Sorry to hear of your woes. been there myself
Anyhow, you might try a book i bought randomly a while back called "survival
in your MG" or "surviving owning an MG" or something like that (soory don't
have it to hand). It is a book for beginners, BUT it is a great introduction
to buying/restoring/owning/maintaining. AND it's written by a slightly wacky
englishman, which i can empathise with! Anyhow a bout 1/4 of the book is
called "surviving breakdowns", and it has basic fault diagnosis and
get-you-home fixes in a kind of cookbook style. If you are experienced, it
probably won't tell you anything new, but i still keep it in the boot of my
car, and it's great for reminding you of the bleeding obvious when you're
flustered.
cheers
Joe
___________________________
Dr. Joseph Garner
University of California
Department of Animal Science
One Shields Avenue
Davis
CA 95616
USA
Phone: (530) 754 5291
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bill Saidel [mailto:saidel@crab.rutgers.edu]
> Sent: Monday, June 05, 2000 8:07 AM
> To: mgs@autox.team.net
> Subject: Getting to know you...
>
>
> Alright, let's sing together....
>
> No....I finked out on a 2 hour trip to the Red Mill Car Show
> here in NJ
> yesterday because, after 2 years of ownership and huge
> amounts of garage
> learning, I realized i) the longest I had driven the car was
> only 40 miles
> or so and ii) being able to do mechanics like replacing
> peripherals, ie.,
> water pump, alternator,etc., is not auto mechanics per se
> (took 2 years to
> learn that). I just didn't trust my 76. I didn't have papers
> from prior
> owners...don't know what happened to this car in the past. I
> had done a
> bunch to it without knowing if it was ok or not and the Car
> Show was close
> to being in the boonies(at least NJ boonies).
>
> So my rational mind said, go on a trip where I have the
> possibility of
> contacting people if I break down. (Don't say
> it...coward...rational in the
> same sentence as driving a 25 year old car??? Seems like a
> non-sequitor -
> and being a bit of an antiquarian, I had no cell phone.)
>
> Anyways, my SO and I decided on a long, civilized drive to
> her sister's,
> about 85 miles away...a good test of the car ('76B, 52K
> miles). Great day,
> great ride...no problems, happy as a submerged clam. Hit
> 75mph at 4100 rpm
> (4-speed, no OD). Engine purred, SU's pumping away, sun shining, no
> problems. Why??? I'd say luck of the Irish if I were, but I'm not and
> neither was Morris Garages.
>
> We arrived in a rather fine frame of mind, at least I did.
> Even my wife's
> brother-in-law was impressed and he has owned at least 20
> cars since I've
> known him (his Porsch was fun to drive). We continued from
> there to the
> shore and to their beach house. To make a long story short,
> when we left
> it, I turned the key and
>
> nothing...nothingnothing nothing. No buzzer, no door light,
> no radio, no
> nothing.
>
> I didn't let on the panic I felt because I'm supposed to know
> something
> about this vehicle, but no...I really felt panic. And then, I
> took a deep
> breath and opened the boot for my new tool kit (based on very recent
> discussions on the list) and said, start at the beginning. Is
> the battery
> good...the problem will probably be in the battery or in the starting
> switch. I futilely wiggled the cables on the battery and then
> decided to
> check the battery itself...no voltmeter in my kit but a long
> screwdriver so
> I shorted it...nice spark.
>
> Tried the key again and it started right up...voila...as
> Billy Crystal
> would have said, "you looked marvelous." I actually looked to
> my SO and the
> other couple (and a few spectators) like I knew something,
> but I knew the
> truth. Try anything in order.
>
> ******Anyway, it led me to think, is there a document
> anywhere that has
> been written in one of the clubs for roadside repairs:
> IF THIS PROBLEM....try this in sequence.
> ******
>
> I realized after the panic receeded that the lack of door
> light was a clear
> signal as was the lack of a buzzer when I turned the key.
>
> The ride home was uneventful, a total of 170 miles with only one more
> mystery: why is that my left arm is sun-burned and my SO's
> right arm is
> sunburned even though the top was down? Could it be the extra
> sunlight
> reflecting from a highly polished surface?
>
> Hmmm....
>
> And certainly, next year for Red Mill
>
> Regards,
>
> Bill, now looking for the appropriate name to name MY '76B
> (My 14' sailboat was named Ishmael, but I can't use that now.)
>
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