The MGA With An Attitude
MGA Guru Is GOING MOBILE - (May 1- May 15, 2022)
Sunday, May 1, 2022:
Sitting in Livingston, Alabama this morning.
Start the day with a Faulty Parts report for an Exhaust Flange Gasket Ring that is too small and will not seal. This one is packaged with the Moss Motors Tourist Trophy stainless steel exhaust system for MGA. Easy fix, just buy an additional packing ring, on the same order if you know in advance. Otherwise pick up a 1-3/4 inch exhaust packing ring at any local parts store.
 A bit later in the day, solved a fuse-blowing problem, traced down to a wiring error on someone's MGA wiper motor.
Then a longer discussion about a freshly restored MGA sticking in 1st gear after a very short test drive in reverse and 1st gears only. That happened to me once, so I did have some encouraging suggestions, and it was fixed in an hour just by removing the remote shift extension from top of the the gearbox for a bit of fiddling with the shift selector rod (score one for the good guys).
Monday, May 2, 2022:
A question came up on a new replacement bleed nipple that looked suspicious. It turned out to be okay, just having a rolled thread rather than cut thread (someone finding a cheaper way to make the parts in mass production).
Some questions on original "22" head studs and tall nuts and thick hard washers. Some discussion on rebuilding vs. purchasing a new (or rebuilt) generator. More questions on oversize brake drums or undersize brake shoes resulting in long pedal travel (and not being able to adjust the rear drum brakes).
Nice evening Zoom session with John Twist of UML doing his on-line tech discussions. Then immediately over to another Zoom session with the CMGC monthly staff meeting (nearly an hour late but still in session). I'm sure I never have anything useful to contribute there, as anything I have to say is usually ignored.
Tuesday, May 3, 2022:
Interesting issue with master cylinder replacement pistons with domed ends that should be flat and rebuild kits with flat shim washers that should be wavy. Trying to figure out why, and if these two issues are somehow related (and if these parts might need to be used together but not in mixed sets).
Wednesday, May 4, 2022:
Added a couple of color codes for painted parts that are not body color.
Bit of discussion on benefits (and pitfalls) of running an "18" cylinder head on a 1500/1600 engine.
Spent time revising the Regalia page on the CMGC web site (on request of the Regalia chair). Pretty sure this revision was a few years overdue before it was requested.
Thursday, May 5, 2022:
Say good morning to this 1964 Chevrolet Impala SS on the transport, found at the Tennessee Welcome Center. Long neglected, tatty and rusted, in need of a lot of TLC, hopefully on the way to a new life. A few miles farther north we were sitting in the southern limits of Chattanooga, checking email and BBS.
By early afternoon we were off to visit Steve and Kay Schwieger
in Hixson, TN, a near north suburb of Chattanooga.
After a short chat we had a look at his pet project MGA, which has owned for a LONG time, used to drive it a lot. After a bit of an incident while driving in winter weather where it was substantially damaged, Steve was encouraged to begin restoration work rather than selling the car. This lead to a body transplant, so now not the original body, but this one is in better condition. Aside from not being so badly smashed, it has somewhat less rust perforation (but surely a lot of surface rust).
Work has been a little at a time, but still progressing, so certainly hopes of getting there some day. Rocker panels and body sill box panels removed, still thinking about how much of the inner sill panel to remove or patch in place. Planning on one 12-volt battery carrier on the right (passenger side). Some redeeming social value here as the engine is cleaned and painted with a few new external parts for encouragement.
Then we get to take the rest of the day off, so lots of sitting and chatting about MGs and traveling and clubs and shops and life in general. And in the evening we are sitting here eating Mexican food with friends on Cinco de Mayo Day while celebrating the 8th anniversary of the beginning of out "little" road trip. Before anyone else asks how long it will last, the answer is always the same, "Check back in a couple of years to see how we're doing". There is no programmed end for the trip, and we have no intention of stopping any time soon.
After dinner more chat, get out and play with the dogs for a while, go kick the tires and check out our 640,000 mile MGA with plenty of questions and hopes for the future. All in all a really nice day to celebrate being alive.
Friday, May 6, 2022:
The CMGC May newsletter arrived in Publisher format, and this one is a bit larger than average. So transcribing that to post on the club website is about to kill a full day (not necessarily all in one day).
Hey, take a break for a social opportunity (on short notice). Time for Friday Night At Sonic with Southern British Car Club of Greater Chattanooga. Fun evening with 10 people together for "natter 'n' noggin", or in this case burgers and milk shakes.
Later evening, back at the ranch, more personal chat with our hosts (and some plans to work on carburetors tomorrow). When they get to go to bed, I get to go to work until the small hours of the morning.
Saturday, May 7, 2022:
Mid morning rising, checking email and BBS, and doing one more page of the newsletter for the club web site.
By early afternoon it was tech day with Steve Schwieger, disassembling his MGA carburetors, slowly, with plenty of time for scratch and sniff explaining how everything works and fits together. He doesn't know it yet, but he is going to put them back together while I supervise and answer questions.
Aside from being dirty, these carburetors are actually in pretty good condition (except for choke arms having badly worn pivot holes). One surprise was that one carb had 1500 type banjo bolt holding the float chamber, while the other carb had 1600 type banjo stud with a nut on it. That prompted me to check the model number tags, which were both AUC943. That is the correct model number for MGA 1600 carburetors, 1600=AUC943 Carburetor Installation (1 pair). Then we checked the number on both of the fuel metering needles, also correct for the 1600 engine, both #6.
That leaves the question, how did one carburetor end up with the wrong banjo bolt? Just one of life's little mysteries, but I think we can set that straight during reassembly. By evening the carbs were completely disassembled (except for the throttle shafts), and we had them soaking in parts cleaner fluid.
Then off to a local eatery for a tummy stuffing buffet dinner, returning around 8-ish for a little more chat before I headed off to check email and upload these photos and notes.
Sunday, May 8, 2022:
Early afternoon start again with Steve Schwieger's carburetors, and he's anxious to get going. Parts were soaking in parts cleaning fluid overnight, and Steve was already started on final brush cleaning and rinsing with lacquer thinner. After second rinse, drain and clean the pans, and pile the parts on the bench for sorting.
Not a show car, so not to bother with polishing and plating, but it is nice to work with clean parts. Throttle bodies and throttle shafts were in good condition, so not going to bush the housings or replace shafts this time. Starting with the main jet assembly, find all the little pieces and lay them out in order. New fuel jet tubes, gaskets and seal washers from the Master Rebuild kit. Teflon O-rings (McMaster-Carr source) and Viton grommets for the float chamber mounts came from the Magic Trailer. Stand the jet on end, and drop on the large gland nut with cork seal, lower jet bearing with thin copper seal washer. Push in two Teflon O-rings and a backing washer, followed by compression spring, another backing washer and two more o-rings.
Set the upper jet bearing on top with another thin seal washer. Poke it all into the bottom of the throttle body, compress the spring and screw it together finger tight. Install the air piston with metering needle, light compression spring sitting on a thin brass thrust washer, and the dashpot cover. Screw the cover down tight, but notice the mixture adjusting nut and friction spring are not installed underneath yet. Remove top damper plunger, and drop a long thin screwdriver in the top to push the piston down. This will push the jet slightly downward to assure you that the jet top end is in intimate contact with bottom of the piston. This is the largest diameter part f the tapered needle, which in turn centers the jet and bearing assembly. Then tighten the gland nut until everything underneath is pushed tightly together so the jet bearings cannot move.
Then you can hold it upright while you lift the piston and drop it, which must result in a satisfying "thunk' when it hits bottom of travel with smooth motion, no sticking allowed. If there is any hesitation in dropping of the piston, you get to loosen the gland nut and do the jet centering all over again. Once you get clean drop, then pull the jet out the bottom, install the friction spring and adjusting nut, and put the jet back in place. Remember, the gland nut must be very tight so the lower jet bearing cannot move when you install the adjusting nut.
Install the coil torsion spring on the throttle shaft with the inboard spring stop clip locked into the rib on the housing, and the outboard winding clip locked onto the outer and of the spring. The springs are "handed", wound in opposite directions, so be sure you have the correct spring on each carburetor. Once the spring is wound up tight, tighten the clamp bolt nut to lock the clip to the shaft. When finished you can turn the throttle shaft, and the spring will return the butterfly plate to rest inside the throat of the carburetor.
Got it down pat by that time, so not long to throw the second carburetor together. Install those nice brass choke arms, and assure that lifting the arms will operate the fast idle cam, followed by pulling the fuel jet down for fuel enrichment. When releasing the arm the tension spring must pull the fuel jet back up to seat firmly against the adjusting nut. Blue tape ins a reminder that some of the pivot holes in the arms are badly worn, so Steve will need to procure and install new brass arms.
Float chambers installed with banjo bolts and new Viton rubber packing grommets. Floats and float covers in place with new gaskets, overflow-vent pipes, inlet filter screens with springs, and fuel inlet banjo bolts and seal washers. Throttle center shaft and flex clamps installed along with the top damper plungers. Still needing a new cross-over fuel hose and replacement brass choke arms. Good day's work. Time for dinner.
Monday, May 9, 2022:
Finally finished the pesky CMGC newsletter and got that on line. in the evening we were off to a club meeting with Southern British Car Club of Greater Chattanooga. We have been here before, several years past, but some of the people remember us. Two dozen people present, and plenty of club business, so no time for the guru to sing and dance this time.
After the meeting we adjourn to the car park for a little tire kicking, and get pictures of several LBCs present. Then back to Steve's place for late night WiFi work, and think about what tomorrow will bring (as it is time to move on again).
Tuesday, May 10, 2022:
Time to roll out of the Chattanooga,Tennessee area, heading toward Texarkana, Texas before next week end. Sitting in Tuscumbia Alabama this evening, no rush (yet). Putting feelers out to see if anyone in Texarkana area wants us to show up earlier. --- Catching up on a backlog of email and tech questions, somebody's bent valve, another bloke's broken piston, a vacuum leak, brake caliper rebuild, polarizing a generator. And another hour updating the CMGC club web site for upcoming events. Who knows, I may even have time to read the newsletter I just uploaded.
Wednesday, May 11, 2022:
This could be a sit and work day.
Posted a new tech page for a Saddlebag for MGA.
Posted another tech page for a Bimini top for MGA.
Posted a new tech page for a more detailed treatise on engine R&R, because people still have questions and keep asking for more details.
Headed out of Tuscumbia early evening, arriving Memphis, TN before 9-pm. but no WiFi at the chosen stop. So we continued on a bit to West Memphis, Arkansas for late night WiFi. Still a full day extra to spare.
Thursday, May 12, 2022:
Just another 30 miles down the road this morning, sitting in Forest City, AR. The Bimini top seems to be getting more attention on the BBS, so I got to post a few more pictures.
Moved on just a bit in the evening to Palestine, AR. Had a tentative appointment to visit a shop "Hog Wild Restorations" in Marianna, AR, but called ahead to find the place has been shut down since 2018.
Friday, May 13, 2022:
Some chat about rebuilding MGA water pumps, which is not very difficult, just need to find sources for the required parts.
Moved little farther West, sitting in Prescott, Arizona when a friendly face walked in an asked, "Is that your .."; Yes. "Have you been .."? Yes. Are you .." Yes. "Dang, I knew exactly who that car belonged to as soon as I saw it, and had to come in to say "Hi". So pull up a stump, and we had a nice chat with David Cole from Magnolia, AR. We have been "acquainted" since early internet e-mail list days in the mid 90's. Time allowing, and wind blowing the right way, in the end we turned south for 45 miles to go check out his toys. Well, since I'm an engineer (mechanical), we stopped to do a little civil engineering in his back hard first. It has an occasional flooding issue, needs a large conduit, lots of back fill, some top soil and sod, should make a nice landscape project. And they would like a flagstone patio and a little foot bridge behind the pool (go ahead and dream big).
I there is a TR6 under that tarp, but we won't talk about that one. The yellow MGB has a slightly warmed over engine with Weber side draft carburetor, normally goes like scat, but currently dead due to water in the fuel at last fill-up. After some extended old-times chat and a short food run we dropped by his "shop" at another home nearby. Pictures, and more pictures. There are enough parts here to rebuild two MGA, and we know because there were two complete cars before disassembly. Don't want to dwell too much on how long these projects have been stalled, but the kids have flown the nest in the meantime.
There were three more MGB in better form (well, judge from the dust), at least complete cars when parked. One more MGB outside, maybe not in such good condition. There was a 1985 Mazda RX7 GSL SE (no picture), a rather rare model, last of the 1st generation RX7 before change to second gen. cars (and I have pwned one of each). Time to crash for the night, needing an early start tomorrow.
Saturday, May 14, 2022:
Up early for breakfast and a one hour plus trip into Texarkana, AR for a club meeting with Four States British Motor Club. This began with a summons from Bill Beecher in Texarkana, Texas, and appointment for Saturday club meeting at a Dunkin Donuts in Nash, TX. Then a late change of plans moved the meeting to back across the state line. We finally landed at club member "Boots" new home shop in Texarkana, Arkansas. Half a dozen good old boys, and a couple more later including one grandson 6-foot tall young enthusiast good to see.
I should have taken more pictures of the shop space, twice as large as shown in these pictures. All steel construction building, blown in place insulation, soon to have heat and air conditioning. Something like $7,000 for electrical work escalated to $12,000, but he wrote the check and is apparently happy with it. Lights and power everywhere, 120 and 240 volt where needed, still waiting for the new lift.
After traditional coffee and donuts, and these boys do like to chat about the cars and tools, I was summoned again to tune the carbs on this 1971 MGB with HIF carburetors. It ran fairly well on the road, but wouldn't idle for crap. Took a while to get it fairly decent, but it didn't want to idle slower than about 1200 rpm. Then the guy finally admitted that it has a fast road cam, and the regular misfire at lower idle speed may have something to do with low compression on one cylinder. Gimme a break, could have saved half the time if I knew that first. Everyone hauling out, so we were last to leave. Got a nice picture of the new shop building though.
A few miles west we stopped to sit on the state line in Texarkana, TX to catch up with these photos and notes, and for a little future planning. I think we have to haul off farther west tonight.
Sunday, May 15, 2022:
Today we had an appointment with Steve Fitch in Wylie, TX. Last time we bumped into this guy was in December 2015 at a breakfast meeting with Collin County Breakfast Club (a group from Texas MG Register).
He has two nice MGB that are daily drivers of show car quality, but the prime attraction that brought us here today is his MG Magnette MK-IV (also show quality). The grille is reminiscent of an MG 1100 sport sedan, while the tail lights and fins remind me of an USA built Rambler. There have been some arguments about the MK-III and MK-IV cars having similar body shell but the MK-IV having slightly smaller fins and lamps. The MK-III had 1600 engine, while the MK-IV has 1622 engine (both with dual carburetors). The striking difference is here to see at first, with very similar fins and same lamps, but the MK-IV is actually slightly wider and longer. This car might be the only MK-IV in the USA. So naturally I was out to get lots of pictures.
Less than a week earlier the car had been rented out as a wedding get-away car, and it was still bearing the trappings of the day.
The engine is a factory supplied Gold Seal replacement unit from "back in the day".
One unique feature is the "off side" only parking lamp that was required in some European regions if the car was to be parked on the street at night. The spare cylinder head is an 1800 "L" head from 1972-1974 MGB, North American spec with air injection ports.
There were a couple local friends dropping buy, including a nice MGA needing a pinch of carburetor tune-up. the primary problem here was a broken screw for the throttle connection accordion clamp. Fortunately the Magic Trailer had the needed part, so that was soon fixed, along with carburetor adjustments.
the car was then off for a quick test drive with a couple of big grins. Must have been okay, because it gave a honk in passing and took a second lap around the block. Had to mention the misaligned muffler that wants to be rotated about 150 degrees to the left to put the pipe lowest and body upward for better ground clearance.
Then we were off running half an hour north to McKinney, TX for lunch and mid day WiFi with a bit of anticipation. About 2-pm we got a phone call, and half an hour later we were joined by Andy Wood and his wife from McKinney, TX. After an hour or more chat they headed home, but we were to join them later for dinner.
Andy has inherited his father's MGA which was purchased very early (maybe new). He got it four years ago and has been restoring it, nearing completion now. Chassis finished, body work and paint finished, body back on the chassis, just needing a little more wet sanding and buffing.
And we have ready to go carburetors, heater, inner wing vent panels (from MGA Twin Cam), and a real vintage Les Leston steering wheel (new old stock).
Andy was keen to show off a special "oil guard shield" that is intended to prevent oil or grease thrown off from the propshaft from getting under the battery cover. Seems like overkill, but hey, the car is a family member. Also what looks like an ammo case for storage in the second battery tray when running a single 12-volt battery in the right side tray. And the completely assemble dash board ready for installation.
Late night heading farther north we stopped just across the state line in Oklahma with navigator thinking it was good to be out of Texas (too dang hot I guess).
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