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MGB Roadster BL/MG development car
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Rick
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Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 22429
Location: UK

PostPosted: Wed Feb 15, 2017 2:59 pm    Post subject: MGB Roadster BL/MG development car Reply with quote

Hi all,

I've added a page to the main site today about this car. I bought it some time ago now, and have been fettling it on and off ever since. The story so far is now on this page http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/mgb-roadster.htm, the gist is that it was built late 1977 and used until December 1980 by test and development engineers. A journal that survives with it, documents many of the tests it was used for, I plan to type it all up and add it in shortly.

If anyone has links to the MGB world, in particular on the production side in the late 1970s, please point them to the above page as I've a lot of gaps in the known information to plug, thanks.




RJ
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alastairq



Joined: 14 Oct 2016
Posts: 1950
Location: East Yorkshire

PostPosted: Wed Feb 15, 2017 3:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just had a read, excellent stuff indeed. Smile

You mention, the raised ride height [to meet US lighting regs, perhaps?]

IIRC, the raising of the ride height was achieved with chassis alterations, rather than adjustment to suspension ride heights? {Am I right there?}

Perhaps this will be seen as a detrimental move [at east until better anti-roll bars were fitted?}....a 'negative?'

I'd like to offer a 'positive' note in that regard.

Having a designed-in ride height increase has proved incredibly useful for those who use MGB's to compete in Classic Reliability Trials.

One of the characteristics of proper sports cars of old..[rather than pure tarmac queens?]....was the ability to cope with whatever surfaces were deigned to be driven on. Hence, with the popularity of trials in the past, 'proper' sports cars [able to compete in a wide variety of [clubman?] events with little or no modification]....were equally capable off-road, as well as on-road.

In standard UK form, the MGB tended to be a little too low for a quick excursion into a filed, or rural grass verge.....without risk of snagging important bits underneath.

The Spridget range also could benefit as above....with the driver of a standard height Midget definitely having to look up to the driver of a trials-prepared Spridget.

I'm sure the US-spec MGB's could be hustled along quite nicely, with the addition of a bit of good driver skills?

And its the using of those driver skills that surely makes the making of decent progress a thrill of driving?

More fun having to use technique, rather than having the car do everything for you? Smile
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Penman



Joined: 23 Nov 2007
Posts: 4748
Location: Swindon, Wilts.

PostPosted: Wed Feb 15, 2017 5:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi
Re the masking tape covering something else on the logbook cover, I believe that art historian/researchers use xray tech to find earlier paintings on canvases.
If any of it is on the thinner pages then a bright light beneath the page might be enough for you to read earlier entries.
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Rick
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Location: UK

PostPosted: Tue Mar 07, 2017 4:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'll definitely look into that Penman.

The carbs were recently removed, and inspection of the float chambers (underneath on the HIF 4 carbs) showed everything to be gummed up, and generally pretty bad. The needle valves were both jammed closed, and everything was coated in ancient fuel.

The carbs were re-fitted to the car yesterday, after cleaning the carbs internally, and fitting new needle valves and main rubber seals. The fuel hoses were also replaced.



Today I had the B running from its fuel tank, for the first time in many a year. I only ran it briefly as new hoses are on order, but once it has fresh coolant I'll run it up to temperature and see what gives. The early signs are positive, oil pressure comes up quickly, no excess smoke, or ominous noises so far.

Annoyingly the clutch appears to be stuck off, I knew this before buying it, so there'll be some investigating to do there, beginning with the linkages and, if necessary, within. Maybe a little heat through things will help ... but first will be to have a look underneath in case there's something obvious that's amiss/disconnected etc.

RJ
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Rick
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 09, 2022 9:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've been having a tinker with the MGB over the last few days. This evening I decided to remind myself of what was going on with the gearbox/clutch.

As I reported previously, when I last had it running a few years ago, you could put it through the gears without using the clutch, and it'd make no difference, the car wouldn't lurch forwards etc etc as if the clutch was stuck off (as opposed to the usual stuck on), ie it refused to take up drive. Equally, rocking the car backwards and forwards by hand was the same irrespective of whether a gear or neutral was selected, it just rolled freely.

I tried it again this evening, without the engine running. The pedal felt normal (ie not disconnected) and the gearlever felt like it was doing its job. I gave the pedal a series of energetic jabs, and put it through all the gears repeatedly, not really expecting it to improve anything but happily it appears to have cured it. In neutral it rolls back and forth as usual, in gear it's now connected and trying to turn the engine over, as you'd expect.

I had visions of the clutch being stuck off (somehow), or perhaps there being a problem with the gear selector and/or input shaft, but now it appears to be engaging and disengaging gear correctly.

RJ
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Ray White



Joined: 02 Dec 2014
Posts: 6282
Location: Derby

PostPosted: Wed Mar 09, 2022 10:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rick. I wish I had luck like that! Laughing
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Rick
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 16, 2022 10:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I had it running briefly the other day but it was running a bit off, I suspect fuel issues, so I'll spend a little more time on both the fuel feed, and I think I'll run a compression test too just to make sure that it's acceptable.

I uploaded a vid earlier talking more about the car, and flicking through the old BL/MG test documentation that survives with the car, it's now been added to the following page already on the main site:

https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/mgb-roadster.htm

RJ
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Rick
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 04, 2022 8:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Had quite the battle getting the water pump off (it was noisy). All but one of the securing bolts undid without a battle. The longest bolt looked a bit "secondhand" before I even pushed on the socket, and it bit momentarily then just rounded off yet further.

I tried all manner of different spanners of the correct size, sockets that rely on the flats rather than the corners etc etc but to no avail. Heat was also tried. It was getting to the point that I'd have to chop off the top of the bolt, slide the pump over the remaining section of bolt, then attempt to remove the bolt's remains, perhaps using a stud extractor, with the very likely outcome that I'd end up snapping it off and having to drill out the remains.

In a fit of master bodgery I decided to sacrifice a just-too-small socket (12mm I think) by tapping it over the well-rounded bolt head. Amazingly it bit just long enough to free off the bolt - perhaps the earlier heat had helped a little, I'm not sure. This terrible approach to freeing a seized bolt rarely works but it was my last option before chopping the bolt head off, so while not proud of my actions, I was at least satisfied that I got the bolt out without breaking anything. Even the socket survived Smile

RJ Embarassed
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Keith D



Joined: 16 Oct 2008
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Location: Upper Swan, Western Australia

PostPosted: Tue Apr 05, 2022 4:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rick,

If we are honest, I reckon all of us have used the undersized socket trick before. Nasty it may be, but this feeling is overcome by the wonderful feeling of relief as the bolt (or nut) loosens without the need for further surgery!

Keith
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alastairq



Joined: 14 Oct 2016
Posts: 1950
Location: East Yorkshire

PostPosted: Tue Apr 05, 2022 8:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Needs must when the devil flies, Rick...

A bolt is a bolt, so to speak. Bolts can be replaced.
Better to replace a bolt than have the whole block taken out and maybe even damaged?

An old socket is replaceable as well. I suspect we all have a box full of random sockets kicking about?
Heck, they even sell them these days, deliberately undersized, to remove stubborn bolts or nuts...
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ukdave2002



Joined: 23 Nov 2007
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Location: South Cheshire

PostPosted: Tue Apr 05, 2022 9:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rick, its a perfectly acceptable way of removing a rounded bolt or stud, go into any garage and you will find a set of impact sockets that have a tapered" spire", rather than the tradition, points or flats. The spire digs into the offending nut or bold, gripping it helping removal.
As Alistair points out, the nut or bolt will have to be replaced whatever the removal method.

https://www.zoro.co.uk/shop/hand-tools/stud-extractors-3-8inch-sd/10504634-5-piece-bolt-grip-base-set-394001/p/ZT1006243X

Another (frowned on by my Dad) method I use when removing things like exhaust clamp bolts, is not to spend ages working the nut off the always corroded thread, but tighten them up until the bolt snaps, if you have ever had to disconnect the exhaust from manifold on a Mini or 1100/1300 this save much knuckle skin!

Dave
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Ray White



Joined: 02 Dec 2014
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Location: Derby

PostPosted: Tue Apr 05, 2022 9:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you can get good enough access, weld on a nut and use it to remove the bolt.
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Rick
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 02, 2022 9:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The MGB is over at dad's as a) he has garage space and b) he'd like to use it, so over the last few weeks he's been progressing things. The main job accomplished is replacement of the SU carbs, which has certainly transformed its running.

There are still jobs to do but things are moving along well.

https://youtu.be/lk9loY3y17w



RJ
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Rick
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 09, 2022 9:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dad spent a lot of time fiddling with the B, it's now back home here (he has a new resident in his own garage now), and appears to run well with its re-con set of (earlier type) SU carbs. Originally, being a US-spec car, it would have had a single Stromberg, which survives but in a box rather than on the car.

I dug out the original numberplates for it the other day. Someone had fitted awful plastic plates to it but fortunately hadn't thrown out the originals, so with a bit of fettling (and replacement of a letter 'T' with one sourced from a friend) it now has the proper, slightly tatty, metal plates back on it.

The electric fans need a looking at (two on a Federal-spec car) but otherwise it shouldn't need much more in order to put it back on the road, I'll leave it 'til next year now though as the roads are getting quite mucky and salt isn't far away. I will get a few areas of paintwork sorted though, most of the original paint is good enough to leave in place.

RJ
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