The MGB was OK for the first week's trip up and down to Warrnambool (about
5hours each way - still running in on new engine).
Week 2 brought new worries.
1. The clutch does not seem to disengage properly - resulting in a rather
unpleasant crunch getting into reverse. It has a new friction plate,
overhauled master and slave cylinders. The thrust bearing looked OK, and
it is difficult to tell with the pressure plate.
My guess is that the springs on the pressure plate are weak (diaphragm
type with "finger springs"), meaning that the spring is not being pushed
far enough to disengage (most of the clutch activity happens in the last
inch or so of the pedal depression).
Any Ideas?.
2. Somewhere in the wiring there is a dead short. Two wires in the ignition
switch have been completely burned out (the brown power "live" wire from the
headlights, and the white wire (goes to ignition relay?)).
The car will start (provided the ignition is kept turned all the way on,
but I cant drive around with the starting motor constantly going or with
only one free hand!) but stops as soon as the key returns to the normal
run position.
Does the MG have a ballast resistor? I thought this may have been the
problem, but cannot find one in the system (this MG is '77, and has
electronic ignition).
Again, any ideas?.
(One other point, the electric clock stopped about 09:10, and the wiring
burned itself out about 10:00).
I look forward to any response and assistance in limiting the search for
a dead short.
Thanks,
Arthur
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