Hi all,
Merry Xmas to everyone, hope you all have a great time over Xmas and New
Year - Keep safe!
Xmas Eve will be a big day for me and my MGA 1600. I have the 'new' cylinder
head ready to go on, it's a 1326 casting from a 65 MGB, the old one had so
many cracks it had to go. The 'new' head has been converted to unleaded,
ported and polished, new valve springs, funky new 1.6 roller rockers arms by
Custom Speed Parts giving me around .390" lift on the stock cam, Moss solid
spacers and some custom solid spacers for the end rockers, stock steel
pedestals from a B - and of course a swish MG Maroon paint job on the head.
Pics to come.
Whilst waiting for the cylinder head I've restored the Valve cover (oh boy
you should 'ave seen it b4) and replaced the felt packing pieces in the
steering column. This has eliminated the not nice vertical movement I was
experiencing, and of course virtually removed all trace of the typical
recipricating movement normally associated with a steering wheel... <VBG> I
figure this will loosen somewhat after a while <G> (or when I become greater
part Ape, more likely ;). Heavens forbid, I also got that blasted @#@^%!%
Steering UJ back together. That was the easy part, a snip - I don't want to
talk about the disassembly. I am still emotionally scarred and currently in
therapy. <G> I hope I never see one of those things again! Suffice to say,
it no longer has movement - which apparently in this case, is a good thing.
:) I also resprayed the intake manifold, polished & clear coated the rocker
cover oil cap and valve clearance plate (so I don't 'ave to polish 'em again
OK! not because I'm 'anal' ;) <G>) So yeah, I've been busy.
"All" thats left to do now is reassemble the head, do a trial build to
determine valve to piston clearance, ex. valve to block clearance, physical
valve lift, rocker tip-valve stem position @ half full lift, how birds fly,
why the sky is blue, how come the Aussies won almost every bloody cup this
year (including *sob* *OUR* (NZ) Rugby World Cup, Cricket World Cup, Davis
Cup, Netball World Cup etc etc bloody etc (NO this is not an open invitation
to brag, Neil, Eric, Scotty, Tim and all <G>) - and of course, finally,
adjust the valve train countless times until I go slightly (more) insane.
;)) Phew. Breathe! ;)
That Crane cams site is great thanks Barney, and also big thanks John J,
Black who gave me some fantastic advice off list re: valves - and not to
mention racing transmissions. :)
Somehow I don't like my chances of having her on the road by Xmas day as I'd
planned, but here's hoping. I have to get her back together ASAP as the car
has it's annual inspection first week of January. *gulp* The Steering rack,
and tierod ends are absolutely woeful, maybe a job for a pro as I'm running
out of time..
BTW - aren't ya'll glad your Car doesn't have a 'puter in it? <G> Bloody
stupid Computer Programmers, if we're still driving MG's 75 years on, why'd
they think we'd stop using our PC XT's 15 years on????? It's a conspiracy I
tell ya!! ;)
Xmas Cheers,
Neil Cotty - a Self Employed, Slightly Insane 'round Xmas, sometimes
Computer Programmer <G>
Currently located in Sydney, Australia (where sun is shining, but it's quite
chilly for this time of year <26deg C - yeehahh I hate the heat <G>)
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