76 MGB Stewardship

In previous posts I talked about replacing the courtesy light and adding USB to the car. While I had the console pulled out I was looking at the "mess" of wiring behind it I noticed a few things that could be a little better. Also, over the years much of plastics have become brittle and have cracked and broken. One the main reasons for getting into this was that the hazard light and switch were not functioning correctly. The Fasten Belts & EGR Catalyst lights were somewhat unreadable. So, it was time for a refresh. I decided that the next time I have to fix something on the center console I would replace many of the indicator lights and the stereo. Well, after ordering all of the pieces and parts I went to work. Trouble! After installing the new stereo the system would work for a few minutes but ultimately go dead. The problem was that I decided to leave in the previous in-line fuses for power to the stereo. The fuse is 1-amp and new stereo needed more than...

One of my goals with the '76 MG is to replace all of the seals wherever it made sense. One of the "trouble" areas is the boot lid. The old seal was original and had been painted over so it seemed like a good candidate for replacement. Boy was that a mistake! So, I ordered a new seal for the boot lid from my favorite MG parts provider, Moss Motors, and when it arrived went to work. After removing the old lid seal it didn't think refitting the new one would be much of an issue. I was mostly right. Installing the new seal was really a matter of using the right tools, WD40 and some patience. I removed the boot lid from the car and placed it on my work surface. This made the process a whole lot easier. And popping the seal into the channel went well enough. Once that was done I move the lid back to the car and bolted it back into place. Then the trouble started... I could not get the lid to latch. I tried slamming it, gently pushing on it, and adjusting the hin...

One of the first projects I did with the MG was to replace the driver's (left) side front shock absorber. You can read about it  here : After driving the MG for a few months I decided I would replace the shocks all around. This was a relatively easy process with right tools, a little muscle, and a fair amount of cussing. Removing the rear shocks basically means putting the car on jack stands, removing the wheels and detaching the shock absorbers from the mounts. Most of this is easy to do. However, the link between shock and the leaf spring bracket was pretty corroded and required some heat and cutting to remove.  Once the old stuff was removed it was time to install the new. The process for installation will likely be detailed when you receive the new parts. That said, you can just reverse the steps used for removal and viola! new rear shocks for this gem of a roadster. Here are some photos...  After install both side I did a test drive and ...

Remember when you were a kid and you got a new pair of tennis shoes and you knew you could run waaaay faster than with the old one? Well, I believe it's same with new wheels on a car! One of things I love about my MGB are chrome wheel trims on the Rostyle wheels. Gives it a nice, classy look. Since I like the classic look of the Rostyle wheels and there is nothing mechanically wrong with them I decided to freshen them up by painting them. The wheels were a bit rough, as you can see from the photo, and a little plain. After some thought I made the difficult choice to simply paint the rims all black. This eliminated a lot of template creation, taping, painting with two colors. I figured with the all black rim, the shiny wheel trims, center cap and lugs these would turn out nice. I ordered VHT Wheel Paint from Amazon.com. This product provides a chip resistant coating and received good reviews. Once I received the paint and built my wheel mount... ...off to wor...

One of the things I noticed early on in my efforts to maintain the '76 B was the Temperature Gauge never moved. After driving the car the engine would most definitely get hotter. My first thought was that the gauge must be faulty. I decided to remove it for closer inspection. This is not as easy as one would hope but after twisting and turning my right hand and arm in ways a Carnival side show act would applaud the gauge popped out. Looking over the gauge it appeared to be in good condition, but how does one know? I found that by connecting the gauge's sending wire to ground the needle would move. This is a good sign that the gauge itself is fine. Some pics... Sensor Sending Wire Ground connection So, this would lead me to the sensor (thermistor) inserted into the engine block. I ordered one from Moss Motors, with a few other items of course, and when it arrived I swapped out the old for the new. I fired up the B and went for a drive. After a...

A new top... One the best things about the MGB Roadster is the cruising around with the top down. There are times when a top is needed, like during a downpour! When I received the car one of things that was pointed out to me was the rear zipper for the window was broken and needed repaired or replaced. I attempted a repair but that failed and since the cost of a new top is reasonable that was path I decided to go. Removing the old the top takes a little work but isn't overly complicated. Most of the places where the material is attached by snaps, rivets or glue. There are several web resources for the removal and installation process so I won't go into detail here but here are some photos for reference. To begin the removal, the top seal that is seated in the aluminum track strip must be pulled out. I found that it was easier to remove the top header bracket. This required removing the 3 phillips head screws.  After getting everything out of the way the next step...

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...