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MGA MGA question - desperate

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You said the pistons were installed backwards - did you check the rods to see if they also were?
 
As you mentioned in your post about valve springs. I think I may order them too. Not too hard to replace and it is a good way to make sure they are new.
 
I am not sure if the rods will rotate in the block backwards. Is it possible?
 
Larry ,
Sorry to hear of your troubles and the ongoing saga to get you engine sorted.

The advice from Jesse above about treating the engine like a complete rebuild is also my advice.

It would be safe to assume the rebuilders have done nothing right and go about it accordingly.

There is always a source of helpful information here if and when you need it.

Good luck with it all.

Cheers , Pete.
 
TFR said:
I am not sure if the rods will rotate in the block backwards. Is it possible?
Click to expand...
Yep, there's a little oil spray hole on one side of the rod (facing away from the side of the engine where the oil pump is as I remember)...it oils the cylinders as the rod moves up & down...& that side of the engine doesn't get any oil without the little hole squirting oil on it.....a shop that doesn't know that wouldn't think twice about just sticking the rods in the block.

Doc may remember exactly.

Another thing may be gunk left in the oil passages from the machine work they did when rebuilding the head and/or block...it could clog one of the tiny oil passages sending oil up through the block to the rocker assembly.

Were it me, I'd take the engine completely down & rewash it, blowing out every oil port in the block & cylinder head & then put it back together with new bearings.
 
MGA's have side split rods and will probably not fit backwards and they are not all the same . They have offsets. There are 2 different rods in a mga or early 3 main B. Bob
 
With as much as you've found wrong with the engine so far I'd take it back to square one with a complete tear down. I know it's probably not what you want to hear, but time, money, and parts spent now to get the job done right will be well worth it in the long run.
 
So far I have replaced the cam bearings, cam (used), lifters, valve springs. Now assembling the rest. Have run into a slight "stupid" moment and dropped the distributor drive into the oil pan. Off comes the pan.
Looking forward to installing the engine. Will post further details this week end.
 
You know the distributor drive is trying to tell you something - maybe Timmy fell down the well again! :smile: Take a closer look when you pull the pan, and check the obvious things twice.
 
Got the engine back in and running. Still has some of the noise.
I am wondering if the distributor drive is wobbling in the hole. I wondering if the block hole is worn allowing the pin to rattle. It seems fine and then it pushes the dributor out of the hole and makes a lot of noise.
 
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