OK guys, this is not another story about my 'B breaking down... rather I
just had to crow about the progress I am making as a newbie MG'er.
Cruising along beside what will be our big V8 race track next weekend
(about three quarters of what was our Australian Grand Prix track before
the race was spirited away to Victoria) when the 'B started to miss
badly. It was simply dying for a second... then picking up... then
dying. I pulled into a service road and sat there in neutral but every
time I tried to let her idle she would drop to ZERO revs... once or
twice it would come back from the dead by itself and sit idling but then
would die when I even touched the throttle... anyone got it yet?
Finally I let her die and tried to start her again... no go. Cranking
strongly but not even think of catching. Fuel??? The pump wasn't doing
anything strange and I was pretty certain I had about a third of a tank
or more. Spark... could be. Lifted the bonnet (in Australia, this is
that big flap of a thing under which the engine hides) and the obligator
fiddle with leads and wires to the coil, distributor, starter, etc.
Nope, no go.
I go straight for the distributor and see... the orange (in my car) "low
tension" wire has broken away from the solder point on the terminal that
plugs into the side of the distributor.
Time to find the fault... less than five minutes. Time to fix the
fault... about five minutes (with trusty 12volt soldering iron in boot -
give me ten extra points for this). Back on the road again in less than
fifteen minutes after a moment or two to admire my handiwork.
Forgive me this extensive mail on a minor fault... I was proud of
myself! I think I am learning something about this car!
Eric
'68MGB MkII
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