Oil Change Day
Saturday, November 20, 2010
 Today marks a special day in my MG life! We did something that I have thought of for so many years and that is probably one of the more unique things that MG Clubs have ever done. The Oil Change Day for the clients of the Journeys from PADS to HOPE http://www.padstohope.org/ (serving individuals in northwest suburban Cook County who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless) has been a great success. We did 12 cars today and made 12 people very happy. I talked to every single one of them. And I am very proud to tell you, all 17 members of the Chicagoland MG Club and the Vintage MG Car Club of Chicago, how happy and thankful they all where. Please accept my apologies for being not optimally organized. I had no real idea what to expect and had not anticipated the slow hour between 3 and 4 PM and I had not expected that the last three clients didn't show up.
We also have to thank Dave of Dave's Auto Clinic in Prospect Heights for hosting the afternoon. Where do you find a garage owner that keeps the doors open on a Saturday afternoon, keeps Juan, his mechanic available to help out with the intricacies of modern cars, and keeps the biggest smile on his face that you can imagine?
Thanks Chicagoland MG Club members, thanks Vintage MG Car Club of Chicago members, and a special thanks to Dave and Juan for opening the doors of Dave’s Auto Clinic to help us out.
PS Please let me know how we can improve the event if we decide to do it again, either in the Spring or the next Fall. I have two things already on my list. One, we'll schedule consecutive time slots so we have no down times. And second, we'll do a member sign-up in two or three time slots so that we're not working on three cars with 17 members plus Juan and Dave at the same time. If you have any further suggestions and ideas, please drop me an e-mail or call me at 847-909-7564.
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Speedometer Drive Gear Repair
A 1973 MGB Transmission goes under the knife to repair a slipped Speedometer Drive Gear
Chicagoland MG Club “Fall Tune Down”,hosted by Dave “Cowboy” Bralich
The culprit: Some MGB transmissions use a nylon Speedometer Drive Gear with a metal insert (as on the left). On the right is an alternate style made entirely of metal. The styles vary depending on the year of MGB and TPM (Turns Per Mile) of the speedometer.
Introduction: It’s common in older cars to have to troubleshoot mechanical speedometer issues. Typically the speedometer cable, the angle drive, or the unit itself is to blame. I was surprised to discover that cause of my troubles was the Drive Gear inside the transmission sliding out of position! Unfortunately, this isn’t as easy as replacing a broken speedometer cable. Since I had my motor out for rebuilding, it was the perfect opportunity to crack open the transmission.
With the collective bravery and experience of the Chicagoland MG Club, I hauled it over to the “Fall Tune Down” event hosted by the club’s Dave “Cowboy” Bralich. An amateur racer and MG enthusiast, he has his share of experience inside a MGB gearbox.
(Continued on next page).
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December 2010
