----- Original Message -----
> Start the car - woohoo... starts first time. But gee, it is a little
> rougher than before. I give it a little rev (really, just a little
> rev... not 3000 or anything) and... BANG!
>
> Oooops, something broke! More language that turns the air a deeper
> shade of blue!
>
> At this moment all I can tell you is I have the TOP of the middle "bolt"
> of the inlet manifold in my hand (head and about 1/2 or 3/4 inch of
> body). No noises from the engine as I turn it over... just a air hole
> that shouldn't be there so no start.
>
> Any thoughts?
and later in the saga...
> Yep - it looks like this wacky looking "bolt" is a "customer built" plug
> for that hole. So, yes, I have just HAMmERED THE THING BACK IN
> (with a bit of gasket goo to make the seal nice).
Here is a similar story with our '78 MGB. I de-smogged it and installed a
pair of HS-4's. The local garage that does state inspections still wanted to
do an emissions check (although my interpretation was that cars 25 years &
older were exempt, they read it as cars older than 25 years...). Anyway,
even sans air pump or catalytic converter it was very close to passing but
wouldn't hold low enough readings for the full 60 seconds during the sniffer
test.
I adjusted the mixture & raised the idle speed to 1050 rpms and it was now
even closer but on re-test it had to pass for 90 seconds. Didn't make it. It
was now close to closing time.
They suggested I leave it overnight and they'd re-try the next day.
The next morning I rode by on my motorcycle and stopped by the open bay. I
asked the guy near the door how things were going with the MG. He replied,
"we're working on it...". (In hindsight, I recall he glanced back into the
garage then gave me a funny look.)
I said, "OK, I'll come back later."
Around lunchtime I stopped by again, got off the bike and went inside. I
found the owner and asked him how it was going. He hung his head and said,
"we can't get it started."
The hood (bonnet) was up. I glanced in and said, "you blew out the plug in
the intake manifold". (The higher idle speed had caused it to run-on when
switched off- likely happened then.) I reached under the car and retrieved
the rubber plug, popped it in and fired it right up.
They called me later that day to say it was now all set. When I got home I
opened the hood to reset the mixture & idle. The nice blanking plug was
replaced by a vacuum plug with an old bolt run in it to wedge it in place!
I guess my next job will be to see if the anti-run-on valve works and
connect that...
Eric Russell
Mebane, NC
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