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Greetings Listers!
How about a little contest to see who can suggest the best name for Chris'
car?
British Car Day at St. Augustine tomorrow, weather calls for rain. Kings Head
Pub on US 1 starting at 10 AM.
Eric Markley
74 B
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Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2000 19:54:48 -0400
From: Chris Thompson <ct@cthompson.com>
To: mgs@autox.team.net
Subject: You do realize... This means war.
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Reply-To: Chris Thompson <ct@cthompson.com>
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It seems my 73 B and I have taken up adversarial roles. I fix something, it
breaks something else. I havent named the car yet, but when I do, it'll get
a female name. Between my mother, my wife, my daughter, and my MG, my life
is chock full of high maintenance women.
So, you may recall that I had electrical problems, a hood that wont open,
and a myriad of other small problems.
Electrical problem was dead batteries, highly corroded posts, and me
forgetting that the batteries werent in the engine compartment (Which was
stuck closed, of course). Yank the two 6v's, buy a new battery lead to be a
ground lead for the other battery bin, a post/terminal cleaner, and a brand
spankin new Napa Size 24 12v battery. (With 550 Cold Crankin' amps, yahoo!)
The terminal on the lead that runs up front (You know, the long, difficult
to replace one) split in two when I tried to crank it down. At 11:30pm,
nothing open. So I bought a replacement terminal for the positive lead that
I could clamp on. It wont fit over the battery terminal. It's just
THAT much too small. Tried to spread the jaws a bit, but that
didnt work either. Eventually I ended up pounding the terminal onto the post
with brute force, thinking all the while that THIS is the kind of dumb thing
that people on this list complain about DPO's doing. But I was frustrated.
Since I've owned it, I've driven this thing a total of 12 miles. Twelve
HARROWING miles, as the brakes are more of a rumor than a reality.
Finally, she cranked. Engine roared to life. And promptly died. cranked
again. Kept my foot on the gas, kept it at 2000rpm for a while. Or at least,
what I later found 2000rpm to be. The tach remained firmly at zero for the
first four minutes or so. Then suddenly sprang to life. Add another item to
the list.
Gunning the engine causes it to skip and backfire. This could simply be the
carb (A DGV) needing tweaked. The guy I bought it from admitted it probably
needed tuned.
Backed it into the driveway, simply for the experience of moving the damn
thing again. Sat in the driveway for a few, pulled it back in. Shut it off.
Went to tackle the hood. Ten minutes with a LOOOONG screwdriver and a
well directed can of WD40 led to NOTHING. wouldnt budge. Forty-Five seconds
with a bent coat hanger and success.
The engine had been off for ten minutes at this point, after having run for
ten (sometimes held at 2000-2500rpm). When I got down to grille level the
pool of oil under the car was a bit shocking. A nice ten inch circle of
black. I remember looking in the garage while I had it in the driveway, and
think I would have noticed a spot this big. I had a similar spot in the
driveway the day I brought it home. It's like it's leaking AFTER or during
an engine shutdown, but not during. There's nothing in the driveway from
where it was tonight, and it sat there for three or four minutes.
As I dont have jackstands or ramps, I cant really get under this thing to
find out where it's coming from. I could tell it had dripped off of, and
pooled a bit on top of, the crossmember under the engine. The sides of the
head and block were moist, but not black.
Oh, and the brake lights, speedometer, fuel gauge, passenger turn signal,
passenger headlamp, Both high beams, and heater fan dont work. Windshield
wipers, gas cap, side mirrors, and front side lamps are missing. Oil is
spurting everywhere. The top of the carb, the opening closest to the engine
had smoke sitting in it and rolling over like a witch's cauldron.
The honeymoon is over, the car that I was going to get drivable in a weekend
or so just became an engine pull, rebuild, full body repair/repaint. It
thinks it can get the best of me, but I'll show it!!!
So, now is the time for me to begin planning what I am going to do to the
engine. What would YOU do. I realize this may open a holy war.
I want a car that has good street handling, as I intend this to be a driver.
But I think I might like to try a bit of racing, so the top end is important
as well, thought not so much.
I'm spoiled by my earlier forays into performance, with Honda's VTEC engine,
which gives you a different cam profile above 4100rpm. So you can have a car
with good pull from stop AND a good top end.
There's been alot of talk here recently about cross flow heads, carbs, three
angle valve jobs, etc, but does anyone have links to stories about complete
rebuilds like this to help me choose how to put this beast back together?
Sorry to those who could care less about personal narrative, but I've always
found it helpful to vent to sympathetic minds.
________________________________________________________________________
| Chris Thompson ct@cthompson.com |
| 1973 MGB http://cthompson.com/mg/ |
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