MGB 1971 MGB return to the road - need some help.

I have one last car to finalize since the passing of my friend. I sold three vehicle but his wife kept the 1971 MGB and would like to have it running for spring. It has been sitting idle for 3 years.

I need to do an oil change. I assume this is straight forward without any quirks....yes?

The clutch pedal is dead. No pressure at all. Am I better to buy the whole master and slave assemblies vs. the repair kits? Thoughts?

Seeing as the clutch hydraulics are shot, would you consider doing the brake master cylinder as well? Brake calipers and cylinders too? Or leave that alone?

Are there any tricks to drain & refill the trans and rear end?

Any other thoughts as I make this proper for her to drive?

My second car, when I was 16, was a 1971 MGB so this is a bit of a deja vu moment but I have forgotten a lot of the details.

Thanks....

I think the best bet is to replace everything with new stuff. You have stated that it has been sitting for 3 years. My Sunbeam sat for a year or so and I had to deal with
doing everything. At the time I just couldn't get to it and the upshot was a new MC, wheel cylinders and all the rest of it. I have tried using repair kits, and apparently I have
no skill with them, they never last. Generally the transmission and rear end don't suffer the byproducts of combustion. My Spitfire rear end was filled for LIFE, whatever that means.
No drain plug, so you couldn't change the oil without a lot of trouble. I think taking care of the brakes and clutch are or should be a priority.

Randy -

I agree with using new stuff.

And our late moderator, Tony Barnhill, put together a checklist that's tailor-made for you:

https://tidentenn.com/pdf/AWAKENING A SLEEPING MGB CHECKLIST.pdf

Mickey

number6 said:

I think the best bet is to replace everything with new stuff. You have stated that it has been sitting for 3 years. My Sunbeam sat for a year or so and I had to deal with
doing everything. At the time I just couldn't get to it and the upshot was a new MC, wheel cylinders and all the rest of it. I have tried using repair kits, and apparently I have
no skill with them, they never last. Generally the transmission and rear end don't suffer the byproducts of combustion. My Spitfire rear end was filled for LIFE, whatever that means.
No drain plug, so you couldn't change the oil without a lot of trouble. I think taking care of the brakes and clutch are or should be a priority.

Click to expand...

Thanks for your input.

I have rebuilt many master / slave cylinders. The common cause of many is the amount of pitting in the cylinder from sitting, especially if water has entered the system. Based on an all new components system of $80. I may just buy the pieces and the rebuild kits Nice to have a spare.

I cheat and drain the rear end fluid using a pneumatic brake bleeder and a small hose attached to the suction end. Shove it in the fill hole until it bottoms out and pull the trigger. Tada! What fluids go in there 70/90 Gear oil I assume?

Mickey Richaud said:

Randy -

I agree with using new stuff.

And our late moderator, Tony Barnhill, put together a checklist that's tailor-made for you:

https://tidentenn.com/pdf/AWAKENING A SLEEPING MGB CHECKLIST.pdf

Mickey

Click to expand...

Perfect list. That is fantastic. Thanks for offering that up. Perfect.

GBRandy said:

What fluids go in there 70/90 Gear oil I assume?

Click to expand...

80/90 EP gear oil and you're good to go.

In 50 years of doing this stuff, I would (personally) never suck out the fluids and call it good.
The best way is to jack it up, put it on stands, pull the wheels, axle shafts, driveline...and pop the diff out.
BIG pan underneath.
All these decades...you have no idea how much garbage is in the bottom of the axle housing. Embedded in oil that is turning back into dinosaurs.
Wipe the housing out. Spray it out (solvent, brakleen, whatever), get the corners and crevasses, drag a small diameter magnet in all the corner spaces to make sure old gear material, bearing material, and maybe remains of old broken axles is not there.
Inspect the diff, re-install and then fill with new.

Just me.

If you're flipping it, hey, go for it. If you're going to keep it, that's what I would do.

I agree wholeheartedly with TOC . 1971 makes it 46 years old ! If it's never had a "major" service , its time. Its the only way to get the best out of them.

So I finally have the car to work on. The widow of my friend really wanted to keep this car and drive it as a memory of her husband. We finally moved the vehicle to my garage for what I thought was a simple dust-off and go. No way. The clucth is shot, the brakes are iffy, the electrical is rough, the bushings look bad...lots of work.

The car has had some emission bypass work done to it. No big deal. The air pump is gone, the crankcase breather has a tube from the front left that goes nowhere. What has me baffled is the charcoal canister.

The bottom hose (air inlet???) is snapped off and nothing else near it. Pictures suggest it should have a vacuum operated valve of some type, but that is gone and the hose is open to ambient.
----where does this hose go? And what does it do?

The breather off the top of the canister that should go to the valve cover is plugged. The valve cover is aluminum without a port for the emissions.
----Can I leave the plug in the canister?

The line from the gas tank is hooked up, but the line from the canister that runs toward the carbs just terminates near the brake master cylinder. Again, open to ambient and not hooked up.
----I assume this pipe connects to the vent fitting I see on the carb rail that runs across the two carbs, but want to double check.

I have recently learned this car has not run since 2013, or perhaps, earlier. Not what I bargained for so I may have a lot of questions. Sorry in advance for the dumb ones.

Pictures to follow when I get a moment.

BTW, the car title says 1971 MGB. The registration says 1971 MGB. This is a 1973 MGB

Randy, here are some pics of my 72, restored to factory specs. Maybe they will help some. I had a 71 and it was laid out pretty much the same way. PJ
View attachment 48234View attachment 48235View attachment 48236View attachment 48233

Thanks! Very helpful. Car is running and running pretty well now. Save for a leaky carb.

Dear God is your car clean.