Have fun! The B engine is easy to dismantle, if you've got
the right tools. From the sounds of it, you've got access
to an engine hoist -- that makes things a lot easier than
using a come-along thrown over the top of your garage.
Some tips:
- take everything off the motor first. This means the
carb, the starter, the manifolding, etc. (With the
catalyst, you might want to drop the exhaust system
to make it easier to get the motor out.)
- Label the wires and tubes, especially on a smog motor.
(We didn't do this on the race car because we had to
build the wiring harness from scratch anyway, thanks
again Chris, and the tubes consisted of radiator hoses
and fuel system, and I can tell those apart...)
- Use an air wrench to take the large nut off the end of
the crankshaft. You can do it by wedging a Miracl-Wrench (TM)
into one of the holes in the clutch cover and having one or
two guys who look like a cross between Grizzly Adams and
Sasquatch lean on it and pound it with a hammer, but air
tools will make it easier, and I assume you will have access
to them at this shop.
- The mid-model cam should fit with no problem. The double-row
timing chain is a good thing; the 18V that is in pieces on
the floor of my garage had one in it, and I don't think it
has an earlier cover. Yes, you'll need the right oil
thrower, I think. (Early cams -- for three-main engines --
don't seem to fit, but I've been ignoring them since I don't
intend to use a stock cam in this motor anyway, and yes it'll
be legal in California. "Yes, ossifer, it says not legal for
highway use, but I was only using it on a surface street...")
I can't think of any other hard things about the dismantling. It
should take you a couple of hours to prepare the engine for removal
(more if you're really careful about labelling things and saving
hoses, wires etc. for reinstallation -- depends on how much you plan
to re-use and how complex the wiring etc. is on a smog motor; it's
a piece of cake on the early cars). The bolts that hold down the
transmission are awful; wear eye protection when you're under the
car, it's not fun to have to wash your hands before you can pick
pieces of grit out of your eyes.
Pulling the engine itself should take about 20 minutes if you've
got a hoist (again, though, after a couple of hours of prep).
Dismantling it should take an hour or so.
We'll keep updating you on the progress as it comes together.
--Scott "Fellow novice MGB engine rebuilder" Fisher
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