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Got my MG running today

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rficalora

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Got the '76 B that I bought two weeks ago running today. It'd been sitting in a concrete floored garage for about 2 1/2 years... i drained the tank (which was full with stale gas but since it was full, no rust had developed; changed the oil; sprayed some WD40 in the cylinders a few days ago, spun the motor for about 5 seconds with no plugs today; reinstalled the plugs & put some fresh gas in & it started on the second try (& on the 1st try i'd forgotton to reconnect the coil lead to the distributor!)...

Didn't seem to want to go into gear & clutch didn't engage till the pedal was only an inch or two from the floor so not sure the clutch is good. Supposedly the clutch cylinder was rebuilt (& fluid is clear) but i guess it could be the clutch slave or it might just be tight going into gear (i doubt that though)...

Anyway, I didn't try to push it into 1st or put it in first before starting because the car is in my garage & my other car was right in front of it on the driveway... didn't want it jumping forward into my suburban!

So, I'll play with it tomorrow after church (& after checking the trans oil level - something I should have done before trying this anyway of course). With luck the clutch will be ok & I can run it through the gears to check out the trans.

It started up way easier than I expected so I'm happy!
 
Congratulations! I'm going out to spend some time with my B (also a 76) tomorrow - hopefully with similar results. A little cleaning of the engine bay is in order for me as well - I'm assuming there's no rust because everything has a half inch layer of oil on it. (Okay, perhaps a slight exaggeration)
Let us know how it goes tomorrow with the clutch!
 
If they weren't installed by POs, I highly recommend you '76'ers get a front sway bar kit for your 'Bs... makes a world of difference in daily driving. I did it to my '76 'B and couldn't believe I was still driving the same car. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Which size diameter bar did you fit?
 
Try to bleed the clutch. I will be cleaning the garage today (Sunday). I was able to talk my son into helping move the wood working toold out under the back patio so I can work on my B GT out of the rain. I was able to get my dentist to give me a tooth scraping tool to use around the molding on the top of the fenders. It worked perfectly, as rust is softer than teeth.
 
[ QUOTE ]
If they weren't installed by POs, I highly recommend you '76'ers get a front sway bar kit for your 'Bs... makes a world of difference in daily driving. I did it to my '76 'B and couldn't believe I was still driving the same car. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

No idea, but would my new to me '71 B have a front sway bar? or is this for somthing for the higher riding cars?

Paul
 
Rficalora, your clutch problem is likely hydraulic as LLAngus says.
You could try holding the cluth pedal in the down position overnight by jamming it with a piece of wood or something; this may solve the problem Check the fluid level afterwards as what I am suggesting allows air bubbles to get out, and the fluid level is often low afterwards.
This is a TEMPORARY measure, you still need to pump out the fluid and replace with fresh stuff, especially the brakes, before you drive anywhere; the old fluid has had a long time to absorb moisture from the air.
Simon.
 
DrEntropy: I fitted a 5/8" bar (the stock size for pre-74.5 cars?) to the front of my 'B. In the process I had to change out the front lower wishbones because the stock ones my car came with did not have the reinforced section for the sway bar mount. None of the '74.5 to '76 model cars came with sway bars stock in the US market(to my knowledge).

Klutz (Paul): your '71 should be ok. As I just mentioned, the '74.5 to '76 model year cars did not come with sway bars. MG made up for this by equipping the '77 to '80 MGBs with front and rear bars. '74.5 marks the first rubber bumper 'Bs with the higher ground clearance. It kind of befuddles me as to why MG ditched the sway bars after lifting the car and increasing its overall curb weight (and therefore raising the center of gravity). While my 'B had pretty good balance/handling characteristics, it had LOTS of roll while turning. Fitting a 5/8" front bar, replacing all the rotting rubber bushings on my suspension with poly bushings, and the new 185/65 14 tires makes my '76 drive like a different car in turns.

However, I do have some very mild understeer that's only noticeable when I'm pushing the limits of tire grip in u-turns or on wet roads. The fun part is over coming the understeer by steering with the throttle... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif However, I think the understeer characteristic might change after I lower the car.
 
Thanks for the tips on the clutch... I'm going to bleed it & see if that gives me more pedal.

As for roll bars, I don't have them now, but do plan to add them when I lower the car & convert to chrome bumpers... but i have plenty to do before I get to that.
 
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