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

[vulgalour]

That's how the indicators on the Princess were behaving, it's the same flasher relay.  The relay lasted only a few months and barely any miles before burning itself out which was annoying since it was a new one.  I stuck a more modern relay on which was considerably more expensive but has proven far more effective.  Bought mine from here: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181922797997  Be sure to check if you need positive or negative earth and buy accordingly.

[SiC]

If your alloys are in good condition, what would be the sensible thing to do? Well buy some more of course!

 

Only around the corner from me though and not too bad a price. It also means I can get a local garage to fit my new tyres without worrying that they'll put a misguided jack through the floor.

[vulgalour]

Is it possible to have too many Rostyles?  Probably not.  Also they're steels, not alloys, surely?

[SiC]

Good question, I really don't know the definition of either.

[tooSavvy]

....err. Alloy (Alum/Magnesium) cast thick looks like cake icing

 

Steel (painted/chromed) same thickness at rim edge as where studs go through

 

 

FTFY

 

 

 

TS

[They_all_do_that_sir]

If your alloys are in good condition, what would be the sensible thing to do? Well buy some more of course!

 

Only around the corner from me though and not too bad a price. It also means I can get a local garage to fit my new tyres without worrying that they'll put a misguided jack through the floor.

I done that with the XM, removed the wheels off and took them to the tyre place in the boot of the focus....

 

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[Mally]

I gave my Rostyles to this guy who widened them for the back

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HSuWmzxdW8.

[SiC]

The gear knob was loose on the drive back, so tightened it up a bit more. I walked past yesterday and to my horror I discovered this had happened.

 

Unfortunately that is now no longer available (from Moss). A trip down to my local Moss branch I came back with this.

 

Actually supposed to be for a 1969 to 1972, so not correct for year. But looks and feels much better to be fair.

 

Also bought a cheap flasher unit to swap out the original. Went for a traditional rather than solid state as I quite like the old clicky sound that electronics tries to emulate. Seem to have fixed the flashing.

[Guest Hooli]

Topped up your dashpots yet?

[Sir Snipes]

Probably still trying to find the OBD 2 port first! 

[SiC]

Topped up your dashpots yet?

Not yet, but I have bought a small grease gun and oil can.

 

I took it for a quick spin around the block today with a mate.

 

A couple of things I noticed....

 

It required a few revs on the accelerator during warm up to keep it running. The choke didn't seem to do too much in terms of fast idle. Could also be due to my inexperience with a choke.

 

Idle is very low. More around 300-400. Low enough for the ignition light to come on. Leaving it long enough at this idle speed causes it to stall. Curiously, letting go of the clutch in neutral raised the idle RPM? No idea on that one. I'd expect it to go down with the additional load.

 

I really need to have a good fiddle getting that idle correct. Probably need to buy a cheap timing gun too.

 

Can be quite hard to select gears when moving at times. Perfect when not running and cold though. I suspect the oil in the box probably needs changing? Need to go through the paperwork and find out what was done recently by the last owner and his garage.

[stripped fred]

I think with older cars like that you have to drive round their foibles. You'll never get it running perfectly but obviously some room for improvement.

[DeeJay]

If you're going to start playing with your carbs make a note of the original settings.

That way if you knacker anything up at least you will be able to go back to a setting that worked.

On the sparky bits change one thing at a time (points, plugs, leads etc.) then if it stops running you've only have to go back one step.

(Sorry if I'm trying to teach my granny to suck eggs).

[captain_70s]

Do these run SU carbs? Pretty sure the idle control screw is bang on top, I used to spend ages trying to get the Dolly 1850 to idle at even a recurring figure, let alone the right one. It seemed like it'd pick it's own arbitrary idle speed every morning and that would be it for the day...

[chodweaver]

^ that's my recollection of them too, whereas the mixture control was buried underneath and impossible to get to without removing the float chamber (on a 1981 metro 1.3S) which seemed ridiculous...

 

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[Mally]

Speed the idle up a little, its obvious which screw when you look at it, carbs are linked together, best not to reset them individually until you fully understand them.

You may find the gear selection becomes worse when you increase the idle. That could be why its set low, but lets hope not.

[SiC]

You may find the gear selection becomes worse when you increase the idle. That could be why its set low, but lets hope not.

Why does the gear selection become worse if the idle is higher?

 

I'm trying to resist the urge to not just dump it at my friendly local garage and get them to sort it. If I do though, I won't learn how to do it myself! Just they're pretty cheap and it's easier to do.

[tooSavvy]

I'm trying to resist the urge to not just dump it at my friendly local garage and get them to sort it. If I do though, I won't learn how to do it myself! Just they're pretty cheap and it's easier to do.

 

... here you enter the ZONE....!

 

If you went out with a guy who runs a rustbucket/scab mingger daily... he might have a load of "I just drive around this <enter horror>, but, Hey!.. LuvvIt".

 

Talk to a Trailer Queen guy... "My man does all that.. it goes on and off the trailer well enough".

 

You must drive it and consider what you feel your comfortable with [you will be less that happy with Laggy FTP rates...] study the forii and ask..

 

It is a turnip watch [like my trusty Toyyo...]  absolutely No ghosts... Just don't let the Lucassmoke© escape 

 

TS

[vulgalour]

Almost comprehensible advice there.

[Rusty_Rocket]

A couple of things I noticed....

 

It required a few revs on the accelerator during warm up to keep it running. The choke didn't seem to do too much in terms of fast idle. Could also be due to my inexperience with a choke.

 

Idle is very low. More around 300-400. Low enough for the ignition light to come on. Leaving it long enough at this idle speed causes it to stall. Curiously, letting go of the clutch in neutral raised the idle RPM? No idea on that one. I'd expect it to go down with the additional load.

 

I really need to have a good fiddle getting that idle correct. Probably need to buy a cheap timing gun too.

 

Can be quite hard to select gears when moving at times. Perfect when not running and cold though. I suspect the oil in the box probably needs changing? Need to go through the paperwork and find out what was done recently by the last owner and his garage.

 

All these things you've noticed can be sorted with an afternoon's leisurely tinkering.  This is why the beards buy cars like MGBs!  You can fix the thing without having to spend £100 on some godforsaken sensor or plastic moulding that will fail again in exactly the same way.  It's a proper car, made of proper metal and intended to be tuned and maintained by people that understand it.

 

Don't take it to a garage for this sort of thing!  You clearly have the skills and inclination to fix moderns and if you can do that, you can easily keep an old British car in fine condition.  It's designed to be fixed, after all (unlike other stuff..)

You will need to learn new skills, like dealing with fixings so rusty, they are no longer nut/ bolt shaped for example, but I'm sure you will love this rolling project.  You'll need a whole different set of tools and you'll find that parts are very cheap, but potentially of very poor quality (particularly rubber components)- something to watch out for.  From what I've seen of the car, it looks absolutely ideal as something decent that can be improved along the way.  Enjoy!

[SiC]

Funny enough, I did pull apart the broken flasher unit yesterday. Makes me realise why people and especially mechanics like old cars. Everything is so visual and straightforward.

[SiC]

The drivers handbook for the MGB I bought has a reasonable guide on how to fiddle with the idle. I believe this book was provided out the factory with the MGB.

[Rusty_Rocket]

That's the thing, you can actually see the problem when something fails!

 

My top tip for 'classic' car motoring- make sure it stays a pleasure, not a chore.  By this, I mean enjoy it in the summer, but leave it at home when you're having to scrape ice off the windscreen.  Walk away from it when you poke a screwdriver through the bulkhead, it'll all still be there when you come back to it next week, etc etc.

My pal runs cars from the era all year round.  I do have respect for him for doing this, but for me, it sort of takes the fun out of it.  These cars are not fun in the winter.  It will constantly mist up, the heater will be crap and it will ice up on the inside when it's very cold.  It will also deteriorate at a rapid rate on salty roads.  My 60s/ 70s cars are used in all weathers apart from when the salt is out there.  The moderns can deal with all that stuff, leaving the old car as something to enjoy.  They'll thank you for it and you'll end up with a very nice car.

 

That book is a genuine owners manual- looks like it's in very nice condition too!

[SiC]

Good advice. Having 2 moderns means I never have to rely on this, so can use it purely as a toy.

 

It's good condition because it's a brand new copy that is a reprint

 

The wiring diagrams are pretty poor quality though. Could do with a scan of an original copy

[Rusty_Rocket]

Nice, to be fair, there's not much wiring so as long as you can 'just about' make the diagram out, you'll probably be fine!

[Mally]

Why does the gear selection become worse if the idle is higher?

 

I'm trying to resist the urge to not just dump it at my friendly local garage and get them to sort it. If I do though, I won't learn how to do it myself! Just they're pretty cheap and it's easier to do.

 

Right, I may well be talking crap here, not for the first time.

Am thinking possible lack of oil in gearbox/synchro damage.

In my eyes, but probably mine only, when you press the clutch to change gear, engine revs fall, the input shaft still rotates slightly due to drag.

Faster the engine is going, faster the drag on the input shaft. Gears crunch due to worn baulk rings................maybe?

Other possibility is clutch not fully disengaging.

 

On another point, when you press the clutch the engine slows, is I think what you also said?

Mine did that. Reason on mine was worn thrust bearings on the crankshaft.

When you pressed my clutch  it pushed the crank forward almost 1/8" throwing the con rods out of line with the piston, thus causing side pressure on con rod bearings and pistons.

I dropped the sump and fitted  new  shells and thrust bearings some of the mains are inaccessible without taking the engine out.

Try levering your front engine pulley carefully, see if it has any end float.

[tooSavvy]

That book is a genuine owners manual- looks like it's in very nice condition too!

Needs oily thumbprints [soon!!]

 

 

TS

[SiC]

Right, I may well be talking crap here, not for the first time.

Am thinking possible lack of oil in gearbox/synchro damage.

In my eyes, but probably mine only, when you press the clutch to change gear, engine revs fall, the input shaft still rotates slightly due to drag.

Faster the engine is going, faster the drag on the input shaft. Gears crunch due to worn baulk rings................maybe?

Other possibility is clutch not fully disengaging.

 

On another point, when you press the clutch the engine slows, is I think what you also said?

Mine did that. Reason on mine was worn thrust bearings on the crankshaft.

When you pressed my clutch it pushed the crank forward almost 1/8" throwing the con rods out of line with the piston, thus causing side pressure on con rod bearings and pistons.

I dropped the sump and fitted new shells and thrust bearings some of the mains are inaccessible without taking the engine out.

Try levering your front engine pulley carefully, see if it has any end float.

I am fearful of the second point and did mentally imagine the crank moving back and forth with the clutch. Was yours chucking out loads of smoke though? Mine seems pretty clean. When warm and crusing it seems to register around 60psi which apparently is reasonable. Of course gauge is probably wrong.

 

I do suspect the clutch fluid may need changing. Maybe even the slave cylinder. The master looks fairly modern. Brake fluid was low on the MOT fail, but brake parts were changed and fluid refreshed. I suspect the clutch fluid might not be.

 

Gearbox oil I suspect maybe old too. Something on the todo list.

 

Going to grab the paperwork that the last guy (seller) had done and see what he'd got sorted.

[SiC]

My engine code is 18V780F according to the plate on the engine. So higher compression and with the better HIF4 carbs. Well should be! Idle speed should be 850rpm.

 

[AnthonyG]

For a good sized wiring diagram I'd get a secondhand Haynes manual off Amazon/EBay.

 

However BMC/BL did very good factory workshop manuals. There are loads of original or reprint ones about, they will cost quite a bit more than an old Haynes manual (at a guess £10-20 for a decent secondhand copy) and can be found on EBay or at autojumbles. It's worth the investment if the car's a keeper and you plan on doing work yourself.