The MGA With An Attitude
MGA Guru Is GOING MOBILE - (December 16 - December 31, 2022)
Friday, December 16, 2022:
Having successfully killed the past week, the morning breakfast and WiFi spot had no plug-in, so the computer battery died early, and we moved on. We arrived at Tech Central Racing in Bonita Springs, Florida as planned, just an hour early. A bit odd, being the first time we were ever first folks here, but Jerry Wilcox soon came down to say hello end get the party started. Yeah, I did say party. Being the last (practical) Friday before Christmas, this is scheduled to be the group's holiday party, so work is taboo, just settle in to socialize until lunch time.
 Meanwhile there was time for some pictures to catch up on the toys and progress since last Spring. There is the MG ZB Magnette with 1800 engine and late model MGB overdrive gearbox. Still having some trouble with the OD function, but getting real good at R&R of the engine and gearbox by now. The Porsche 914 under the green canopy was moved here from the far side of the drive to free up work and maneuvering space over there. Outer body sanding and priming has been progressing slowly. The MGB wannabe race car looks about the same as last Spring.
The Excalibur kit car (on Chevy Chevette chassis) is perhaps drivable but not yet finished (about like last Spring). Two VW race cars needing repair (kind of normal). The red 140 car cooked the engine mid season and has been sitting without repair. The silver one has been racing regularly, but is currently missing 1st and 5th gears. The Saturn in the workshop needs work on brake controls or such, maybe more on that one later.
In any case, the Saturn was just evicted to make room on the lift for the silver #40 race car to R&R its gearbox for repair, and I had a few minutes to look at that one after dinner.
We had about 20 people in for Christmas ham feast and festive chat, all is well among friends. I had to get some pictures of the new all aluminum car trailer so I could whip up a new tech page for that little jewel. Curious construction with lots of aluminum extrusions and all bolted together, no welding. Find more photos and notes for that in the Trailer Tech section.
Saturday, December 17, 2022:
Mostly doing photos and notes from yesterday. Still getting used to the updated image editor, kind of a pain compared to the simpler earlier version. Learning to rotate, resize and crop images taken with my dumb phone built-in camera, since we can't find a replacement pocket camera anywhere. But I did get the new tech page finished for the all-aluminum bolt-together car trailer.
Sunday, December 18, 2022:
Slow day, but I did post a new tech page about loose rivet connections in a new fuse box that could cause all sorts of electrical confusion with the intermittent connection.
Monday, December 19, 2022:
Posted a new Part Number page for the MB22438 Wing bolt that secures the MGA convertible top (and optional hardtops) to top of the windscreen. John Twist's UML Zoom tech session ran long, 7 to 10 pm with 204 participants chatting about SU carburetors.
Tuesday, December 20, 2022:
Updatesd a tech page on The First MGA "Deluxe" Produced, now owned by Mark Hester in London, England, UK. We now have a list of most of the previous owners from the production date in 1960.
Late night, ordered new tires for the trailer.
Wednesday, December 21, 2022:
Quiet local and on line. Either people spending time with family, and maybe last minute Christmas shopping.
Thursday, December 22, 2022:
Same thing two days in a row, quiet as a church mouse. Did I meniton I hate holidays? Boring
Friday, December 23, 2022:
Guys were working to rebuild a rear portico the blew down in the last hurricane. The prior one was coarsly corrugated translucent white fiberglsss over sparsely spaced 2x2 framing. That was better than the earlier one made of bamboo with thached roof that only lasted a year, but still not up to a good blow. On the other hand, it was attached to the back of an outdoor framed tent that is still standing, so waddaya expect? They're just trying to get some shade in the summer months.
Then they were working on Triumph TR250 with the European fuel injection added. In Europe this would be called TR-5. It was having problems with terminal fast idle. There was a lash up mechanical linkage (factory issue, real Rube Goldberg). I think it was supposed to allow vacuum advance only in 4th gear, but it seemed to be permanently stuck one way or the other. Final decision was to delete the override linkage, and let it have vacuun in all gears. seemed to work.
Then I csn give you a teaser on what's coming up with our MGA. Early afternoon when the party broke up we were leaving, heading out to the main drag. Heavy mult-lane traffic heading toward the Interstate a mile away. Take it easy, not in any hurry, but we need to move from 2nd lane to right lane to access the Interstate before we get there. Look right and over shoulder, use turn signal, and merge in. Just then we met one of those new SUVs with the magic anti-lock brakes that will stop on a dime, and it did. Looked like plenty of distance, but it was sprinkling slightly, just enough to keep the asphault damp. When I hit the brakes one wheel locked up to slide, so I stood on it to lock up all four wheels, and it did. But with the damp pavement and a no-brakes trailer pushing us we cme up about a foot short on stopping distance. The SUV got a cracked plastic bumper cover, so that must be at least $2000 at today's rates. The lady willl fill an insurance claim for her new car, annd their insurance company will undoudtedly contact my insurance company.
I don't expect to even file a cliam on this one. Just a new grille and one headlight assembly, and pulling out some bent sheet metal with match fitting and repaint. Should be under $1000, and no fussing around with claims adjusters and back-logged workshops. I usually do what's expedient. Stay tuned. With the holiday season, this is probably going to take at least two weeks. And yeah, I probably should take a picture before I fix it.
Saturday, December 24, 2022
Holiday weekend, and I didn't turn up the heat enough to get parts ordered yesterday. And Monday will be the legally observed holiday here, most businesses closed. Settle back for a few days of forced quiet.
Sunday, December 25, 2022
Settle in for another boring quiet day, as we are nowhere near family and feasts.
Monday, December 26, 2022
Took a bit of incentive leap today and called Scarboro Faire in Rhode Island. Company holiday, but the lady of the house was there catching up some odds and ends when it was quiet, She answered the phone and eventually agreed to take my order for a new grille (out ofstock on the headlight assembly. She asked "Didn't we just sell you one of those"? Yeah, 18 months ago June in York PA, but we just smunched it again. "How do you do that"? Well, the explanation is a few days pack, but the short of it is, an MGA is a bad match for a modern SUV. The new grille should should ship tomorrow, could (maybe) arrive before new years.
Then I took anoter shot in the dark and called Moss for the headlight assembly. Definitely closed, but the suggestion to order on line, so I did. If they have their act together and are mostly caught up with late shipping, that one could go out late tomorrow, (just don't hold your breath waiting).
Tuesday, December 27, 2022
Couple of tech questions on high and low crown engine bonnets and how they fit. Also researching an unknown casting number, which I think turned out to be a center main bearing cap as installed before final line boring.
Wednesday, December 28, 2022
Some queston on a large hole right in center of an MGA engine block. Turned out to be a matching hole in the engine front plate, just the standard vent port between timing sprocket chamber and the internal crancase.
Thursday, December 29, 2022
Message from a friend in SE Michigan. I think he's looking for a shop to do some minor work on his 1976 MGB. Not much happening during the holiday week. Mostly waiting for some parts deliveries. Also feeling a bit dumpy, under the weather, so not much use trying to do any car work.
Friday, December 30, 2022
Regularly scheduled day at Tech Central, but not expecting many people to show up. But trailer tires have arrived, so maybe we can get that done. Changing three tires this time, including the spare hanging on the side of the trailer, and that wheel "pitted" rusty, so take that challenge first. Jerry has a nice tire machine but the rim locks won't close down far enough to hold the little 8-inch trailer rims. Does a nice job of breaking tire beads loose from the rim though. In the end I just dropped the small tire assembly (with loose beads) in center of the table, and let the machine bite down on the outside of the tire. Sorry no picture (maybe next time), but it worked well enough to give it a spin and pop the top bead off the rim. From there pry the rim out of the other side of the tire by hand, not a bid deal.
Spent time with an angle grinder and a knotted wire cup wheel grinding pit marks out of the rim faces (royal pain). Spent more time trying to get the cabinet sand blaster working (another royal pain). Found a damaged/worn blast nozzle, finally gave it up for a lost cause and went back to the angle grinder. After too much work it looked like the pits were gone, so cleaning it up with lacquer thinner ready for paint. There was a half quart of white paint, but no paint brushes handy. As a matter of expediency, got a little sleazy and painted it with a the end of a rolled up paper towel (jolly good fun). Common, just a trailer wheel. Pretty well pooped out by that time, and every one else had left, so call it done, clean up the space (and me), and go find WiFi and dinner. Oh yeah, new headlight assembly arrived from Moss, only one item, didn't bother to open the package. Looks like the new grille should arrive Tuesday after New Years.
Saturday, December 31, 2022
Some questions about what I suppose are aftermarket swivel pins with non-standard threads. Easy to disassemble, but no replacement parts available, meaning you have to buy a whole new set of swivel pins and swivel links of one piece needs replacing. Another queston about front disc brake dust cover plates, late issue and strictly driver's choice parts.
Saturday, December 31, 2022
Had some fun doing research on the special oil fitting at RR corner of the engine block. Someone has a damaged female thread there, wanting to know exact thread type before ordering a tap to clean it up. The answer is, 1/4-19-BSP(S) with Whitworth form 55-degree threads, same threads as all of the external oil line fittings. Now I really need to get some 2D drafting program working so I can make drawings of such parts for web pages and documantation. Maybe a chore for tomorrow. Dang computer crash is never going be totally fixed.
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