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MGB Engine alone or engine and Tracy

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Boggsy64

Boggsy64

Jedi Hopeful
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Ok resigned myself this engine has got to be rebuilt. I have dr doolins video and know the basics. Hope to replace rings and rebuild head. Not sure what to do..crank bearings and camshaft are my biggest question. If I pull the engine is it best to pull engine and tranny as a unit or just engine? I hate to think about getting into those mounts as I just got them straightened out! Really, really hope just a ring job and dress the valves.. Is this just a pipe dream? Agony!!!
 
Boggsy, Pull the engine and tranny together. It's easier that way, less bolts to take out, plus you can check and clean up the tranny at the same time. Don't forget to pull the shift lever. I know that cost comes into play on a lot of these rebuilds, but, if I were going to pull the engine and take it down to redo, I'd go all the way with checking the crank, new bearings, new seals, redo valves in head and check the head for warpage. In other words, do it right and you won't regret it later. JMHO. PJ
 
I always pull the engine separate. There is no perfect way to do it just opinions. If you are thinking of just rings and a head rebuild then I would leave it in place. The front 5 oil pan bolts are a bit tougher than the rest to get out. I am with Paul on this one. Pull it and do a complete rebuild. Its going to cost but will be done for a long time. Just installing rings can be a issue. Be sure to check for bore wear and the rings tend to wear the ring lands in the pistons. This leads to the new rings fluttering and they can break after a few thousand miles.(plus with bore wear the rings sit out further and are not as stable leading to the flutter) Been there done that and now bore all MGB engines on rebuild. The next issue with later MGBs are cracked heads. They crack at the valves and external. Look for a crack from the valve cover heading down towards #2 and 3 spark plugs. The cams and lifters are always shot in a old MGB engine. Have fun whatever way you go. Bob
 
Boggsy64 said:
Tracy the tranny and I will be going all the way!!!
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On day, someone is going to google something - and this post will come up. Or your wife will look over your shoulder or your kids will wonder about your hobby - either way, no good can come of this ;)
 
Not worried about any of that!:cool: But I am wondering how an engine can be shot with only 82,000 miles on it? I would expect that for Yugoslavian crap, but I would expect better..Is this an inherent defect and expected result or poor maintenance in the past??? I know BL has a bad rep but come on.:confusion:
 
To be clear I was making a joke about spell check which changed trany to Tracy..and I am going to pull both together. Try it and see.
 
Boggsy64 said:
Not worried about any of that!:cool: But I am wondering how an engine can be shot with only 82,000 miles on it? I would expect that for Yugoslavian crap, but I would expect better..Is this an inherent defect and expected result or poor maintenance in the past??? I know BL has a bad rep but come on.:confusion:
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Any engine regardless what make will not survive with poor or basically no maintenance schedule at all. The original cams were their downfall and should be replaced at the first complete rebuild. Today the new cams and lifters have harder surfaces and with proper oil changes, will be the last ones you'll ever have to replace. The 18V engine, rebuilt to specs and maintained properly is almost bullet proof, they'll take a tremendous amount of punishment! They were one heck of an improvement over the older three main engines. That's just my personal opinion, (for whatever it's worth!)
 
With a 77 or newer MGB the engine can loose a lot of its life when that silly temp sender in the radiator blows out. Rings loose their tension and heads crack. Be sure to safety wire that sender in place after the rebuild. Bob
 
Bob I think I know what you mean. Mine has a sensor with a rubber bush that was loose on mine. Simply fell out. The bushing has " do not reuse" molded in, but I could not get a replacement. I used silicone gasket compound to seat it back in. My fans do come on and I did not see the thermal switch shown in the wiring diagram. Is this slip in unit the fan switch and temp sender for the gauge?
 
Boggsy64 said:
Bob I think I know what you mean. Mine has a sensor with a rubber bush that was loose on mine. Simply fell out. The bushing has " do not reuse" molded in, but I could not get a replacement. I used silicone gasket compound to seat it back in. My fans do come on and I did not see the thermal switch shown in the wiring diagram. Is this slip in unit the fan switch and temp sender for the gauge?
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Boggsy, The sensor for the gauge should be a separate unit and screwed in somewhere before the thermostat, possibly in the head. PJ
 
Boggsy, I forgot to mention that if your temp gauge isn't reading right, check the thermal voltage stabilizer, it could be bad. It's located above the clutch pedal on the fire wall. Here's an article on referbishing one with modern electronics. PJ

https://www.britishv8.org/Articles/MGB-Voltage-Stabilizer.htm
 
The switch for the fans is the one in the radiator. There should be a inline fuse forward of the fuse box. If I recall correct one of the wires is green. Not sure what the other color is right now. When the fans start to seize it can start melting the wires if the fuse is wrong. The temp gauge sender is a the right front of the head. Bob
 
I'm just trying to figure out who "Tracy" is.Does anyone have a clue? - Doug
 
Tracy is an auto-correct error. Tried to type trany and my computer changed it to Tracy..lol Anyway I have the engine hoist and stand. Starting to pull the whole assembly.. engine and trany..
 
Since I used to just do MGAs and just pull the engine and trans separate I thought I would try pulling a LATE MGB engine and trans as a unit again. My 76 had a broken 3rd gear syncro in the trans. Here are my thoughts on the subject now. I still do not like removing and replacing the trans mounts, shifter and drive shaft bolts If not needed. The engine and trans assembly is pretty heavy an has to be lifted pretty high to clear the front of the car. Overall it was pretty easy and fast to do it this way. When just removing a engine from a LATE car with the puck style motor mounts you can twist the engine to clear the mounts. The block is wider than the opening between the mounts. Not easy at all with that trans attached. If you pull the passenger side motor mount it would be much easier. But who wants to get near any late motor mounts? So after all this I would still just pull the engine separate If only the engine needed to be removed. A overdrive car would have been even more difficult. Mating (aligning) the engine to trans is the tough part about separate engine replacement. Bob
 
I've always found it more time and trouble to realign the trans input shaft and mate the two units in the car than it is to pull them as an assembly and reinstall the same way. The round engine mount chassis is a pain either way, IMHO.
 
I've pulled a couple B engines and I agree with Doc on pulling them as a unit, not separate. But of course everyone has an idea what works best for them. Since pulling a B engine and tranny calls for tilting the engine at a high angle to get it out from under the fire wall, I use one of the balance beams as in this photo. It would be a lot tougher without one. HF has them at a reasonable price and well worth the money. This is a TF engine, but works the same on a B engine. Make sure you take out the shift lever first. JMHO. PJ

 
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