>I sent a rather lengthy message describing my recent engine rebuild for
>my '73 B... did anyone receive it? (I didn't get it echoed back).
>John M. Trindle
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John -
' Seems we're all used to the Brit Car net where the 40-80 posts per day
would surely include at least a couple of responses to whatever we might
have to say. This mg net is really quiet.
In fact, I did receive, and very much enjoyed your engine rebuild post.
Actually, about five years ago I could have written almost exactly the same
one myself. My first engine rebuild was also on a '73, albeit a BGT. It
had run 175,000 miles on the original bottom end and although it was
consuming a quart of oil every 200 miles, it still had decent oil pressure.
Clutch cover gave out and I couldn't see putting the engine back in
without rebuilding. I did not experience your smoke problem - ' hope your
hunch is right about the cause. Mine ran great thereafter for 14,000 miles
- and continued to run great for 7,000 after that but for spraying
anti-freeze all over the right side of the engine bay. After replacing the
good old heater control valve to no avail, I had the head off three times
trying various combinations of head gaskets, new studs, permatex brown,
etc, before I caught it in the act on morning: as it idled I could see a
nice little bead of anti-freeze running diagonally thru #3 spark plug hole.
Cracked head.
End of story? No, beginning! ' Got a "great" deal on another head.
Machine work all done for local mechanic who's customer never came to pick
it up. ' Bought it for $300 and put it on. Car ran 158 miles until
exhaust valve seat on #4 turned loose - with pieces of same beating up
that piston as well as #3. That was in April of 1993. I rebuilt it again
- finishing last March and it has been on the engine stand since then as I
stripped the engine bay and I'm in the slow process of detailing it. (In
the meantime, I've been building a new garage.)
I was showing the "new" engine to a friend last weekend. Mind you, it has
been wrapped in plastic all this time. My friend asked: "Why do you have
rice in the intake and exhaust ports?"
RICE?!!!!!
Yep - rhymes with MICE, doesn't it. And there were numerous rice - not
just one "rouse". Another minor inconvenience - I will have to take the
head back off before it runs at all. Fortunately that is not too difficult
at this stage - but I don't need further delays. Not to mention tossing
out a brand-new head gasket!
But then, if we couldn't live with problems like this, we would have other
hobbies instead - right?
Guess I'll post this to the mg net just to see something more come through.
Maybe somebody will tell me I don't need to remove the rice. I did vacuum
all of it (I think!) from the ports, but of course some valves were open -
I'll never know if some got down into the bores unless I pull the head
first.
I didn't know they made rice burners in England!
Allen
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Allen H. Bachelder, Associate Professor of Trumpet
=iii=<
Department of Music, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0240
E-mail: Allen.Bachelder@vt.edu, Phone: 703-231-6713, Fax 703-231-5034
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