The MGA With An Attitude
MGA Guru Is GOING MOBILE - (June 1 - June 15, 2022)
Wednesday, June 1, 2022:
Sitting in Salina, Kansas again, same place we were four days earlier. Early email check brought a new suggestion for a home made took for extracting the clutch spigot bushing from rear end of the crankshaft. So I added this one to the web page for methods for replacing the spigot bushing.
 Received a message from Linden Freeman who bought one of the ex-Sebring MGA race cars from a used car lot in Florida, back in the day. "Light-weight alloy fenders and Plexiglas windows plus C/R transmission made it a great car". His first car was an MGA roadster, reportedly still one of his favorite rides.
Some time ago someone posted a negative comment about a shop in Savannah, Georgia. This shop was not on my Shops list, and from their web site it looked like they likely serviced newer cars, probably not classic cars, so I ignored that note. Story is one of the proprietors has an MGB and works on those cars sometimes, but may not have been familiar with MGA. Also they apparently work on high end race cars, and maybe neglected this guy's MGA Twin Cam for about a year before it came back in less than perfect condition (needing more remedial service).
The guy is still PO'd about the bad service and wanted to mention it again, wanting to "warn" people to avoid the place. So I added the shop to my Shops list to place a link to a new supplementary information page about this shop to post this guy's comment. The place is called "Two Nuts and a Bolt Garage". The way this works is, if someone clicks on the link for this shop, it goes first to the supplementary information page with comments, and then links from there to the shop's web site, so visitors will be sure to see the comments. Apparently there have been some positive comments and recommendations from other people having their vintage cars serviced there (maybe MGB). Now there is another shop in Georgia that I should visit to check it out next time I'm in the area.
About the engine grounding strap, some people are still not getting the message. So now there is another tech page on "The Dire Consequences of a Missing or Disconnected Ground Strap". This details a bunch of things that can be melted or burn up, and how to diagnose and fix the problem.
Thursday, June 2, 2022:
BBS discussion brought up carpeting and carpet padding, where to glue it down, where not, and what needs to be disassembled for future service. The factory had to make the MGA center tunnel cover removeable after the first few hundred cars, to enable removing the gearbox without disassembling half of the interior to lift the floorboards and tunnel. this led to an updte of a tech page on Carpet Laying.
Laundry day wiped out most of the evening.
CMGC newsletter Publisher file arrived late night, which will certainly kill all of tomorrow.
Friday, June 3, 2022:
Some questions on mild upgrades for MGA engines for not too much cost or trouble. (Yeah, sure, the holy grail of antique cars in general). - Garbage material for fender piping is still going around, along with problems and questions. - Spent most of the day transcribing a MS Publisher file to HTML pages to put the CMGC June newsletter on line, and it's not done yet.
Saturday, June 4, 2022:
Morning mail check leads to updating s tech page for wheel studs length and number of splines on replacement parts.
Then back to the grunt work posting the CMGC June newsletter onto the club web site. Lots of interruptions killed the rest of the day (not finished yet).
Sunday, June 5, 2022:
Didn't go anywhere, having to finish transcribing the CMGC June newsletter and uploading it to the club web site (which is finally finished).
Finally found time to post a new tech page for installation and routing of the vacuum advance pipe (and fuel separator) for the MGA Twin Cam engine. That page will require more photos and notes for better explanation.
Working on a new tech page for another rendition of dual electric fans for MGA, this time puller fans behind the radiator.
Still sitting in Burlington, Colorado, kind of late night, but have more than two hours drive to Colorado springs for tomorrow late morning, so I think we will drive some more tonight.
Monday, June 6, 2022:
Cruised into Colorado Springs, Co this morning at just over 6000 Ft altitude. A little trouble with rich running, so stopped to lean out the fuel mixture a bit. Not as dexterous as I used to be, so I took the air cleaners off for easier access. Front air cleaner full of oil (again), so may plan a new strategy there. With hat carburetors, and some idling time during adjustments, it fouled out and was running on three cylinders, could not be cleared. Pulled the spark plugs for cleaning, then back in and on the road again.
Arrived at hotel for NAMGAR GT-47, and jumped into a mid day tech session on "Tuning Carburetors For High Altitude" (very appropriate). After an hour we adjourned to the car park to resume tuning carburetors with an exhaust gas analyzer up the tail pipe. The car ahead of me blew 1000-ppm hydrocarbons, 1.5% CO2, and some nasty number on CO. My car registered 160-PPM Hydrocarbons, 6.5% CO2, and nearly nil CO. The comment was, "You're blowing flowers out your tail pipe. Stop wasting our time". Sorry, it was just a shade tree tune-up.
I kind of got myself invited to the First Timers meeting in early evening, so the newbies could be introduced to the MGA guru.
Then an hour for the Introductory (Welcome) Party, followed by the evening tech session on MG EX186, hosted by Kathy Gunderson with a slide show, and her husband Joe Gunderson sitting to tell the story via Zoom session from home. Joe and Kathy are the current curators for the car, having spent many years procuring parts and restoring it. After most everyone else had left I got to chat with Kathy for a while, mostly because I had accumulated a fair collection of pictures of EX186 before it was restored, some of the pictures dating from before the Gundersons took possession of it.
After 11-pm I finally finished the new tech page on Dual Electric Puller Fans for the MGA.
Then I got to check email with a new message from someone having
a "better idea" on how to remove a clutch spigot bushing front tail end of the crankshaft. This very good idea led me add the information to an existing tech page, but it killed an hour anyway. Then time to post these photos and notes for the day, and boy I gotta get some sleep, as there is an early breakfast meeting in the morning.
Tuesday, June 7, 2022:
After three hours sleep this morning, 7-am breakfast meeting with the Z-Magnette Register. They have only this one meeting each year, so it is the only time I get to see these folks. Got some stickers for the car this time. I think they were trying to make me an honorary member by offering me a glazed drinking tumbler that was supposed to be one glass per family membership. I can do pictures, but had to give the glass back, no space to pack such collectible items in the car or trailer.
9-am tech session with Martin Willis on "Strange Repairs". Much of it was a House of Horrors show. I think the parts below are all non-British. The center picture is (or used to be) a connecting rod from a Formula V (Volkswagen open wheel racer).
A few minutes to take a quick peak outside at John Twist's Rolling Tech Session. more of this later.
10:30 tech session with Bruce Woodson, "Duct Tape, Baling Wire, and Other Emergency Fixes". A combination of Grapes of Wrath, roadside repairs, and how to fix things when you may not have the proper parts or tools.
More of J.T's Rolling Tech Sessions. The MGA had a mid-speed engine rattle that sounded a lot like a loose
 connecting rod bearing (ouch).
The green BGT came in on a flatbed, auction number on the window, in need of restoration work, soon sporting a For Sale sign. John wasn't about to touch that one.
In the evening, off to the Flying-W Ranch for some fun and games, a little hiking on a mountain hill. For the axe throw, that gal nailed the bulls eye on the second try, and I think everyone else gave up until she left.
As an engineer, I rather like the old machinery (road grader here). Petting zoo for the kids, cowboys on horses for everyone, archery looked easier than axes, and an Indian dancing show before dinner.
There was a mob for the old west buffet dinner (think chuck wagon food), followed by a really good country music show. Then back to the hotel for late night hospitality suite. Since this turned out to be a 16 hour day of convention activities, and I was running on three hours seep from the night before, I had to crash and leave these photos and notes for another day.
Wednesday, June 8, 2022:
Morning car show, 9 to noon at Cheyenne Mountain High School. Find about 65 more photos and notes on a Supplemental Photos page.
Last cars leaving, this one was stranded with no-start. They used jumpers at the hotel this morning to get it
running to drive here. Now jumpers were not enough. Dead battery for sure. Jumpers got it started, then it died, no voltage. Jumpers to get it going again, doing some diagnostic work, the generator was good, and the regulator seemed to be working as well, so set the idle speed a bit higher and figure on driving it back to the hotel. Sorry, didn't make it, died again a half mile on. More diagnostic with the volt meter 10.3 volts directly on the battery posts dropped to ZERO when trying the crank, so definitely a dead battery, most likely one shorted cell. Yank the 4-year old battery, take the SUV escort vehicle to the nearest auto parts store to swap for a new battery, and all is right with the world again.
Plenty of sight seeing and on the road entertainment for the rest of the day. Fun run rally to Cripple Creek, self guided tours on your own. I managed to check a little BBS and half my email before catching a dearly needed nap. In the later evening we joined in the every evening Hospitality Room to chat with a few friends.
Thursday, June 9, 2022:
Up early for breakfast, thinking I might be conned into joining the gang on the scheduled day tour. Lots more tourist stuff today. Group drive to the fabulous Royal Gorge and Skyline Drive took most of the day for a lot of people. I got to tweak the carburetor tuning on a couple of cars before they set out for the day. Then I headed back to the room to finally catch up on email and tech questions and some BBS. Didn't finish the photo processing yet, as I needed a little more sleep.
In the evening a pre-banquet happy hour, followed by the Pikes Peak Or Bust Awards Banquet. About 200 people for dinner and recognition (lots od awards). That ran a little late, but we still managed to squeeze in 90 minutes in the hospitality room.
Alan Bachelder didn't want to change the head gasket on his Magnette here at the show, but he did finally accept the spare head gasket out of the Magic Trailer to get the job done as soon as he got home (back to Michigan).
Friday, June 10, 2022:
Good morning, and goodbye to all our friends. Reinout and Heineke Vogt were heading back to Georgia, while we were going the other way for and appointment in Utah next week end. While Elliot was once again taping up those expensive Moss Motors "Leather" seat covers that continue to fall apart. I was putting the air cleaners back on the engine. Really we just wanted to get out of town.
It was hot and extremely slow traffic on I-35, so we bailed out around 1-pm. Now 100 miles north in some place that can't make up its mind if it is Dacono or Erie, Colorado. But by 8-pm I am caught up with photos and notes in the trip log, as well as the page of pictures from the car show. All of a sudden things seem "back to normal", so to speak.
Saturday, June 11, 2022:
We moved a little farther up the road to Fort Collins, CO. Not much happening today. BBS is very low key, no pressing new tech questions. I even got to watch some YouTube videos on space exploration and electric cars progress (keeps and engineer from being bored).
Sunday, June 12, 2022:
Sat a good part of the day in Wellington, CO, tentatively waiting for a message from a friend, which didn't happen. WiFi was also pretty bad, so early evening we headed northwest through the mountains for a shortcut between I-35 in Wellington, Colorado to I-80 in Laramie, Wyoming. This would save 15 miles but take 1 minute longer, not a bad trade off. Most of the trip (about 50 miles of it) was on US-287 climbing from 5200 ft to slightly over 8000 ft before dropping back to a bit over 7100 ft at Laramie. Nice hills, some running 6% grades, which do require use of 3rd gear at this altitude (towing the trailer of course).
A few minutes after leaving Laramie late night, the fan/alternator belt began squealing (fairly common if the belt is a bit loose, and we were just crank starting the car, and the headlights are on). When that stopped we plugged in the cigar lighter socket volt meter, and it looked like all was well. A few minutes later voltage dropped below 12, no charging. Fully charged battery, so no problem tonight, just drove another half hour with the lights on and parked it for the night.
Monday, June 13, 2022:
Good morning. Peek under the bonnet, ready to install the spare alternator if necessary. Two out of three harness wires broken near the alternator. Ignition lamp disconnected, and one of the two parallel battery wires also broken. As Lucas alternators go, it won't charge with the ignition lamp disconnected. 20 minutes fiddling around to splice a couple of wires and install several small tie-wraps to keep the harness from flopping around too much. This 36 year old PVC insulated harness has certainly seen better days with brittle and cranking insulation near the hot engine, but still serviceable as long as I can keep patching it up as needed.
Heading east on I-80 in Wyoming, pushing it into a 25-mph head wind along with some 5% to 6% uphill grades. Definitely 3rd gear on a few of the hills, going well down hill, but hard to maintain 65 on the level into the strong wind (80-mph speed limit with some trucks passing us). So we bailed off for breakfast.
Sitting in Rawlins, WY today. no rush, just need to be in Salt lake City, Utah by the week end. Jumped in on the John Twist Zoom tech session this evening with 160 friends. Don't remember what I was doing in between, so nothing of consequence I suppose.
Tuesday, June 14, 2022:
Up the road a bit in Wamsutter, WY. The alternator is reconnected and working, sort of. For some days now it has been squealing the fan belt, mostly shortly after start up when it would presumably be recharging (topping off) the battery. We also noticed the ignition light sometimes glowing (half intensity), but not all the time. The internal regulator also seems to be overcharging, sometimes running above 15 volts on the plug-in volt meter, when it usually does not go over 14 volts. Switching on the headlights seems to bring it down a volt or two, then not exceeding 14.5v, so for now we are muddling along with it to see what may happen next.
Meanwhile, I'm rather PO'd about it after 5 alternator failures in 4 years (this one being #6 I think), just can't keep a new Lucas alternator working for a full year. I'm not in the mood to keep experimenting with volt meter and wiring rigs to analyze and evaluate the failing parts, would just like to swap in another one and get on with life. The Mitsubishi alternators from my 1980's vintage Mazda RX7s would typically run 200,000 miles. Why can't anyone make a good internal regulator for a Lucas alternator?
Wednesday, June 15, 2022:
Moved 72 miles more west, sitting in Rock Springs, WY.
A little fun today with two new tech pages for small trailers. The first is a vintage Coleman Caboose trailer from sometime pre-1968, although I still haven't figured out how early these were available. Post-1967 models would have side market lights.
The second is the Make-A Wish MGA trailer constructed by Christopher Steingrube (GrubeGuy on the MG Experience MGA Forum) to be donated to Make-A-Wish foundation. Now complete and in primer paint, may be painted any color if the buyer will provide the paint.
I was just going to get a parts order together for Moss Motors, but had another thought first. The fan belt had been squeaking some, not sure if it was a result of the failing alternator, but thought it would be a good time to check it by daylight in mid afternoon, maybe tighten it up a bit. Good thing I looked, because it had two broken brackets. I knew the extended rear bracket (from a 1275cc Midget alternator) was cracked, and I had it on the wish list to order a new one as soon as possible, but I didn't think it was broken all the way through before. Additionally, the belt tensioner bracket on bottom front of the alternator was also broken, with a piece missing as well, that was now completely out of service as well. Cause and effect I recon, one bracket breaks and the vibration soon takes out another one. That left one bolt top front on the water pump arm as the only thing still holding the alternator on the car. Are we having a little less fun now?
Getting closer to crisis mode, but not dead yet. I can prop the alternator up on one bolt with a very lose belt to keep turning the water pump and fan, maybe unplug the alternator so there is no electrical load on it, and I recon we can run it a few hours into Salt lake City, as long as we drive in daylight with no headlights. So we will sit here tonight. Meanwhile, get the parts order finished, and call ahead to arrange a drop point for the shipment.
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