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(failed electronic ignition module), so we stuffed in my spare MGA distributor (not the first car it has served well), and it fired right up. Then the alternator was not charging late at night, so the car was not going to the club rally next day (bummer).
Failed PowerSpark ignition module
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 On Saturday 2/17 we took a rally tour to lunch with the BMCM car club and picked up a PowerSpark electronic ignition module. In the evening we got my MGA distributor back, but the spark module had mysteriously been detoured. Sunday would be a better day, install the new ignition module and a new alternator, got Dan's MGB running, and took it for a test drive. Fuel gauge pointing at empty, cough, sputter, rolled it into a gas station for a fill up, and drove on. A hundred yards later it died with fuel pump running but no gas to the carburetors, apparently Facet fuel pumps are not self-priming. Switch on, pump running, blow hard into the fuel filler port to prime the pump, and we were running again. Score one for the good guys.
Marina manifold and HS6 carburetor
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On Feb 20 we were in Albany, GA (for maybe the fourth OR fifth time) to help Bill Waller with his wife's ex-MGB (long story) with a Marina manifold and SU HS6. Blowing water turned out to be a leaky radiator hose, easy fix. Only running with full choke, we found the tappet cover vent connected to the intake manifold in place of the brake booster hose (sheesh). Swapped those back, fixed a leaking float valve, got fans running by fixing a corroded fuse holder. Had to splice a wire that had been chewed by a squirrel to get the ARO valve working. Had to R&R the starter motor for access to install a new clutch hose. Trip to store for a PVC valve, a fist full of brass fittings and hoses, then install the PCV valve and test to assure the ARO was working.
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Marina manifold and HS6 carburetor
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Marina manifold and HS6 carburetor
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Barney's broken speedometer cable
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One thing that didn't get fixed (yet) was the plastic reservoir on the master cylinder that had a large hole chewed in the top corner by the squirrel, but that would not prevent a test drive. At least the clutch worked. The car backed off the ramps with great effort but yanking on the brake cables got the parking brake freed up (to be fixed later). Then it did a short run back and forth on the driveway, first time under power since maybe 15 months earlier. No parking lights or brake lights, and no current registration, so no run on the street yet, but everyone was happy with the progress.
Next day in Columbus, GA we borrowed a friend's shop and floor jack to install a new speedometer cable in our MGA (having lost only 363 miles this time). Then helping same friend work out electrical problems (fuses, horns, side markers, tail lights) in his MGB. Then helping another friend
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March 2018
