After finally getting the frozen up engine out of my one '79 MGB, I removed
the good engine from my donor MGB. It's now residing in the other car,
temporarily. I say "temporarily," because the steel plates on the engine
mounts basically fell off the rubber parts when I lifted out the engine (yes,
I did remove the frame mount nuts before lifting out the engine)
I'll remove and slush the fuel tank, clean out the fuel lines, do what I can
with the electrical system, and reattach the drive shaft and what's left of
the exhaust system. I want to get the engine running again before tackling
what's left of the hydraulic systems.
Mark Dodd sent me the instructions from a Lumention ignition system, so I
could make sure the transfer of ignition systems goes right. Thanks Mark!
Lessons learned:
1. Use a good four-point-base engine hoist and a leveler. The leveler allows
the engine to be tilted at any angle. Northern sells them for about $40.
As for the four point base: I used a borrowed lift which has legs that form
a capital "T." The engine hangs on a boom mounted above the long leg of the
"T." Now, what happens after the engine is out and you lower it? It drops
onto the leg of the "T," and has to be moved sideways to clear the leg and
drop to the floor.
When the engine is moved sideways, the "T" may become unstable and fall over.
I was watching the engine to make sure it dropped onto a piece of plywood,
and forgot about the boom. The lift tipped; I got a really bad bruise and a
permanent check-mark shaped scar on my shoulder. I was lucky, the boom could
have hit my head. A four-point lift with a base with four legs is "H"
shaped, and the engine drops between the two legs of the "H."
2. Buy new mounts before installing the engine in another car
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