Hi, y'all SOL'ers!
Since I bought my '71 MGB six months ago, I haven't had much time to play
with it. But here's a recap (with imbedded questions for you "B" whizzes):
Glenn, a guy I work with, got divorced and had to move, and consequently
had to get rid of his MGB. He practically *gave* it to me ($500), but
I knew there would be lots of work to do on it (I had been over to his
house a few times to help him out with it, having worked on my now-departed
'69 GT-6+ ).
It didn't have tires, but did have wire wheels, so we trailered it across
town from his house to mine. We had to winch it on and off a trailer Glenn
borrowed. Boy, rolling friction between wheels and concrete driveway is
low!!! (story deleted) Then we put the car up on jack-stands.
That was last August... on Christmas Eve, I finally decided to crank 'er
up. I squirted oil in the cylinders, replaced cap/rotor/points/condenser/
plugs and took the air filters off. Since the batteries were low, I ran
jumpers from my Celica to the MG.
I disconnected the coil wire and cranked it a few times to circulate the
oil. It sounded pretty smooth, and I even got an oil pressure reading.
So I took my jerry can down the AM-PM and filled it up (the gas in the
tank was soooo old I didn't expect it to be any good). I hooked up the
coil wire, checked the oil level (maybe I did that before cranking) and
coolant. I pulled the choke out, put a little more oil in the cylinders,
and put a big shot of starting fluid in the carb throats.
I turned the key, and it fired up the first time! It took two more cranks
to get it running and keep it running (I didn't want to rev it to high
at first).
I noticed both some good things and not-so-good things:
- tach works
- oil pressure guage works
- gas gauge doesn't work :-(
- forward/reverse gears work, as well as clutch (but won't know
if clutch slips or if synchros work until I drive it)
- speedo doesn't work (what's more likely, cable or gauge?)
- little wisps of steam rise from the chrome vent in front
of the windscreen - guess I gotta R&R the heater core :-(
- wire wheels definitely need truing!
- don't know if I'm charging or not, until I get a decent
12V battery (or does anyone recomment 2x6V config?)
- no coolant or oil leaks (other than what's mentioned above)
- no rubber boot over the starter - do I really need one?
I have read about an outfit in Santa Cruz that trues/tanks/paints wire
wheels for ~$50/ea. Does anyone know of anyone closer? Otherwise, I'll
have to make some shipping crates and UPS the wheels down and back.
Can the brake lines be gravity bled, or do I have to pump the new fluid
through? Can someone give a brake fluid recommendation? I won't be
racing the car, you should know.
Thanks for the help. Someday I'll actually drive the car. You'll be
the first to know.
Pete Gregory : uucp: uunet!bally!pete |
Software Engr. : domain: pete@bally.bally.com ---|---
Bally Systems : phone: 702-323-6156 x882 | John 3:16
255 Bell St. : FAX: 702-323-5997 | (think about it!)
Reno, NV 89503 |
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