76 MGB Stewardship

After wrapping up the rear diff gasket project I was ready to give the B a run around town. So, I put on my driving shoes and cap, jumped in the drivers seat, inserted the key, and gave her a turn... and nothing... wah, wah. At first I thought the problem was the battery. I checked the charge, seems legit. I noticed that when I turn the ignition key a couple of clicks the normal sounds sounded and lights lighted. The fuel pump was making it's clickety click noise, the brake, egr, seat belt lights all illuminated. I still went ahead and cleaned up the battery terminals just in case there was some corrosion. While in the battery compartment I did noticed that the negative wires were coming loose from the connector so I sorted that out. Still no luck turning over. Thinking through the ignition and electrical system it seemed to me that it might be the starter. So, I knocked on it with a hammer, nothing. I decided to put the B in gear and give her a push to turn the engine, nothing...

One of the easier things to replace on most vehicles is the rear differential gasket. Not on the MG. While it's not complicated what makes the process challenging is that the parking brake cable and the rear brake fluid lines are attached to the rear diff housing. Removing the parking brake cable and lever is a simple matter of two bolts and that can be moved out of the way. The main troublemaker are the clips holding the rear brake line in place. The clips are connected to two of the top rear diff cover bolts. These are metal and apparently usually rusted. When I attempted to remove the bolts the clips would rotate and start to bend the brake line. I wasn't really looking to replace the brake lines so I had to come up with a different approach. Out comes the Dremel and the diamond cutting blade! The Dremel made quick work of the clip. Once it was cut I was able to remove the retaining nut, pull the clip off, and then remove the rear diff cover bolt. The rest ...

While I was in the process of working through my list of things to do and waiting for the paint to dry on the rear differential cover, I decided to take a few minutes for a simple project. Adding some screening to the Vent Cowl. The basic process was to remove the cowl grill, insert the screen, and replace the grill. Uh, right. Have I ever mentioned my life motto? Well, it basically boils down to this, "Nothin's ever easy!" Removing the grill is simple enough with the right tool and a little force. It's essentially held on by these little metal clips. Be prepared fish these clips out of the vent box as they will likely fall. I used a magnet to reach mine. Anyway, once the grill is off you just place the screen over the vent opening and position the grill back into place. The problem is keeping the grill in place. With screen in the way you cannot reuse the clips so you have to take another approach. Some forum posts suggested using car emblem/badge gr...

Some time ago I remember seeing a post of a MGB with the caption, "If it isn't leaking, it's empty!" While funny, it's true and in my experience the harder you run 'em the leaky they get. My long-term plan is to seal things up that can be sealed but I noticed a "new" leak after driving the car a couple times. The rear differential. I will tackle that in another post but for now let's have a look at the valve cover. Before I get into the overview replacing the valve cover gasket I want to take a minute to briefly describe the first process I went through. When I set out to replace the gasket I decided to go with a silicone gasket and for added coverage I further decided to use gasket maker. This was a colossal failure and generally bad idea. After cleaning up the valve cover and head surface I squeezed out a small bead of gasket maker on both surfaces. Then I fitted the gasket on valve cover and allowed the material to set up for a bit. Afte...

My latest post is a simple one. In the course of working on a few things under the bonnet I managed to "snap off" the Hood Support bracket. This bracket is welded to the engine bay seal frame and with all of the up and down of the bonnet the part just gave up. I guess after 40+ years you can expect these things. In the photo below you can see where the bracket separated. Anyway, instead welding the piece back in I decided to use some screws and nuts. The process wasn't difficult. I simply cleaned up the area where the bracket was located, drilled some holes, and fastened the bracket with the screws. Screws from above Screws from below Side view of the bracket Once that was done I was able to reassemble the hood support and put the broom handle back on the rack.

Making the most of your drive time is important. Even it's just for a leisurely run to the market and back. USB is a must! You might want to plug in a GPS, Smartphone, a Fan! Electrical can be tricky in these old cars but with a little patience, knowledge and help from those who have been down this path before you too can install a USB socket in your MGB, today. Process is pretty easy if you already have a cigarette lighter hole in the console and the ability to tap into the power source. Hole available. Wiring, use caution! Tap into the power source. I used Single U-Element Insulation Displacement Connector. You can pick these up just about anywhere. Walmart, Amazon.com, etc... Here's the finished product: I will post photos of the wiring job the next time I remove the console. I will have to do this to replace the courtesy light anyway. Resources Wire Connectors:  http://a.co/1EVVqi2 Ginsco Dual USB Charger Socket Power Outlet:  http://a.co/8...

Anyone who has ever driven a convertible in 90-degree weather knows how hot it can get. The MGB is notorious for it's "hot seat" and sweltering cabin space. Making things worse can be the heat from engine compartment and road. There has been much debate about the best method of insulating and cooling the cabin down to create as comfortable an experience as possible. It is my assertion that this is impossible. Well mostly... After some research I decided to try a few things to see what, if any, improvements can be made. I settled on leveraging some simple things like bonnet seals, bonnet insulation pads and most interestingly, Reflectix Foil Roll Insulation , from Lowes. I figured, hey it's cheap and easy, so why not give it a try! So that's what I did... I start by removing the seats. This is not an easy task but after struggling through the bolts holding the seats down, out they came. While they were out I decided to give them a good cleaning and lubing. Th...