My 68 MGB had a relapse into spoiled brat-itude lately. I thought it had matured
out of this stage - which was painfully prevalent 10+ years ago. It has been
quite understanding for the past several years while I doted over the 69,
pouring money and time into it while it only got hand-me-down parts and routine
maintenance. I thought it would be happy now that I have turned my attentions
to it - but no, it likes being in the garage full-time (or does it just like
seeing the 69 outside?). Anyway... it cooperated when I put a new suspension
on it but acted up when I tried to put the almost new (from the 69 before the
Webers) SU's on it.
Whatta pain. I stripped it to the block, carefully cleaning each tiny part and
carefully putting everything together with new gaskets and permatex. Fire it
up and the tappet cover gasket leaks like a sieve. All over the exhaust
manifold. After wasting time trying to avoid it, re-strip to the block, bend
the cover so the gasket stays put (was overtightened, probably my me, many
years ago. Kinda embarrassing - being the dreaded PO with this car). Put
everything back together with new gaskets and permatex. Get right to tightening
the last nut on the SU's and the manifold stud strips out. Definitely enough
to capitalize the S in Sworking.
Now, I know that nothing I do will make the MG allow me to properly finish the
job when it is on a roll like this. You see, the most irritating aspect of the
MG's behavior is how it cunningly tries to make it seem that everything is my
fault, and it is just sitting there doing nothing. My getting enraged only
encourages it. So... I give in and let it spend the week in the garage.
After a week of contemplation, and reading used car ads in its presence, I
was ready to try again. This time I was armed with helicoils and proceeded
to strip the engine back to the manifold. Helicoils hardly phased the MG. I
managed to go through an expensive box of 10 without any success in getting the
little buggers properly threaded in before the little tang-ends broke off. I
think the comical effort amused the MG as it calmed down long enough for me to
replace the manifold with the one (not as cleaned up as the ex-69's) that it
had originally. Sensing a lapse in its attention, I quickly bolted up the new
carbs and started tuning. I was thinking I might be able to also swap out the
distributor but realized that I shouldn't push my luck. It was a bit reluctant
to do a test/tune drive but soon warmed to the idea - afterall, its a runner
at heart. Even though it (temporarily) lost the garage bay, it likes the morning
runs in to work.
Judging from the spongy clutch pedal, it is already formulating plans to regain
the garage.
JAS
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