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Re: Unintentional Off-Road Excursion

To: "Bob Howard" <mgbob@juno.com>, <bobmgtd@insightbb.com>
Subject: Re: Unintentional Off-Road Excursion
From: "MonteMorris" <mmorris@nemr.net>
Date: Sat, 17 May 2003 10:11:01 -0500
  The radiator repair shop owner, owner of a few MGBs himself, suggested
> that a modern 4-row radiator core would improve the cooling ability of
> the radiator. That was good advice.

Bob,
Where can I find a 4-row radiator core? Are they the same for all models of
MGB? Does "core" mean that it's installed inside your old one?
Once the 79 gets out of the paint shop, I'll need to iron out the
overheating problem that I had last summer.
Thanks,
Monte
          79B, Carmine
          67B, BRG
          74 1/2 Rust, parts car



----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob Howard" <mgbob@juno.com>
To: <bobmgtd@insightbb.com>
Cc: <mgs@autox.team.net>
Sent: Friday, May 16, 2003 6:20 PM
Subject: Re: Unintentional Off-Road Excursion


> Hi Bob,
>   Yep, that can happen.  Nope, it shouldn't happen, but the design of the
> engine restraint used for a couple of years does permit the engine to
> move forward a lot on a sudden stop, especially if the rear mounting
> blocks have gone soft from oil that might have leaked onto them.
>    I drove my '72 into an unmarked work site in the pavement. The bump
> and thump destroyed the radiator and the fan, and revealed the condition
> of all engine mounts. It showed that the PO had replaced front mounts but
> not the rear mounts, nor the little rubber bits at the 'restraint'
> fittings.
>   The radiator repair shop owner, owner of a few MGBs himself, suggested
> that a modern 4-row radiator core would improve the cooling ability of
> the radiator. That was good advice.
>    Since UPS had just gone on strike, I was able to get a fan from lister
> Mike Robson, initiating a friendship with someone I hadn't met before.
>    Replacing the engine mounts is not at all fun. The '72 has a poor
> arrangement to restrain the engine from forward movement, that was
> superceded a year or two later with a much more robust system.  Although
> the rear mounts appear simple and the restraint system appears a
> straightforward bit of work, their replacement is perhaps the most foul
> job to be found in MGBs.  Others have suggested boring holes in the
> crossmember to allow socket wrench access. Wish I had known about that at
> the time.
>    My suggestions are to get the car way up in the air--tallest
> jackstands you have.  Keep squirt bottles of paint thinner handy to rinse
> off the dirt. You need a sacrificial paint or parts brush to push away
> grit and grease.  There must be six or seven pounds of dirt in this area,
> all poised to fall into your eyes and then more to jam in the screw
> threads.  Keep a shop vac at the ready. Have a couple of droplights.  It
> would be nice to have a helper to hand you the wrenches and pliers
> needed, and to keep wiping them clean for you.
> Bob
> '72GT
>
> . And, there  is exactly one inch of clearance between the fan and the
> radiator. Should the  engine have been able to move that far? I inspected
> the engine mounts, and all
> > seems to be solid. And, I can't make the engine move by hand. But, it
> still
> > doesn't seem right that the fan could reach the radiator. Especially,
> since I
> > didn't actually hit anything.
> >
> > I ordered an exhaust kit from Victoria British. (I found the "kit"
> > idea convenient. I know I'll have all the parts.) Is the exhaust going
> to
> > be a nasty job?
> >
> > Bob Donahue (Still stuck in the '50s)
> > Email - bobmgtd@insightbb.com
> > 52 MGTD - NEMGTR #11470
> > 71 MGB - NAMGBR #7-3336

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