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Finally coming back together

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wkilleffer

wkilleffer

Jedi Knight
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Ok, my MGB with the bad head gasket is finally coming back together. Got it running this evening with the 180deg thermostat installed and noticed that the temp gauge never got all the way to the N, but am not too worried about it at this point.

I run the car long enough to get the temp gauge to that point, plus maybe another 10 minutes for a carb adjustment. Now, should I go back out and recheck the torque on the head gasket bolts when the engine is warm, or wait until it's cool again. Seems there's also a school of thought that nothing's needed until 300 or 500 miles, but that seems a bit long to leave one.

Hoping this has solved some of its problems.


Thank you,
-Bill
 
I usually check the A40 engines after a few cycles just to make sure then again a a couple of hundred miles.
 
Ok, is it safe to do a little driving, like a run down to the auto parts store to get oil and filter for its oil change, or should it just be warmed up in the garage?

It may seem like I'm asking strange questions, but I just don't want to mess this job up. It's been a learning experience and fun in a way, but it's not easy and I don't want to have to do it again next week.

Thank you,
-Bill
 
Run it like you stole it after the first few miles, like 20.

In all fairness keep it under 4K for the first 50 miles. Not because you will hurt the engine but so you give everything a chance to talk to you and tell you what needs further adjustment.

Race engines are in most cases rebuilt, and run hard after a few test laps to insure the motor mounts and such are tight.
 
So, go ahead and give it some driving after an oil change,

Be somewhat gentle for around 20 miles,

Have a little fun between 20 and 50 miles,

Then recheck the tightness of the head stud nuts and re-adjust the valve clearances?

Sorry, I have to have things spelled out for me in black & white, even though car stuff can be full of gray areas.

Thank you for your continued advice and patience,
-Bill
 
Sounds like a plan.
 
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