MGB Rerouting heather pipe after Weber install.

[Celtic 77]

Question... After the install of a Weber, I find that the heater pipe is hanging loose under the carb. I'd like it to be next to the valve cover and a straight shot from the heater. Does the cooling system need to be drained, and would the older generation pipe fit using a union from the radiator hose?
Thanks...

 

[Grantura_MKI]

The earlier pipe that fits to the valve cover will work. I use the one with the tabs welded to the pipe.
Best to drain a little coolant to avoid any spillage.

 

[Celtic 77]

The earlier pipe that fits to the valve cover will work. I use the one with the tabs welded to the pipe.
Best to drain a little coolant to avoid any spillage.

Thanks for that !

 

[Grantura_MKI]

No worries.
For those that are reading this with early Bs, you may fit the later version of the hose from the water pump to the heater pipe/ radiator and remove the iron elbow and hoses/clamps and simply the job.

 

[Tybalt]

No worries.
For those that are reading this with early Bs, you may fit the later version of the hose from the water pump to the heater pipe/ radiator and remove the iron elbow and hoses/clamps and simply the job.

I recall a time in the mid seventies when those molded hoses with the take off for heater went on what seemed like terminal spotty, much more miss than hit, backorder. I knew where there was a good supply of those nippled iron elbows used on the MGA and MGB up to and including 1971. I told our parts manager about them and he said see what kind of price deal you can make and if the price was right, we'll just buy the lot of them. The price was right so I got some petty cash and picked them up. We kept several 1972 through 1974 Bs on the road by having those elbows to replace the molded hoses that seem to always fail where the hose for the heater was bonded to the main part of the hose. I did make sure to keep one of those elbows for myself to use on my 1972 B as precaution if needed.

 

[DrEntropy]

The price was right so I got some petty cash and picked them up. We kept several 1972 through 1974 Bs on the road by having those elbows to replace the molded hoses that seem to always fail where the hose for the heater was bonded to the main part of the hose. I did make sure to keep one of those elbows for myself to use on my 1972 B as precaution if needed.

On first seeing those molded abominations we hoarded the cast elbows. Saved many a VOR case as a result. "Converted" family members' MG's as well.

And as a further FYI, on most older (18G* & pre-'77) units, the top and bottom radiator hoses are the same with the cast elbow.

 

[Tybalt]

We were a touch late to the party since the GRH 498 (IIRC) molded hose had not been a problem to get up to the point of the first backorder. As soon at that happened and thinking of other fun and games with backorders in that period, I thought we needed to get those elbows if we could before the other BMC & Jag dealer in town as well as other shops have their alarms set off, which allowed us to get a good number of them putting us ahead of the game relative to many folks.

Among the other mostly MGB parts that fell into that same trap were fuel tank sender units I waited 8 months for one and when it came in, it was bad right out of the box, so another 5 months waiting on another. The AUF 305 fuel pumps went on backorder and BL's fix for the situation was to finally release under one of the HAC series of part numbers usually reserved for dealer installed accessories sourced in the US an AC-Delco EP12 fuel pump with all the required adapter fittings to use in place of the SU. Clutch master cylinder kits for B went on backorder but no big deal as the pre 1968 brake master cylinder kits couldbe used if you left out the brake master specific parts, then those went on backorder as well as complete clutch master cylinders and eventually pre '68 brake masters that people used to pirate parts for clutch master rebuilds. The 22G1100 laygears for 1272 Spridgets would snap off the first/reverse straight cut gear, often because people would not remember that there was no syncromeash on first gear. There plenty of others that I remember, but those were the ones that seemed to cause the most headaches and VOR situations that I had to deal with.

 

[Grantura_MKI]

Have never had an issue with the mounded hoses. My own personal B has traveled more miles than most have with out hose failure.
Must have been your supplier?

 

[Tybalt]

Have never had an issue with the mounded hoses. My own personal B has traveled more miles than most have with out hose failure.
Must have been your supplier?

The it "Must have been your parts supplier?" has to be taken with more than a grain of salt. My family was in the new car dealership business either as sole owners or as one of the dealership principles. Since this was one of those dealerships, our supplier was British Leyland through the regional BL distributor. To a large extent I grew up around those dealerships, even to point of being there before birth since my mother was an inventory control clerk for some of the Ford dealerships parts departments. I had a great deal of exposure to these issues at the dealership level since the MG & Jag dealership was where spent most of my time. Also keep in mind this was in the 1970s when there was so much labor strife in the UK which was a significant factor related to both quality and supply issues. So if there was an issue with our parts supplier it is on BL and the outfit they selected to supply those hoses and yes, there were 1972 - 1974 MGBs that wound up in the VOR category because of those GRH 498 (IIRC, it has been almost fifty years now) molded and bonded one piece lower hoses. The iron elbow with a GRH 305 hose (see Dr, Entropy's post above), a short section of straight hose to connect from the water pump to the elbow and a bit of heater hose was the no-brainer solution to a failed GRH 498 that was on more miss than hit terminal spotty backorder if someone happened to have one of these nippled elbows to sell and use in getting the car back on the road.

And that doesn't even get into the stories of backordered Triumph parts that guys I knew at the local Triumph dealership told me they had to deal with.

 

[Grantura_MKI]

While I value your vast experience, my experiences are totally different.
Having restored many T series cars, the short hose with the cast elbow is a PITA to service once the car has panels fitted and done some miles.
My B did have the same setup, but was switched out some 45 years ago.
I probably have many cast elbows in stock if there is an interest…

 

[Celtic 77]

I recall a time in the mid seventies when those molded hoses with the take off for heater went on what seemed like terminal spotty, much more miss than hit, backorder. I knew where there was a good supply of those nippled iron elbows used on the MGA and MGB up to and including 1971. I told our parts manager about them and he said see what kind of price deal you can make and if the price was right, we'll just buy the lot of them. The price was right so I got some petty cash and picked them up. We kept several 1972 through 1974 Bs on the road by having those elbows to replace the molded hoses that seem to always fail where the hose for the heater was bonded to the main part of the hose. I did make sure to keep one of those elbows for myself to use on my 1972 B as precaution if needed.

I just looked up the elbow I think you were referring to on the MGA page of Moss. The elbow and the copper (brass) parts look like a possible answer...

 

[DrEntropy]

The early MGB's (pre-'68) had the same arrangement.

 

[Tybalt]

I recall a time in the mid seventies when those molded hoses with the take off for heater went on what seemed like terminal spotty, much more miss than hit, backorder. I knew where there was a good supply of those nippled iron elbows used on the MGA and MGB up to and including 1971. I told our parts manager about them and he said see what kind of price deal you can make and if the price was right, we'll just buy the lot of them. The price was right so I got some petty cash and picked them up. We kept several 1972 through 1974 Bs on the road by having those elbows to replace the molded hoses that seem to always fail where the hose for the heater was bonded to the main part of the hose. I did make sure to keep one of those elbows for myself to use on my 1972 B as precaution if needed.

I just looked up the elbow I think you were referring to on the MGA page of Moss. The elbow and the copper (brass) parts look like a possible answer...

Yes, that same part was used on the MGA as well. They went to the molded and bonded one piece lower hose in 1972 (GHN/GHD5UC group of car serial numbers) with the introduction of the 18V engine series.

 

[DrEntropy]

Current arrangement in our '64 when undergoing rebuild. Cheaper/easier to keep the three pieces of hose in the "onboard spares" kit than that three-way thing as well.