That awful colour MGB GT

[LynehamHerc]

I've got a 123 on my VW T2, it's been fine for the 6 years it's been on it.

[SiC]

Probably this thread is going to end up even more boring now this car mostly seems to work*. One irritating thing is that the foot well is wet again.


Looks to be coming through the pedal box area as the pedals are wet at the top. No idea how?


Passenger footwell seems to be getting wet from up top area. You can see water droplets on the washer pipe.


I'm wondering if the rock hard bonnet seal is allowing water in. But then no idea how it can be when the car is stationary.

Mechanically everything seems reasonable. Engine is lumpier at the moment and I'm 100% not sure why. Cheap Chinese distributor won't be helping here and the plugs aren't reading a perfect colour. So possibly a tad on the rich side and timing probably isn't great either. Gearbox is definitely easier to select gears now. Not sure if it's the clutch master change or just being used. Reverse, for example, is very easy to get into and no longer a two hand job.

In better news, I went out to the shops tonight and for the first time ever I've had the rear demister on. It actually almost fully works - all bar the bottom bar!


Could hear the alternator belt really working hard trying to transfer the energy to the alternator with the lights, demister, wipers and heater fan all on. Wouldn't be surprised if the battery didn't get fully recharged on that journey.

Cabin heater works too. It's as hot as a mosquito fart, but it demisted the windscreen ok. I could have done with it on Saturday night, but I had never previously turned the heater on. I didn't want to risk bad stuff happening on the M5 at 8:30pm, when I just wanted to get home. So I just put up with the cold.
I guess these heater matrixes have always been crap and even if I attempted to flush it through, it won't be much better?

Finally, the speedometer rolled over to a satisfying milage.

[fried onions]

Water could be getting past the washer jets. A common enough fault, droplets on the tubing is a clue.

[SiC]

Water could be getting past the washer jets. A common enough fault, droplets on the tubing is a clue.

Through the base of them? Good call, I'll have a look at them tomorrow.
Definitely was previously leaking through the wiper spindles until I did the sealing washer on them, so plausible same issue on the washer.

But then there is only one washer, so surely it doesn't explain the leak both sides?

[fried onions]

Could be running down the tubing to the lowest point and falling off, I don't know what washer jets these have but if it's the black plastic type some of them are just a push fit incorporating retaining clips. In any case a dab of sealer won't do any harm.

[SiC]

Did some more waterproofing fiddling on the MGB last night (will write up later) and I think I've got it sorted. Biggest problem was that Toms Knob wasn't blocked up, but the rubber has gone all hard. So water wasn't draining quickly at all from it. Tempted to cut it off. 

Went for a drive this morning for petrol and a potter. Started up ok but it felt incredibly grumpy. It ran however rather low down on power and a tad lumpy. Was wondering if with all the rain we've had, water has got into somewhere electrical it shouldn't have. Pulled up into a nearby car park and popped the bonnet for a quick check.



Err yeah that'll do it. Quite surprised how well it ran on 3 really!

You can also see in that last picture, the best solution I have to stopping the dipstick moving around... Turning it so the handle pushes against the heater valve. Almost as if it was designed like that! When I was fiddling with the dipstick, I removed the cap and must have forgotten to put it back on. Oops.

[Hooli]

Plonker

[cros]

I have now tried my car with its new springs and they are a worthwhile improvement over the old type. It looks less saggy too.

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On the heater front, it won't have escaped your attention that the MGB one is unremittingly shit Mr SiC. Due to typical BMC type logic the output is officially about half that of the one fitted in a Spridget, and as if that wasn't bad enough, sometimes there is no foam around the edge of the matrix allowing cold air to come in 'around the edge' This alone can render it worse than useless if the outside temp is really low.
My pet hate is that cable operated water valve. Some are quite restrictive, but if the rubber fails, as eventually it will do, there's a chance the coolant will escape very quickly.
Recently I was being followed down the A1m by a Minor when I noticed steam billowing out from under its bonnet. I pulled off and helped the driver push it off the hard shoulder onto the grass, so he could wait recovery. The engine was seized, totally buggered due to it quickly loosing it's coolant through that shitty tap. At least you have a gauge in the MG.

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I use a ball type valve which I've never got round to connecting up to the heater control so I have to lift the bonnet to turn it on. At least it flows a decent amount. The standard T plumbing fitting coming out if the head is taking a feed to the vaporiser, you only need an elbow normally. Total cost under a fiver.

Another thing while I'm whittling on, that pipe to the oil pressure gauge, I've seen them burst. You usually get a warning lapful of hot 20/50, but if it happens under the bonnet it's the first few bars of God save the Queen played on yer big ends.

[SiC]

I did not know that about the heater. I knew there was an upgrade but wasn't aware it was just a sprite heater matrix. Is removing the heater box as bad as everyone makes out it to be? To be fair, this is a summer car, so I really only need the heater for demisting in weather like at the moment.

If the engine did suffer mass oil loss or the like, at least it would give the perfect excuse to send it off to Oselli for a rebuild.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

IMG_20190615_105924614.jpg

Love those wheels. What year is the beast?

Oselli may or may not be the company it used to be. When I used them, they were based in Oxford on Electric Avenue in a marvellous building that hummed with machines and smelt like an engine place. Of course, with Oxford being the six fingered backward shithole* that it is, they were likely forced out by stupid rates. Nice work.

They were in Witney for a while in the old Volvo dealer building but are now near Milton Paradise Keynes.






*Don't underestimate my hatred for this place, an academic sewer.