on 2/19/01 8:48 AM, scott beavis at sbeavis@solartronanalytical.com wrote:
>> Our 78BGT has been behaving quite well over the past few months. Not many
>> problems. Nothing major. The indicators seem to flash quite fast
>> sometimes. All bulbs are ok. Any ideas?
Trace the grounds for the lamp circuits and make sure you have good contact
all the way.
>>Also the overdrive is still taking
>> a while to come on. I need to check the gearbox oil, overdrive oil, and
>> also the diff oil. I will read haynes up about where and how exactly to
>> fill these. The diff has a sqaure nut thing on it. I assume I just pull
>> that and whack in some 80W gear oil or something. As for the gearbox and
>> OD I can't even see a filler cap. Someone mentioned about a flap to lift
>> in the floor but our car doesn't seem to have one. There is a bit of a
>> knock from the back end when the power is applied and removed. Almost
>> sounds like play in the diff teeth.
The 78 doesn't have an access hole to the tranny filler. You have to go
under the car and fill it through a plug in the right side of the tranny
case, using either an oil pump or a long rubber hose leading up through the
engine compartment. Lawrie recommends 30wt racing oil for the OD tranny.
When you're changing the oil make sure you open both drain plugs -- the OD
unit has its own drain, although you use the same filler for both.
The diff has a drain plug straight in the bottom and a filler plug (as you
noted). It takes regular 85/90wt gear oil.
>> The brakes don't seem to be very good at the moment. I am sure the vacuum
>> servo isn't working. I can lock the wheels, but the brakes just don't seem
>> to grab on. The pedal needs to be pressed pretty hard to stop.
>>
"I know nothink" about brake servos, I'm afraid...
>> Since I changed the head gasket a couple of months back, it doesn't seem
>> to be using so much water. The system needs to be topped up about every 3
>> weeks instead of every 3 days. No sign of any leaks anywhere.
>>
This still seems to be too much water loss. Your idea of an expansion bottle
(below) would help quantify it. But the gray oil really makes it look like a
water leak in the block or head. It may not be the gasket -- did you have
the head checked for cracks?
>> Today, driving into work, the temperature got up to half way. When I
>> switched off there was a gurgling sound from the heater matrix. I let it
>> all cool off and then put about 3L of water into the system! It was pretty
>> low. I also noticed the dipstick oil was grey and there was a lot of mayo
>> on the filler cap. Oh no! Not the head gasket again? I will check
>> compression later. Getting a bit fed up with it. I will go to the scrappie
>> tommorow and get a decent proper expansion bottle from a modern car. I
>> want to be able to see the level, not wait until it cooks. If it is like
>> this in cold winter it will be giving us no end of trouble in hot summer.
>>
>> I am toying with the idea of getting another B series lump to rebuild and
>> swap over. Anyone know of a place in the UK selling B series engines, old
>> or reconditioned? What sort of prices would a typical old 100k mile B
>> series engine be? What about parts like pistons and bearings? I'd rather
>> buy an old engine and rebuild it myself as I can't really afford
>> 500-1000ukp on a shiney ready to go one. I have built a few A series
>> engines and gearboxes so have some experience. I think the overdrive unit
>> is the only unfamiliar bit.
>>
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Scott
--
Max Heim
'66 MGB GHN3L76149
If you're near Mountain View, CA,
it's the red one with the silver bootlid.
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