Project 1974 MGB GT - The Mustard (Mit) Mobility Scooter - After nearly 7yrs, The End (for me)

[SiC]

Solid state won't be more reliable, and you can't fix it with a screwdriver and a piece of emery paper !

 

The to-do list is getting longer by the day, but it's all part of the BL ownership experience ! It's great fun*, it really* is !

But I can fix it with a soldering iron! I'm not sure the easiest way to get to the points on it. Do I have to jack it up, or can I get to them under the battery? The spade contacts looked a bit crap too, so might be best in the short term to take the pump off and give it a good look over as a minimum.

 

Points are not too expensive to replace from my local MGB part supplier - http://www.moss-europe.co.uk/points-set-contact-breakers-twin-point-aub6106a.html?assoc=111205

 

Tempted to go down tomorrow morning if I get time and pick a new set up of them.

 

Or this if they have any in stock: http://www.moss-europe.co.uk/fuel-pump-conversion-kit-electronic-points-negative-earth-epk12n.html?assoc=111206

 

The other day I actually ordered a NOS Ford Inerita crash switch too. I know the American MGBs got them, but I don't think the British ones ever did. The thought of being in an accident, stuck and the pump clicking away pouring fuel into a hot, mangled engine bay isn't the nicest.

[SiC]

Current priority fix list is:

• Fuel pump
• Last rubber fuel line and some hard fuel lines.
• Fuel tank - leaky
• Fuel sender - it's gone back to only reading 1/4 tank
• Brake master - suspected internal leak. Hopefully that, not the servo. If servo, it'll be removed.
• Crash switch - I don't want to die if the brakes ever fail and I hit the car in front.
• Check tappets - pretty tappy when running. Hoping they're just out.
• Carb tune - starting up earlier left clouds of unburned fuel with a tad of choke. Suspect it's absolutely stinking rich.

I've found a place not too far that say that they can do rolling road carb tunes ( http://jprtuning.co.uk ). If they're not too expensive I'll get that done. Would be very interesting to see if/how many ponies it's lost.

 

The money sinking, bastard of a thing.

[sierraman]

I just can't understand how the hot hatch killed off the MGB in the early 1980's. It's almost like people wanted to get where they had planned or they hadn't wanted to spend a fortnights holiday welding the sills up...

[AMC Rebel]

I just can't understand how the hot hatch killed off the MGB in the early 1980's. It's almost like people wanted to get where they had planned or they hadn't wanted to spend a fortnights holiday welding the sills up...

Or fancied the idea of a practical car that was fast and handled well, instead of a slow impractical car with bad handling and 50s underpinnings.

[stripped fred]

But it has character*!

[Mally]

I'd take the fuel pipe off at the carb first just to check the pumps not working for sure.

At least you know it won't spray fuel on an hot engine.

[Sir Snipes]

Enormous Civic is enormous.

[SiC]

I'd take the fuel pipe off at the carb first just to check the pumps not working for sure.

At least you know it won't spray fuel on an hot engine.

I was thinking that too. Also before I did condemn the pump, I ought to make sure the lines aren't actually bunged up with crap. If anything it might be sediment/rust in the tank that has been stirred up from the fuel level varying a lot.

 

The Hardi pumps seem to have very good reliability reviews, a direct swap and they're a fair bit cheaper that a replacement SU. Around £71 from my local Moss vs £120 for an electronic SU and £100 for conventional SU.

[SiC]

Enormous Civic is enormous.

 

[SiC]

One observation I haven't mentioned here, is that the pump has been clicking more on startup. Originally it clicked 2 or 3 times and was ready. Recently it has been a good 5 or more. Yesterday evening before I started it up and set off to the shops, it did a burst of very fast clicking and then did a further 5 or so clicks.

 

Not being too familiar with these pumps, I'm not sure what it means and how it can help diagnose the issue why it's now silent. No doubt it was trying to tell me something!

[Guest Hooli]

I suspect that means it was struggling to build pressure, so checking nothing is blocked is a good plan.

 

 

So are ya loving your classic car experience yet?

[SiC]

So are ya loving your classic car experience yet?

If you mean classic car experience by buying something and having it sit there doing nothing for weeks/months on end then I guess it's alright! I don't think I've even managed 100 miles since buying it yet.

 

Plenty of things for me to fix and fiddle with. Just I wished it gave a few more miles before it FTP. I read somewhere on here that it takes a year before you get all the issues ironed out and they become reliable runners.

 

As its sat doing nothing for so long, I'm expecting teething trouble. It's why I've only kept it local for the time being.

 

When I was at the Beaulieu Autojumble I bought replacement hard fuel lines and the flex line from the pump. It could well be that flex line which has disintegrated internally as it looks very much original.

[wuvvum]

Or fancied the idea of a practical car that was fast and handled well, instead of a slow impractical car with bad handling and 50s underpinnings.

BGTs do not handle badly.  A properly sorted one isn't slow either.

[tooSavvy]

...I read somewhere on here that it takes a year before you re-list one..

TS

[Guest Hooli]

Or fancied the idea of a practical car that was fast and handled well, instead of a slow impractical car with bad handling and 50s underpinnings.

 

Errr, FWD never handles as well as RWD at times when handling matters - ie shit weather. It's easier for a lot of people to drive nearer it's limit, which is often mistaken for better handling though.

 

Besides B's aren't that slow & they handle pretty well when maintained properly.

[SiC]

BGTs do not handle badly. A properly sorted one isn't slow either.

Which leads me onto the question. A lot of people deride Armstrong Lever Arm shocks/dampers, what is actually wrong with them? Apart from being "old fashioned", why are they supposedly "inferior" than telescopic dampers?

 

To me they seem a pretty neat, compact solution. They also have the potential for greater damping reservoir than telescopic dampers.

[Mr A Lawrence]

THE M.G.CAR COMPANY LIMITED

EMPTYING YOUR WALLET

SINCE 1924

[Guest Hooli]

Which leads me onto the question. A lot of people deride Armstrong Lever Arm shocks/dampers, what is actually wrong with them? Apart from being "old fashioned", why are they supposedly "inferior" than telescopic dampers?

 

To me they seem a pretty neat, compact solution. They also have the potential for greater damping reservoir than telescopic dampers.

 

Wear in the pivot leads to a wobbly king pin. Combine that with worn trunnions & they handle crap.

[3VOM]

Which leads me onto the question. A lot of people deride Armstrong Lever Arm shocks/dampers, what is actually wrong with them? Apart from being "old fashioned", why are they supposedly "inferior" than telescopic dampers?

 

To me they seem a pretty neat, compact solution. They also have the potential for greater damping reservoir than telescopic dampers.

Isn't it to do with the travel available on a telescopic v lever arm? In that the telescopic has more area/length to move in so has more range to wear in. Or is that just legend?

[Guest Hooli]

That sounds correct too, as they work further from the pivot point.

[captain_70s]

If you mean classic car experience by buying something and having it sit there doing nothing for weeks/months on end then I guess it's alright! I don't think I've even managed 100 miles since buying it yet.

 

Plenty of things for me to fix and fiddle with. Just I wished it gave a few more miles before it FTP. I read somewhere on here that it takes a year before you get all the issues ironed out and they become reliable runners.

 

My Dolly 1300 never made it more than 20 miles from my house without some sort of breakdown when I first got it, eventually regular use saw it out and about several times a week and eventually it ended up as my daily driver doing 50+ miles a day for several months!

[They_all_do_that_sir]

As long as you are still enjoying it thats the main thing. It was never going to be a daily driver, and a man with your OCD will probably have it as reliable as its ever likely to be.

Ive had a few older motorcycles and the odd fettle before / during / after any journey was part of the experience.

 

On the subject of the inertia switch, just be wary its not adding anothet potential point of failure. However being a Ford part its probably going to be the most reliable bit of the car. As well as the rustiest

 

Sent from my SM-A510F using Tapatalk

[Shandylegs]

The Hardi pumps seem to have very good reliability reviews, a direct swap and they're a fair bit cheaper that a replacement SU. Around £71 from my local Moss vs £120 for an electronic SU and £100 for conventional SU.

Think I have a Hardi pump sat on a shelf. It was only used very briefly and never on the road, but has been sat a few years now. It's pointless where it is, so if you can cover the postage you are more than welcome to it.

 

Thanks....

[twosmoke300]

Ha ha . Pointless - geddit?

 

 

 

 

Just me then ?

[SiC]

Think I have a Hardi pump sat on a shelf. It was only used very briefly and never on the road, but has been sat a few years now. It's pointless where it is, so if you can cover the postage you are more than welcome to it.

 

Thanks....

That would be awesome! I'll drop a PM.

[DeeJay]

Current priority fix list is:

• Fuel pump
• Last rubber fuel line and some hard fuel lines.
• Fuel tank - leaky
• Fuel sender - it's gone back to only reading 1/4 tank
• Brake master - suspected internal leak. Hopefully that, not the servo. If servo, it'll be removed.
• Crash switch - I don't want to die if the brakes ever fail and I hit the car in front.
• Check tappets - pretty tappy when running. Hoping they're just out.
• Carb tune - starting up earlier left clouds of unburned fuel with a tad of choke. Suspect it's absolutely stinking rich.

 

 

Nothing terminal on there. All age related problems (who hasn't got them)

Fit your new tank, replace the fuel lines, fit pump, Tweak tappets (unless TADTS)

Then get carbs sorted.

Personally I wouldn't bother with a kill switch, I'd fix the brakes (or upgrade).  

[Guest Hooli]

Carb sorting is easy enough on them too, I seem to recall the base setting is 12 flats from closed on the mixture nut. My Migdet always used to go rich on the front & lean at the rear until I took them off, added a drop of thread lock and set them to where I knew it run best (11 3/4 turns).

[AMC Rebel]

Which leads me onto the question. A lot of people deride Armstrong Lever Arm shocks/dampers, what is actually wrong with them? Apart from being "old fashioned", why are they supposedly "inferior" than telescopic dampers?

 

To me they seem a pretty neat, compact solution. They also have the potential for greater damping reservoir than telescopic dampers.

 

I always thought they seemed to have extra complexity that wasn't needed.  I guess experience of them in Marinas (on the front) didn't fill me with joy.  One bloke I knew fitted a recon set every year to get his through MOT as they wore out so fast, but that may have been a bad reconditioner and the Marina may have been a bad implementation.

[AMC Rebel]

Errr, FWD never handles as well as RWD at times when handling matters - ie shit weather. It's easier for a lot of people to drive nearer it's limit, which is often mistaken for better handling though.

 

Besides B's aren't that slow & they handle pretty well when maintained properly.

Well, it's hard to do a like-for-like comparison, the 80s hot hatches had more supple suspension on the whole (all independent or close to it - IIRC VWs had that bendy axle on the back), a lot less unsprung weight etc 

 

I don't dislike MGBs but I think they have limitations - and you certainly can't carry a washing machine in one nearly as easily as in, say, a Golf.

[SiC]

It's bin day tomorrow and the MGB is too far over to be able to squeeze the bin out. So it needs to move.

 

Before I gave it a push, I turned the ignition on to check the pump. Nothing.

 

Ok, let's try giving a whack with a mallet for the last time. Fetched the mallet, turned the ignition on so I knew if it was working again while I'm lumping it and ...

 

*Click* *click* *click* *click*

 

FRIGHTENED OF THE MALLET ARE YOU??!

 

Might as well give the key a turn then!

[Video]

 

Starting when cold always has been awkward. I think the carbs are set to stinking rich. Especially if you clear the throats after giving the accelerator a prod, the idle is higher.

 

A few more videos for your Sunday viewing pleasure.

 

A minute later when it's warmer, it's still running alright.

[Video]

 

Then a warm restart.

[Video]