Paul,
I suspected you were having some car problems too. I was surprised
that you had no hydraulic fluid with you! When I've taken long trips
with British cars I have a boot full of parts and tools and fluids in
case of mishap. So of course with a Miata I take none of that
stuff. It would not have mattered if I had been able to get fluid
anyway as the reservoir turned out to be full. The symptoms sure
were that of a drained system, something I have had happen many times
with MGs and even Japanese cars in years past.
As for your light switch. I used to have a '74 MGB and it ate those
rocker switches constantly. When the lights were on and the switch
was working, I could touch the switch and it would always be very hot
to touch. I ended up buying a relay and putting it in the light
circuit, and this kept all the amperage from going directly through
the switch. After that, I didn't have another light switch issue. I
don't know if BL had relays in their headlight circuit by 1979 or
not. Most "modern" cars have relays for accessories, but BL must
have been slow in using them on their products. I also had a '73
Datsun pickup that had the same issue; no relay, and hot light switch
but the switch would just get very hot, but it didn't fail. So the
Brit car industry wasn't alone on this issue.
I was told about the reason for the traffic jam being an accident,
not due to road construction.
Bee Truck Accident Shuts Down Portion of I-80
KTVN - Kellene Stockwell
Jun 15, 2011
A beekeeper cleaned up after a semi truck accident west of Reno near
the I-80 Hirschdale exit in California.
Authorities say the semi truck was rear-ended by another truck
around 10:45am Wednesday.
<http://www.ktvn.com/story/14914365/bee-truck-accident-shuts-down-portion-of-i-80>http://www.ktvn.com/story/14914365/bee-truck-accident-shuts-down-portion-of-i-80
Don
At 12:39 AM 6/19/2011, you wrote:
>Sorry we couldn't help you with the hydraulic fluid when you asked. We were
>dealing with our own trial. Our headlight switch on our 1979 BrownB didn't
>work leaving the headlights on all the time. Our alternator quit working so
>we ran out of battery in the middle of the worst traffic jam in history. We
>managed to get the headlights off with the help of a very nice couple from
>Colorado driving a blue MGA coupe. Luckily we had two battery packs with us
>and we able to limp into Reno. We bought another battery in Reno and on
>Friday limped within 8 miles of home (Bethel Island), then we got assistance
>from friends. Our next alternator will be American made. The headlight
>switch we were told was new, so don't know what we'll do. Maybe a toggle?
>The headlights are currently unplugged.
>
>With our 1979 MGB in Tucson when it gets hot, the slave cylinder lets the
>fluid recirculate and not push the plunger, so we have to start in gear and
>use rpm's for sifting. Occasionally with a double or triple clutch
>engage/disengage it will hold enough to shift. Once it gets below 70 degrees
>it seems to work fine.
>
>Paul , Lee and the BrownB
>
>--- On Fri, 6/17/11, Don <don@napanet.net> wrote:
>
>
>From: Don <don@napanet.net>
>Subject: [Nobbc] Fwd: MG Reno show
>To: nobbc@autox.team.net
>Date: Friday, June 17, 2011, 2:37 PM
>
>
>I submitted this to the MG email list, so apologies to MG owners if
>you receive it more than once, and apologies to others if this little
>report is too boring.
>Don
>
>
>
>
> >Date: Fri, 17 Jun 2011 00:42:03 -0700
> >To: mgs@autox.team.net
> >From: Don <don@napanet.net>
> >Subject: MG Reno show
> >
> >
> >Just got back from Reno where we went to the big MG car event. On
> >the way there on Wednesday afternoon, we were caught in the worst
> >traffic jam I have ever experienced. We (wife and me) were
> >unfortunate victims of the horrible traffic jam caused by road
> >construction on Hwy 80 going into Reno. There was a stop-and-go
> >situation for about 30 miles. I thought I was so smart- I had
> >driven my 2001 Miata SE, thinking the trip there would be
> >comfortable and stress-free. Wrong.
> >
> >The traffic jam was horrible and the ambient temperature was
> >warm. After about ten miles of crawling, stop and go, the clutch
> >hydraulics quit working. Clutch was engaged, would not release. I
> >limped for several miles not being able to disengage the clutch,
> >would start it in gear and just go slow. A K-rail separated the
> >divided highway and there were no places to pull off safely, so
> >seemed like it would be impossible to get help. There were numerous
> >times I had to stop completely in the roadway, so would just shut
> >the engine off, and restart in 1st or 2nd and crawl some more. I
> >was able to pull off the road about 20 miles short of Reno at the
> >little village of Floriston where there was an exit, and an exit on
> >the westbound side of Hwy 80 as well. So at least it was safe and
> >accessible to a tow truck there. We ended up waiting two hours for
> >AAA towing. In the time we waited, the car and the outside
> >temperature both cooled off, and the clutch regained its
> >function. But the traffic was still jammed out on the freeway, so I
> >couldn't just drive it into Reno as the conditions would surely have
> >caused the clutch to fail again. Strangely, the fluid level in the
> >clutch master cylinder was/is fine.
> >
> >Anyway, thank God for cell phones and AAA. Got a nice flatbed truck
> >transport into Reno, right to the hotel. I took a chance and didn't
> >do any repairs or take it to a shop. Drove up 8 stories of the
> >hotel parking garage, and the clutch was fine. Next day, drove it
> >to the MG show outside of Reno and it worked fine. The big test was
> >the 200 mile drive home. Since I didn't get caught in traffic where
> >I would have to use the clutch, it worked fine, and I made it home.
> >
> >I will rebuild or replace the clutch hydraulics of course. I can't
> >help thinking the MG gods (or demons) had something to do with this
> >happening to me, since this clutch system is a copy of that used on MGs.
> >
> >Here are a few photos of the Miata broken down with smiling wife,
> >the traffic jam on Hwy 80, and the great MG car show. I got a
> >couple pics of Andy Preston and his fabulous MGA coupe (one of only
> >4 at the show). Another car that I found to be outstanding was a
> >black '62 MGA Mk 2 De Luxe. There were more MGTFs than I have ever
> >seen in my life, and all of them were gorgeous. The cars that came
> >from all over the US and Canada astounded me for the owners'
> >dedication and devotion to the marque. And some of the preserved
> >cars and original owner cars were really amazing to see.
> >
> >I didn't take enough photos, and my choice of subjects was
> >limited. I'm sure there will be much better pics of the show than
> >this, as my camera seemed to want to capture mainly early MGBs that
> >were done to a high standard, as that seems to be my current obsession.
> >
> >https://picasaweb.google.com/104973305347633073496/MGsReno?authkey=Gv1sRgCPa
>zmbqhpYarJw
> >
> >----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>-----------------------------
> >
> >Don Scott
> >Calistoga CA USA
> >1955 MGTF
> >1962 MGA Mk 2
> >1973 MGB GT (selling)
> >1963-7 MGB (seeking)
> >Misc. Japanese cars
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