MG Page 2

Name: Fritz

Subject: DGAV Weber Heater Hose Installation

Question: Hello Howard,
I have a 1975 Midget with the 1500 engine which I am in the process of putting back together after a rebuild. I bought a Weber DGAV carb and corresponding manifold but I'm struggling to figure out the routing for the heater hoses.
On the bottom of the intake manifold there are two tubes, one facing the front of the car and the other facing the firewall.
I have two fittings on what appears to be the choke regulator.
There is a tube that attaches to the lower section of the water pump and runs back along the side of the engine block with one straight out connection point just below the Smiths heater box and one connection point that T's off just below connection point I just described.
Finally there is the delightful heater flow control valve (only accessable from the engine compartment) with an inlet and an outlet and the inlet and outlet points on the Smiths heater.
Can you please give me some guidance on this little plumbing conundrum?
Thanks!
Fritz

Answer: Hi Fritz,
To get coolant to go in and out of the coolant operated choke on the Weber DGAV carb, you will need to install a "T" in the heater hose before the heater box and another "T" after the heater box but on the engine side of the heater control valve so coolant will circulate through the choke even when the heater is off. While it is true that you will loose a little flow in the heater box when the heater is on, it should be very minor as the hoses to and from the choke will be small and not bypass much coolant. It does not matter where you install the "T"s as long as one is on the hose going to the heater and the other is on the hose from the heater to get the "High" pressure from one hose and the "low" pressure from the other hose.
If you don't have the intake manifold connected either, you can just connect the inlet and outlet of the manifold in series with the heater since you don't need a heated manifold when the heater is turned off. A heated manifold is ok in the winter but decreases horse power in the summer. But you do need heated coolant to continue to circulate in and out of the choke heater year round. If you choose to do it this way be sure to put your choke "T" before the intake manifold so as not to cause coolant to travel through the manifold to get to the choke.
I hope this helps, let me know.
Howard

Name: D'Ramises

Subject: 69 Midget

Question: Hi Howard,
  I recently purchased a 69 Midget and the kid I bought it from had changed the battery, distributor and coil.  I asked him if he checked initially if it was a positive or a negative ground. He wasn't certain but attached it negative ground.
   My questions are, how do you check if someone had installed it properly or not?  What or if it will damage anything if attempted to start improperly installed?
   I'm planning on getting rid of the points and installing an electronic ignition.

  Thanks,
D'Ramises

Answer: Hi D'Ramises,
The 69 Midget was negative ground. Look at the ignition coil to see if the terminals are labeled (+) & (-). The (-) post should have the white with a black tracer. I can't think of a reason why anyone would have turned the polarity around like the older cars were. They would have had to repolarize the generator to do that. However, just to play it safe here is how to tell. You need to remove the generator belt and unplug the two wires on the generator and get a heavy gauge wire (12 ga. long enough to reach the starter solenoid) and attach a smaller short wire (14 ga.)to one end. Now, attach (however you can) the small 14 ga wire to the small spade connecter on the generator and the 12 ga wire with the small wire attached to it, to the large spade connector on the generator. Now touch the other end of the 12 ga wire to the hot battery cable on the starter solenoid and watch the generator pulley. It should turn like a slow electric motor in the direction that the engine turns. Hold it on for several seconds and remove it and do it again. Each time the generator should rotate in the same direction as the engine turns. It is now polarized for the way the battery is installed (negative ground) and is safe to connect back up and run. If it were polarized the wrong way and you had started the engine, it would melt the wiring to the generator and maybe the generator and regulator too.
Good luck on the electronic ignition. They are less maintenance but if it fails in the middle of nowhere, the man who designed it could NOT fix it.
Howard

Name: James

Subject: Unleaded gas

Question: I bought a 1974 MGB new and drove it for 14 years on gas available at that time.  I recently bought a 1970 MGB and am now concerned (being older and wiser) about the use of unleaded fuel in this automobile.  What are your thoughts on this?
Thank you,
James Blackledge

Answer: Hi James,
You must not be in the US as that is all you can get in the US now is unleaded. The lead in gas was put in to raise the Octane rating because the oil companies didn't want to refine the fuel enough to get a good octane rating of the gas and the ONLY side benefit I ever seen was the lead acted as a lube to ease the valve to it's seat (since it is not possible to have a valve guide so tight as to guide it straight to the seat)
At first when they removed the lead they had nothing to act as a lube and we had valve seat recession on the normal seats so engine manufactures started installing hardened seats and stelite on valve faces. All through at this time Amoco high test (called White gas) never had any lead and all of us who used it never seen any valve seat recession on the non hardened seats. So they must have had some other lube in the gas. I think many of the unleaded gas companies today have an additive to act as a lube but you would have to contact the one you prefer to confirm this.
I once seen a picture of the combustion of unleaded gas sold by Amoco and gas sold by other gas companies at the time before they added the lead. The Amoco flame was smooth and round where the other gas was a jagged flame with spikes and when the lead was added it cut down some of the spikes but not by much. These spikes were extremely hot and the uneven burn was not what an engine needs. This partially explained why all of my customers with E-Type Jags running on Amoco white gas were ALL out performing the Jags running on leaded gas no matter what the octane rating was. Back then gas stations in my area (Jax FL) were tested each month for octane rating and Amoco was many times found to be lower than their competition. For example Richfield advertised 100+ octane and Amoco (from the tests were as low as 80+ octane at times)yet the Amoco always out performed in speed and fuel mileage the Richfield gas used in the Jags. The E-Types in the US are 9 to 1 compression ratio normally. I don't know what Amoco (BP today) does today but back then it was tops as far as I was concerned. A side benefit I noted in the dealership was a lack of exhaust repair and a longer engine life from Amoco users. This included MG, Triumph, A-H, Sunbeam, Lotus and Alfa Romeo cars we were dealers for.
I see absolutely no benefit from using lead in gas to correct an engine problem. I say use a better fuel and correct the engine you will be far better off.
That is my soap box speech for the day.

Howard

Name: jc

Subject: mgb throttle lever  76

Question: I broke the tabe off the throttle lever and need to know where I can purchase one.   Thank you for your help.

Answer: Hi JC,
The parts suppliers for MGB have most every part for the car but you may have to look up the terminology of the part you need. Look on the net at Moss Motors, The Roadster Factory, Victoria British and Engel Imports. There are several more but those come to mind.
Let me know if you have a problem,
Howard

Name: john

Subject: removal of 1979 midget steeringwheel

Question: my 1979 midget has a black rubberized steering wheel with no discernable way to get to the retaining nut. help

Answer: Hi John,
You should have a 4 spoke steering wheel with a small plastic button in the center. You need to pry out the plastic button to gain access to the nut holding the wheel on. Once you remove the nut you should be able to wiggle and pull the wheel off. Be sure to align the steering wheel straight before you pull it off as there is no index to put in on straight. Don't move the car when the wheel is off so you can align the wheel straight when putting it back on.
Howard

Name: norman

Subject: 1967 mg midget

Question: i just purchased a 1967 mg midget. the brake lights,turn signals,radio, gauges & gauge lights, windshield wipers, etc. do not work however are still wired. the car has been somewhat "rewired" like a american car; such as they wired the starter solnoid and battery. the car runs great but has major elec. issues. could you please send me a wiring diagram and i would appreciate any input advice. Im a mechanical engineer but am having trouble trying to decipher how it all works. I want to put the car back to the way it was, since most of it is still wired the orig. way.
Thanking you in advance
norm

Answer: Hi Norman, I need an e-mail address.