Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Nic Jarman]

Less than a year ago I did a lot of work to the Midget engine including a new timing chain and tensioner. Recently a have heard a clattering sound from the front of the engine. The only thing that can clatter in the front of the engine is the timing chain . Today I whipped the radiator and cover off and this is what I found;

The replacement tensioner has a sharp end to it that has worn a lip into the case and jammed itself into it. Just peachy, as if I don't have enough to do.
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1936 Morris 8 Series 1
1973 MGB roadster
1977 MG Midget 1500
Dax Rush

[Jim.Walker]

Something else wrong there Nic, besides the sharp edge. The spring blade should contact the cover about the centre of the radiused part NEAR the end. The sharp bit, which probably is rubbish, should not have been able to contact the cover. Are you sure it WAS the correct part?

Jim.
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Quote from my late Dad:- You only need a woman and a car and you have all the problems you
are ever likely to want". Computers had not been invented then!

[Nic Jarman]

I have an original tensioner and it is the same profile. I guess that if it had a radius on the end and it wore through one could have a piece of metal floating around ones engine. I went through MGOC's stock of tensioners and they all were the same so they are returning them. They gave me a second hand - but good case and a new oil seal and gasket. I smoothed the end of the tensioner with my oil stone and a little radius on the edges. I got the case sand blasted on my way home, painted it then went to invigulate an exam, when I got back it was dry. It all went back together easily and I drove it to work this morning. When I drained the anti freeze I was suprised to see how much crud there was in it as I had flushed and replaced it only a year ago.
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1936 Morris 8 Series 1
1973 MGB roadster
1977 MG Midget 1500
Dax Rush

[john-saab]

I have been buying NEW..not NOS MGB and Midget parts recently and almost every item i have had has been total rubbish, I had to return 4 voltage regulators and ended up fitting a 2nd hand genuine unit, poor quality panels that were paper thin, a rear wheel brake adjuster that stripped it's thread within 2 mins of being fitted. A pair of front brake flexi hoses fitted for an MOT last year..failed this year due to perishing the list goes on..it's the same with VW parts i bought a while back.. a brand new rear brake cylinder..manufactured in 2009 (still had the box) and rusted solid already.
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Rust Junky & oil addict.

[Rick]

Hopeless isn't it, a friend of mine was working on an MGA last year, fitting new repro chrome. The grille bars were razor sharp at the back, and it - and the new bumpers - were a nightmare to fit he said.

R
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[Jim.Walker]

About ten days ago I serviced the plugs and points on my Gentry. The plugs were deemed good for further service, but I felt the points and condenser should be changed because I was not sure when I had last changed them.

Points and condenser were obtained from a local car spares shop and I was delighted to find they were marked "Made in England" - WOW.

First problem. The points would not fit over the baseplate pivot post! Examination showed that the each of the various parts with a hole to fit over the post had been secured together out of alignment. The shop refunded my money as they had no more in stock. Tempus Fugiting (dog Latin), I cleaned up the old contacts and replaced them along with the new condenser.

About 50 miles later the condenser failed! Fortunately, at Newark Kit Car Show, where I was able to source a condenser on an autojumble stall. Still in its unopened packing, but obviously made a long time ago. Problem solved, the car (with its caravan in tow) performed faultlessly on the way home. I could not be bothered to waste fuel returning the condenser. Presumably it is now part of a Newark land-fill site.

Is there a moral here somewhere?

Jim.
_________________
Quote from my late Dad:- You only need a woman and a car and you have all the problems you
are ever likely to want". Computers had not been invented then!

[Nic Jarman]

Maybe not a moral but a patern (part). sorry
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1936 Morris 8 Series 1
1973 MGB roadster
1977 MG Midget 1500
Dax Rush

[Roger-hatchy]

Trouble is these day "Made in England" means little.

I can remember delivering hanging beef from Denmark,
Backed on to the bank to unload, had a wander around, the meat was being boned and packed with British beef written on the packing then being loaded onto a German lorry for the trip home to Dortmund.

If the goods are packed, or repacked they can be, legally, relabelled as made in England, we the user come bottom of the list to the seller.

[Phil Lincoln]

Hi all ,
I am sure it has been mentioned before but not only are the Chinese good at making substandard ignition parts ,but they are good at printing what look to be genuine Lucas boxes.
Dont waste your brass on them.
Use Distributor Doctor ( adverts in all classic car mags ,www.distributordoctor .co.uk.Very good quality ( rotor arms guaranteed for 5 years ) ,quick delivery and very reasonably priced.
Regards to all . Phil.

[lowdrag]

Don't just think it applies to MGs either. Replacement parts for Jaguar are just as bad. Bullet connectors that are made of thinner metal and which expand and give no circuit, petrol pumps that don't, I could go on for ever. Even the wire wheels have been made in India for donkey's years.

[baconsdozen]

I remember many years back some brake pads etc on sale in boxes marked Dirling.The fakers couldn't spell Girling but the colours and pattern of the boxes was pretty close apart from that,the contents however were junk.
Some of the modern imported stuff is of very low quality,trouble is they've made enough money out of selling it to cause the virtual demise of UK based makers.To 'Buy British' is ruddy near impossible as a result.
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Thirty years selling imperial hand tools for old machinery(Now happily retired).

[Jim.Walker]

I think Stanley Tools had a similar problem, but I think the mis-spelling of their name was more a "misleader"!

Jim.
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Quote from my late Dad:- You only need a woman and a car and you have all the problems you
are ever likely to want". Computers had not been invented then!

[ukdave2002]

I should have known better ...... but a couple of months ago bought a cheap set of metric tap and dies (on the basis that I hardley ever need metric threads so cheap would be ok!) had to tap a 8mm thread in some mild steel, drilled the right size hole and started to try and cut a thread, the tap wouldn't even start to cut... lost my rag so began to apply brute force

The tap simply twisted and bent now I have snapped taps before , which is to be expected when abusing hardened steel , but to just bend! the set must have been made out of plain mild steel!

Dave

[Nic Jarman]

The Chinese seem to have a special metal that is only a couple of points harder than cheese. I am sure we could find some GOOD uses for this special bendy metal.
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1936 Morris 8 Series 1
1973 MGB roadster
1977 MG Midget 1500
Dax Rush

[john-saab]

I use cheap tap and die sets ( i bought 3 2nd hand sets from a car boot sale for £1) for cleaning threads and nothing more..it means the good set stays sharp and away from the rust.
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Rust Junky & oil addict.