FITTING THE INTAKE MANIFOLD

After bead blasting the aluminum intake manifold, I applied a very thin coat of high temp silver paint.  The paint will prevent the raw aluminum from oxidizing.  

The flange thicknesses of the intake manifold and exhaust manifold vary by 3/16 of an inch.  To compensate for the difference, I attached a shim to the thinner flange.  Now the washer and nut apply the proper pressure to each flange preventing leaks.  Why can't these manufacturers engineer these parts to fit.  It isn't "rocket surgery".  But,  it is what it is.

Now, I am in the process of rebuilding the side-draft Weber carburetor.  As I explained in a previous post, the carburetor was clogged with dirt and varnish.  Cleaning is the first step in the rebuilding process.  This may take some time.

Stay tuned,

Tom McCurry

THE WEBER DCOE45 INTAKE MANIFOLD

At one point in time I was considering the purchase of a supercharger from Moss Motors.  Priced at $4000, it exceeds my current budget.  So, I have decided to install a side-draft Weber carburetor.  The carburetor is used and needs to be rebuilt but rebuild kits are not at all expensive.  

The photo to the right shows the intake manifold for the Weber.  Since it is made of aluminum, I can bead blast it and it will look new.  

I plan to dismantle the carburetor tomorrow and let it soak overnight.  I took a peek inside and it is "full" of dirt and "varnish".  

Love this car...

Tom McCurry

MORE ABOUT WIRING

After locating the fuse block near the firewall,  it was fastened in place.  The wires were then separated and moved to their respective locations.

Next, I went to work on the headlights. I began by fitting the new rubber gaskets behind the headlight buckets and fastening them to the opening in the fender.  

 After the buckets are fastened in place the inner rim is mounted to the bucket.  I replaced the adjusters, wiring and springs on both headlights just to eliminate any future problems.

Finally the headlights are positioned, just to make sure they fit properly.  The finish paint has not been applied yet so the headlight assemblies must be removed.
These headlights are really cool.  The signal lights are actually inside the headlight itself.  If you look closely, you can see the small amber bulb just below the center of the bulb.








The car will also have driving lights.  They will be located in the grille area.

Stay tuned,

Tom McCurry

THE WIRING BEGINS

We are almost ready to drive the "Killer B".  In order for the car to be "road worthy" (not necessarily street legal), we must complete the wiring,  attach the intake and side draft Webber carburetor and install the radiator.

The wiring is a bit complicated, at least it is for me.  In the photo to the right, you will see the wiring harness I purchased from ez2wire.com.  It is a relatively simple harness with everything labeled.  The labels are actually printed on the wires.  This should be easy 2 wire...wish I hadn't said that.

Y'all come back now...hear?

Tom McCurry

FUEL LINES ARE CONNECTED

There are always issues associated with assembling an MG using parts from different year models.  For instance, the fuel delivery system for a '67 MGB is entirely different from that of a '72 model.  It will work but it can be annoying choosing the correct parts from a catalog.  The system I have installed is custom fabricated and is very basic in design.

The photo to the right shows the new fuel line mounted in place.  It is routed through grommets in the frame underneath the right side of the car.  From there it is secured to the deck behind the engine and ends on the left side of the engine compartment near the intake manifold.  It will be connected to the carburetors with a rubber fuel hose.

Stay tuned,

Tom McCurry

NEW WHEELS AND TIRES ON THE CAR

It has been a while since my last post.  I have had so much trouble with these wheels.  The man I bought them from did not have the lugnuts.  I thought it would be easy to find some that would fit.  It wasn't.  I have spent countless hours online trying to find something that would work.  Finally I found a set that fit the wheel but they weren't long enough.  So today I fabricated an extension for them and finally got the wheels mounted on the car.  What do you think? 

I will have a set machined especially for these wheels when I locate a machine shop with a CNC machine.  It will be expensive, but it worth it.  

Tim is coming down on Monday to check out his Healey and the wiring harness for the "B".

Talk with you again soon,

Tom McCurry

NEW WHEELS AND TIRES

A new set of wheels and tires make any car look better.  Feast your eyes on these babies.  I chose  Yokohama AVS ES 100 ultra high performance tires. After some research, I found the 195/60R15 was the perfect size for my "B".  I will post pictures of them on the car tomorrow.

See you then,

Tom McCurry

STRIPPED DOWN DASH

The gauges looked pretty good at a glance, but after a closer inspection, I found them to be unusable.  After the gauges were unfastened and discarded, I began to remove the vinyl upholstery material and foam backing.  Both ends of the dash were rusted out, from years of sitting outside without a cover.  

I am considering repairing the dash with metal patch panels welded in place.  It is a bit time consuming, but I have checked eBay and there are none up for auction.  I was planning to redesign the dash with fiberglass, so I guess a little welding is not that much of an issue.  Challenging.

Later,

Tom McCurry

FUEL TANK MOUNTED IN PLACE

This afternoon, I installed the fuel tank we restored yesterday.  It fit perfectly in the pre-drilled mounting holes in the new trunk floor pan.  That is one of the benefits of using OEM parts made in the UK.  

Pictured to the left is the old dash out of the "B".  What a mess.  The vinyl cover is brittle and cracked and the metal structure is rusted around both ends. 

I plan to remove the vinyl and foam covering and repair the rusted areas with new metal.  I may at that point, use the metal structure as a base for a custom fiberglass instrument panel...still in the design stage.

Stay tuned,

Tom McCurry

REPAINTING THE FUEL TANK

It has been on the shelf for months.  While I was applying epoxy primer to Tim's car, Don sanded and cleaned the old fuel tank.  I sprayed it with primer at the end of the day.  Hopefully, I will have time to install it tomorrow evening.  

This morning, I filled both master cylinders with brake fluid.  The "trickle-down effect" will help fill the brake lines and wheel cylinders and allow some of the air to move to the master cylinders overnight.  It may shorten the time required to bleed the hydraulic systems.  I'll let you know if it helped.

I love my MgB,

Tom McCurry

PREPARED TO BLEED THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM

I devoted two hours this evening to checking suspension, universal joint and hydraulic line connections.  The brake and clutch pedals have been installed, the clutch slave cylinder has been connected and the system is ready to be "bled".  "Bleeding" is a term that refers to the removal of air from a hydraulic system.  There are several techniques to accomplish this.  

I simply pour brake fluid in the master cylinder reservoir.  Using the brake pedal, I pump it to an open bleeder valve at the wheel cylinder that is located furthermost from the master cylinder.  A vinyl hose is connected to the bleeder valve and empties into an open container of brake fluid.  Maintaining a sufficient level of fluid in the master cylinder as the pedal is pumped insures the removal of air from the system.  When the brake fluid discharging through the vinyl hose is free of air bubbles, close the bleeder valve while the brake pedal is depressed.  Now, relocate the vinyl hose and cup to the next closest wheel cylinder and repeat the process.  When all the wheel cylinders have been bled, the system should be free of air.  If, after a short period of time, the brake pedal goes all the way to the floor when depressed, there is still air in the system.  Do it again.
Repeat the process for the clutch system.  With only one outlet at the slave cylinder, the process should require only a few minutes.
If you have a better way...post a comment.  I'm always learning.

Tom McCurry

REAR BRAKE LINES AND HAND BRAKE CABLES INSTALLED

Actually, this phase of the restoration was not that difficult.  Sure, some of the brake lines were a bit stubborn to form, but aside from that...

The hand brake cables fit perfectly.  I also connected the drive shaft while I was under the car.  Tomorrow evening, after I complete the painting on Tim's car, I will connect the clutch slave cylinder.  Then I will re-tighten all the fasteners underneath the car.  

Next comes the wiring.

Stay tuned...

Tom McCurry

HANGING THE DOORS

This evening, my friend Robert and I mounted the doors.  The door latch assemblies are being restored and will probably be ready for installation in the next couple of days.  With the doors mounted, the latch assemblies can be properly aligned and their location marked so that the final installation can be accomplished without damaging the new paint.  

Just thought you might want to see how the "Killer B" looks with the doors on.  Pretty bad...

It's coming together...

Tom McCurry

INTAKE AND EXHAUST MANIFOLDS ARE INSTALLED

After hours today, I installed the intake and exhaust manifolds.  The exhaust manifold clearance at the frame is ample however, there is an issue with the brake lines.  They are a bit too close to the exhaust manifold.  A heat shield will be installed between the manifold and brake lines.  

The weight of the engine lowered the car another inch.  Just what I wanted.  This is going to look great.

Check us out again soon,

Tom McCurry

INSTALLING THE ENGINE AND GEARBOX

This evening, we installed the engine and gearbox.  There were a few problems with the new engine mounts.  They seemed to be a bit thicker that the original...Taiwan strikes again.  

All the problems aside, the engine and gearbox are now in place.  Tomorrow, the intake and exhaust manifolds will be installed.  

It's beginning to look like a sports car again.

Later,

Tom McCurry

THE MARRIAGE OF THE ENGINE AND GEARBOX

I spent a couple of hours a day this week assembling the engine and gearbox.  The clutch was fitted to the flywheel and torqued to the proper setting.  The clutch must also be aligned with the engine using a special tool that resembles the  splined end of the first motion shaft of the gearbox.   

Some of the peripheral engine parts such as the starter and clutch slave cylinder were installed. They are particularly difficult to access after the engine is installed.  Such items as the intake and exhaust manifolds will be attached after the engine is in place.

The engine and gearbox is now ready to install in the car...Maybe this weekend.

Stay tuned,

Tom McCurry

HYDRAULICS COMPLETED

I finally finished the installation of the hydraulic system in the engine bay this evening.  As you can see, in the photo to the left, the front brake lines are connected to the manifold and the rear brake line is routed from the engine bay to the differential.  

Now that the hydraulics are fitted in the engine bay, we will begin the process of installing the engine and transmission.












Tomorrow evening we will fit the clutch assembly to the flywheel and bolt the transmission in place.  After the starter is fitted to the bell housing, the engine and transmission will be ready hoist into place.

Stay tuned,

Tom McCurry

FINISHING HYDRAULICS INSTALLATION

After applying the epoxy primer to Tim's Healey yesterday, I spent a couple of hours yesterday afternoon working on the hydraulic system on the "B".  The brake lines I ordered were not fabricated correctly so I had to "re-manufacture" them.  I re-installed one of the lines and ran out of time.  The other two will be connected tomorrow afternoon.  

We are planning to install the engine and transmission this coming week.  Photos of the hydraulics will be posted tomorrow.  Stay tuned...exciting stuff coming up.

Tom McCurry

WHERE DO YOU FIND PARTS FOR THESE CARS?

Undertaking the restoration of a British sports car on any level is challenging.  To say the least these cars are a bit quirky.  There are many things to be concerned about, such as body damage from accidents, rust, and an array of mechanical issues.  Probably the point of least concern should be the availability of parts. 

The question I am asked most often is,  "Where do you find parts for a car this old?".  Oddly enough, almost every part on these cars is available.  With the help of the Internet, you can select from numerous suppliers of both new and used parts.  Some of them are even still manufactured in Great Britain.  It truly warms my heart to see that sticker on a new part I just purchased.  Of course, there are also the "made in Taiwan" parts.  They seem to be quite a bit less expensive and frankly the quality just doesn't seem to be there.  

I have found quality parts from Victoria British at victoriabritish.com, Moss Motors at mossmotors.com, englishparts.com, and of course eBay.com.  I use eBay frequently for locating used and new old stock parts.  There is  also a company called The Roadster Factory at the-roadster-factory.com that carries some body repair panels for Triumph and MG that are not available through the other suppliers.   Occasionally you will encounter a part that is difficult to locate, difficult but not impossible.  If all efforts fail, try the MG Experience website at mgexperience.net..  With a membership, you may used their forum to ask questions of the experts.

With these links at your disposal, you should be able to locate virtually any part you need.  If, in you quest for that illusive part, you happen to locate a company not listed above, please share it.

Keep 'em rollin',
Tom McCurry

HYDRAULICS INSTALLATION

I cannot tell you how excited I am about reassembling this car.  It is a long-awaited event.  Now that I have all the parts and the engine bay is properly finished, the installation of the hydraulics for the brakes and clutch is easily accomplished.  I have taken care to route the hydraulic lines as they were from the factory.,  Keeping in mind that this is a modified automobile and factory original is not a major concern, I still have a tendency to restore to original whenever possible.  

The hydraulic lines serving the wheel cylinders will be installed next.

Love my car...

Tom McCurry