »
First wash and the crack of doom immediately reappears.  "Patched", my rosy red ass.  You just painted over it. :whatever:
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Offline BattleHymn

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #1101 on: October 11, 2015, 04:35:06 PM »
Ok, now that would cheese me off.


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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #1102 on: October 11, 2015, 07:51:22 PM »
Ok, now that would cheese me off.
"Cheesed" isn't the word I would use.  I wonder what else he cut corners on that I paid him for.

I have a two-year warranty on paint.  I'm going to have to take the car to JD and have him fix it and take it back to have it repainted again.
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Offline BattleHymn

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #1103 on: October 11, 2015, 08:26:27 PM »
Have you taken off the door card and peeked up there to see what he did or did not do to secure the crack?

Offline Chris_

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #1104 on: October 11, 2015, 08:43:21 PM »
No, I haven't done anything.  I couldn't find my keys yesterday, so I'm behind on getting the car cleaned up after driving it home.  The only thing I accomplished today was washing off the dirt.
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Offline Chris_

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #1105 on: October 14, 2015, 06:45:05 PM »
Finally got the lights working again.  All of my circuits had continuity, so I took everything apart, cleaned it, and put everything back together.  I ended up replacing those nice, expensive LED bulbs with standard filament bulbs just to make sure it wasn't a voltage issue.
If you want to worship an orange pile of garbage with a reckless disregard for everything, get on down to Arbys & try our loaded curly fries.

Offline BattleHymn

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #1106 on: October 14, 2015, 10:02:49 PM »
Even if I'm not driving mine for a spell, I will vigorously flip all of the switches to make sure they stay in shape now and again.

Of course, yours has sort of been down for some time while it's been sitting for paint, or what have you, so I'd like to think that's why it quit for you.


Offline Chris_

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #1107 on: October 19, 2015, 08:58:23 AM »
Weird.  I left the house this morning and my right turn signals were flashing.  I grabbed the stalk and moved it but the lights wouldn't turn off.  I unplugged the two harnesses under the steering column and the blinker timer.  It finally shut off.
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Offline Chris_

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #1108 on: November 08, 2015, 06:29:03 PM »
Fixed the carbs and now the horn doesn't work.  This shit never stops.  :whatever:

The 'factory settings' for the HIF4 cabs are way too rich.  I ended up leaning them out another two whole turns.  I came across a quick way to check fuel mix with the UniSyn.  If the idle drops when you put it over the mouth of the carb, you're too rich.  It's a quick and easy way to get the fuel mix adjusted somewhat correct.
If you want to worship an orange pile of garbage with a reckless disregard for everything, get on down to Arbys & try our loaded curly fries.

Offline Chris_

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #1109 on: November 17, 2015, 01:19:46 AM »
The car runs but it fouls the plugs after only a few hours.  I'm going to take the carbs off and rebuild them, but I'm afraid it might be something worse.  The fouling problem has gotten worse since I got the car home.  There is oil on the plug threads and black soot on the insulator.  The old plugs are fouled so bad the car will not start.

Confused.
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Offline BattleHymn

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #1110 on: November 17, 2015, 08:43:58 AM »
Has this engine been rebuilt?  Miles? 

Were the plugs threaded all the way into the head? 

Do your throttle shafts bind on the carb housings?

Offline Chris_

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #1111 on: November 17, 2015, 09:09:42 AM »
I have no idea if the engine has been rebuilt.  It has 55,000 miles on the odometer (or 155,00... it's impossible to know).

Plugs were threaded and torqued to 26 ft/lb.

There's no binding on the throttle shafts as far as I can tell.
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Offline Chris_

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #1112 on: November 19, 2015, 11:04:26 PM »
I wonder if I may have a bad ignition coil.  It would account for the carbon fouling.  The fouling was visible before the old MSD distributor crapped out, but it was very mild and didn't really affect the overall performance of the car.  I was able to drive it to and around MO with no issues.  Would a busted distributor damage an ignition coil?

I made it the 300 miles from IL to TN but by the time I got home, the plugs were fouled to the point where the car would barely idle.  I replaced the plugs after getting the car home but they fouled even quicker and now the car will not start.  I have another set of NGK plugs (previous plugs were Champion N9Y).  If the car fires up with the new plugs, I'm pulling the coil and testing it.

I'm hoping that's where my problem is, because the only thing that has changed on the car is in the ignition system.
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Offline BattleHymn

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #1113 on: November 19, 2015, 11:41:47 PM »
In short, anything that can make your spark have to travel further or contend with arcing can burn up your coil.  This would include your distributor cap. 

Offline Chris_

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #1114 on: November 19, 2015, 11:44:45 PM »
The fouling seems to be getting progressively worse.  I haven't tested the coil, but then I haven't done a compression test either.  The 25D I purchased was described as "like new" with new points, rotor, cap, and condenser.
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Offline Chris_

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #1115 on: November 19, 2015, 11:51:13 PM »
There's an MG A on tonight's new episode of Jay Leno's Garage on CNBC.  :)
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Offline BattleHymn

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #1116 on: November 20, 2015, 12:00:06 AM »
I'll bet if you drove it for a prolonged distance with that wonky distributor that you did in your coil.  How old does your coil look to be?

Offline Chris_

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #1117 on: November 20, 2015, 12:18:56 AM »
It's blue. :rofl:

All of the labels have worn on.  I won't say it looks new, it's definitely been there for a while.  The previous owner claimed to have the car for five years and I've had it for the last three.
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Offline BattleHymn

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #1118 on: November 20, 2015, 11:07:08 AM »
It's blue. :rofl:

All of the labels have worn on.  I won't say it looks new, it's definitely been there for a while.  The previous owner claimed to have the car for five years and I've had it for the last three.

Oh, I bet it's the exact same coil I had on mine when I bought it.  It's a bosch blue coil:



Mine crapped out soon after I got it, or was pretty weak.  Anyways, I replaced it. 

I have most of the receipts for my car, and I think the last I could find the coil being replaced was 77 or 78.

Offline Chris_

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #1119 on: November 20, 2015, 12:04:10 PM »
Yeah, that's it. 

Fifty bucks for a Bosch coil.  I'll save myself $20 and buy the Duralast.
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Offline Chris_

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #1120 on: December 29, 2015, 06:15:28 PM »
Christmas is finally over -- it's been a busy few weeks not working on either car.  I finally replaced the ignition coil, wires, plugs, and rebuilt both carburetors.  I didn't see anything wrong with either carburetor.  The float levels were a little high so I lowered both of them.  I still need to reconnect the fuel lines but I should be able to go for a drive tomorrow.

55º and mostly cloudy Wednesday.  Should be a fine day.
If you want to worship an orange pile of garbage with a reckless disregard for everything, get on down to Arbys & try our loaded curly fries.

Offline Chris_

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #1121 on: December 30, 2015, 08:50:36 PM »
Well, ****.  My battery's dead and the carburetors are leaking around the base plates - both of them.  I don't know if they're overflowing or just loose.
If you want to worship an orange pile of garbage with a reckless disregard for everything, get on down to Arbys & try our loaded curly fries.

Offline BattleHymn

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #1122 on: December 30, 2015, 08:51:56 PM »
Well, ****.  My battery's dead and the carburetors are leaking around the base plates - both of them.  I don't know if they're overflowing or just loose.

Do you have HI or HS style carbs?

Offline Chris_

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #1123 on: December 30, 2015, 11:20:44 PM »
HIF
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Offline Chris_

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Re: 1973 MG B
« Reply #1124 on: January 15, 2016, 01:41:38 AM »
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMok2y05jNE[/youtube]

This is the kind of car maintenance I can get behind.
If you want to worship an orange pile of garbage with a reckless disregard for everything, get on down to Arbys & try our loaded curly fries.