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MGB MGB 1977 oil pressure problem

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Tony and Doc,

Ah yes.. the teardown... and as you know, it is something that I have been putting off for for far too long for my B....

'Tis not rocket science... just good ol' fashioned mechanical work... :cheers:
 
My comments above were based on my experience and the potential cost of repair. An average '77 B is probably a $2500- $3000 vehicle. A thorough engine rebuild can cost nearly that much and often more. At which point he will be hopelessly upside down with his investment. My point was, maybe it's time to admit buying the car was a mistake and get out of it as expeditiously as possible. If it's not making rattle and clanking noises it may be time to sell it to a do it yourselfer who can repair it relatively inexpensively. For some of us a bearing job is a weekends work for others it is a very large c$h$e$c$k. Bob
 
Arky_1 and Bob,

Just a little advice...

I have rebuilt several Bs and As over the years and the cost and difficulty is not that great. And it is something that you can take your time doing unless the car is your main transportation...

If the body, rest of the drivetrain, and interior is in reasonable shape then the investment in an engine rebuild is well worth the effort....

Keep in mind that I have been driving my B for about three years with low OP... admittedly I am not driving it hard... The long term prognosis is that I will need to rebuild the engine... in my case the entire car.

Rent a hoist, buy a 12 pack, invite a few friends, and pull the engine... a 1/2 day job. disassemble the engine and take the parts to the shop.

A rebuild is not all that expensive. The milling work for hot tanking, boring, planning, and crank milling is usually around $400 - if you shop around and take it in to the shop. For a few hundred dollars more a shop will put the engine back together for you.. With that cost along with rings, pistons, valve job, gaskets and seals, the cost will be around $1,500 +/- a few $$$.

Please do not give up the ghost until you have really thought about it... Afterwards you will have the enjoyment of a great LBC with a new engine....

If you belong to a club, ask them to help. If you don't belong to one, join. It will be time well spent...
 
Bob,

The pricing that you mentioned seems to reflect that of a car that will need some level of rebuild anyway...

If you get a post '72 B for that price, an additional $1,500-$2,000 investment in engine repair will likely be required anyway.

Sooo...IMHO, investing the time, effort, and dollars will be well spent...

Keep in mind there are two types of cars... one with rubber bumpers and the other without... my preference being the without... :cheers:
 
I have no argument with the consensus that this engine may need an overhaul. After reading the various responses MYPO is that the owner would be not comfortable or capable of doing the overhaul. Relatively simple for those of us messing with LBC's for years but mind boggling for someone who's experience is limited to changing oil and sparkplugs. I have no intent to offend the the owner if I mis-read his skill level but half way through this kind of project is not the time to figure out that you should never have started it. Bob
 
Bob - it may be my fault...I tried to keep things simple (& slow) to discern the problem before jumping headlong into a problem....we had someone not long ago who had a problem & everybody diagnosed it without first testing....luckily, he solved his problem but we rushed too quickly into teardown in that instance, IMO.
 
Did I miss something? Arky asked what oil we recommend and I can't find a response. Lots of recommendations, but no recommended oil.

Arky, I use whatever 20-50 weight oil is currently on sale. I have done this (bought low priced oil from reputable companies)for sixty-some years and never had an engine failure or problem due to inexpensive oil. Now if I raced or drove "on the edge", it might make a difference, but not in intelligent driving.

So, your answer is 20-50, from a reputable company.

Guinn
 
Woops. I didn't mean to insult anyone by saying "...not in intelligent driving...". I should have said "...not in responsible street driving..."

Guinn
 
Yep, I answered him in the very next post - even talked about Castrol fro engines with lots of miles....
 
tony barnhill said:
Ron - I think you & I agree on the potential teardown....if he really needed to $$-wise, he could redo the rod/main bearings without removing the engine - especially if rings/valves were good....<span style="font-weight: bold">if he's on a tight budget</span>...but, were it me, I'd be prepared to do bearings/rings/valves, etc. at the same time....but, I still like to know everything I can about an engine before tearing it down.
Click to expand...


anyone know of a good mechanic in Central Arkansas that can do a total rebuild because I don't think I would want tackle that myself thanks for all the replies I have been getting :thumbsup:
 
Arky_1,

As I mentioned in an earlier post.. Getting involved in an MG club is a great way to learn about your MG and get advice for rebuilds, parts, and local mechanics...

The only club I found is:

British Motoring Club of Arkansas
President: Ron McLeod
1327 East Lawson Road
Little Rock, AR 72210
Phone: 501-851-2640
E-mail: president@bmca.net

Best of luck...
 
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