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Rick Site Admin
Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22429 Location: UK
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ukdave2002
Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4100 Location: South Cheshire
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Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 1:33 pm Post subject: |
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Rick wrote: | Look forward to seeing it out and about, although too much use of an open car heralds the imminent arrival of rain don't y'know!!!
RJ |
I know...and the one thing I don't yet have is a hood !!!
Dave |
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ukdave2002
Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4100 Location: South Cheshire
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Posted: Sat Jun 08, 2013 6:48 pm Post subject: |
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So today was upholstery not my favorite job!
First I fitted my new brake and clutch pedals; that will better accomadate my big feet (new on the LHS)
Then started the on the carpet , underlay was not an original spec, but protects against the transmission tunnel heat underlay aside the MGA roadster has 23 bits of carpet so here I have completed the rear and both sides...
What is depressing is that I spent a few hours getting the carpet in the rear of the car nice....once the seats are in it can barley be seen
Dave |
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bob2
Joined: 06 Dec 2007 Posts: 1727 Location: Malta
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Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2013 12:28 pm Post subject: |
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Great work Dave as always!!
Strangely I like doing the interior bits especially the carpet. |
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JC T ONE
Joined: 30 Oct 2008 Posts: 1139 Location: Denmark
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Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2013 9:45 pm Post subject: |
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Looks really nice
Jens Christian
PS, spotted a nice A in the traffic here in Denmark, the other day, same colour as yours. _________________ http://www.eurods.eu/wp/index.html |
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gresham flyer
Joined: 06 Sep 2008 Posts: 1435
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Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 7:59 pm Post subject: |
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Just one point.......why have you retained the two 6 volt batteries.?
I fitted one 12 volt battery,they are a lot cheaper to replace.
The other battery carrier I converted into a small spares carrying box.
G F |
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ukdave2002
Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4100 Location: South Cheshire
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Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 7:16 pm Post subject: |
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gresham flyer wrote: | Just one point.......why have you retained the two 6 volt batteries.?
I fitted one 12 volt battery,they are a lot cheaper to replace.
The other battery carrier I converted into a small spares carrying box. G F |
Hi GF
I retained two batteries to keep the look as original as practical, you are right I could have saved £60 or £70 by fitting a single 12V, in the scale of things its a minimal saving.
Also a 12V battery would have require one of the battery cradles to be modified. I don't mind mods but in my book they have to be simple to reverse
Dave |
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ukdave2002
Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4100 Location: South Cheshire
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Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 6:15 pm Post subject: |
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Thought I'd post an update on the MGA
Since I have had her back on the road the drive has been far better than I was expecting, engine pulls well, transmission nice and quiet, nice neutral handling.......but gear change horrible!..Those who have driven MGA's MGB's, Oxfords, Cambridge's etc will know how precise the gear change should be, my MGA is quite awkward especially between 2nd and 3rd, (both up & down) also selecting reverse, I was hoping it was clutch hydraulics but I don't think that is the case; I have pressure bled the clutch several times + the box is still not easy to change even whilst the engine is not running I have mastered the art of getting round these gear change problems; a second application of the clutch normally enables gear selection, when I can't select a gear there is no grating of gears, just a lot of resistance... any advice welcome.
So If I do have to take the box out I'm considering swapping to a 5 speed Sierra box, its a mod many MGA owners have done and is universally well received as it dramatically reduces higher speed rev's .
The other mod I have completed is to move from the MGA's 16.5" steering wheel to a Mota Lita 14" wheel, reason for this is simply that my long legs (steady ladies ) just don't fit ! Interestingly I don't find the car any heaver to steer, but pot holes really jar through the wheel I think this a combination of the smaller wheel (15% smaller) and the fact that the Mota Lita is a solid piece of aluminium, where as the original MGA wheel had wire spokes, that I would think give a tad more flexibility ?
Any view on the gear change problem or steering wheel conversion welcome
Cheers
Dave |
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ukdave2002
Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4100 Location: South Cheshire
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Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 6:15 pm Post subject: |
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Progress
Today I changed the gearbox oil; although I'm 90% sure it was filled with 20/50 there was a doubt!
The overall change was still stiff, so I decided to look at the remote extension , this can be done from inside the car, I was thinking that after 15 years of standing in may require some lubrication I was looking for some where to add some oil so removed the remote damper, this is what I found:
When ever the last time the damper was fitted it ended up being more of a wedge!
I cleaned up the housing and turned a new plunger:
A combination of changing the oil and fixing the remote damper has improved things massively, 2-3 up or down is better but around 30 % of the time needs a second application of the clutch.
Your words of wisdom welcome
Thanks for the advice this far
dave |
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kevin2306
Joined: 01 Jul 2013 Posts: 1359 Location: nr Llangollen, north wales
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Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 7:07 pm Post subject: |
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well done on the detective works so far dave.
perhaps it would be worth persevering with the box for a while to let things bed in a bit, if its a bit of a mix and match rebuild then parts need to rebed in all over again.
although, if the 5 speed box is a straightforward fit then it would make a lot of sense and probably make for a lovely relaxed cruise when required?
kev |
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gresham flyer
Joined: 06 Sep 2008 Posts: 1435
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Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 1:04 am Post subject: |
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I did not modify my battery cradle.
You can get small high output 12 volt batteries now day`s to fit.
Also in the winter time if the car is not used I take out the battery and use it on another vehicle to save it sitting dormant.
G.F |
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gresham flyer
Joined: 06 Sep 2008 Posts: 1435
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Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 1:13 am Post subject: |
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I ran the standard gearbox that was fitted to the car for over ten years with no problems at all.
I only went the 5 speed route after taking out a demonstrator at Silverstone that High Gear Engineering were displaying at a show one weekend.
It gives you a more relaxed cruising speed and has the benefit of a good gearchange into low gears when driving twisting hairpin hills or mountain roads etc.
Fit an early MGB diff as well.
G.F |
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Rich5ltr
Joined: 28 Mar 2008 Posts: 678 Location: Hampshire, UK
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Posted: Mon Nov 04, 2013 11:35 pm Post subject: |
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Nice to read the updates Dave. Regarding the gearbox, I drove MGAs for years and while I admit this was 30 years ago I recollect the gear-change being as sweet as a nut both up and down.
p.s. regards the carpeting you could have saved some effort because originally the rear area above the batteries was simply painted to match the car. Does look better carpeted though I agree, and quieter too. |
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ukdave2002
Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4100 Location: South Cheshire
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Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 7:09 pm Post subject: |
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Fitted a new windscreen today, the one I fited 18 months ago developed a crack from top to bottom, no idea what caused it, the car was in the garage when it appeared? I checked the frame for anything that may have put pressure on the glass, but found nothing, hope the new screen lasts longer than the last one!
By way of an update, the gearbox is getting sweeter with use, not perfect yet between 2nd and 3rd but far better than a year ago.since then I have aquired a couple of type 9 Ford 5 speed box's, so I think I'll put one of these in; just to drop the revs in top gear.
Dave |
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bob2
Joined: 06 Dec 2007 Posts: 1727 Location: Malta
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Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2014 8:49 am Post subject: |
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A friend of mine had something similar happen to his modified 105e anglia. The car was also in the garage covered up as usual with a dust sheet and he found the rear screen completely shattered. Fortunately he had a couple of replacements off some spare parts cars he had dismantled so after a cleaning session we put the best one in place. |
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