You mean engines like this?

That servo original?

Old gits! :P

cheeky. I'm not that old, just a fond memory of my childhood.

it does make you wonder why a service is much more expensive now when most of the time it's just an oil change and a visual check of things against what used to be done

You mean engines like this?

Ahh yes the good old B series engine.

I also remember changing those bloody annoying by-pass hoses on mini waterpumps without removing the pump :eek:

That servo original?

No, it was replaced along with numerous other parts when the engine rebuild was done

No, it was replaced along with numerous other parts when the engine rebuild was done

Ah, it's just the original MGB didn't come with any servo unless fitted with a Lucas powerstop upgrade.

i love owrking on sinisters mums mk3 astra, i use to have one so i can basically strip it and rebuild it from the amount of time i spent on mine years ago and has so much you can get to and play about with.

Ah, it's just the original MGB didn't come with any servo unless fitted with a Lucas powerstop upgrade.

As you'll see from the list below the car had a fair bit done to it - number 2 may explain your observations;

1. Drilled front brake disks and new front brake calipers, rear drum brake slave cylinders and all flexible brake hoses replaced with new stainless-steel braided hoses. Green stuff pads.

2. New brake master cylinder.

3. `Koni' front suspension telescopic damper kit with new front coil and rear leaf springs et al- utilising an MG Owners' Club kit - lowering the ride height to that of a chrome bumper `B'.

4. `GKN' `LE' alloy wheels.

5. All wheel bearings.

6. Engine completely rebuilt, upgraded and converted to run on unleaded fuel.

7. 1950cc Stage 2 tuned engine with:

Kent 717 fast road camshaft (280º duration & 103º lift).

Full polished and ported head (42ml capacity per cylinder) with hardened seats for unleaded petrol.

8. New Lucas sports distributor type 43D4 and ‘Aldon’ electronic ignition.

9. Carburettors upgraded commensurate with stage 2 engine and `K & N' air filters

10. Mesh fuel filter.

11. Stainless steel exhaust.

12. Gearbox reconditioned.

13. Overdrive reconditioned.

14. ‘Borg and Beck’ performance clutch with roller thrust bearing

15. New prop shaft and bearings.

16. Upgraded oil cooler with an oil cooler thermostat fitted.

17. New water pump, new radiator with a high efficiency thermostatically controlled radiator mounted electric cooling fan with internal manual over-ride.

18. ‘Kenlow’ 3kw engine heater.

19. Interior moulded carpeting and installed sound deadening felt.

20. Upgraded Lucas alternator type LRA275, 45A output.

21. Battery isolation switch with improved cabling.

22. New heated rear window.

23. Rear fog lights.

24. Remote door locking with immobiliser to Thatcham Category 2.

25. Aluminium bonnet with sound deadening panel.

26. Mountney steering wheel.

27. Chrome interior fittings.

28. Professional body restoration and respray

I remember changing a short engine on a Mk 2 Cortina - 2 of us climbed in the engine bay with a lump of fence post and a couple of lengths of rope and lifted it out between us.

Space - you could have held a footie match under the bonnet.

And think today's fear of a major engine breakdown meaning a ££££££ bill - not so long ago you just rolled up your sleeves: new valves, new cylinder linings and piston rings, new crankshaft bearings...

And a lot of problems could be fixed at least temporarily on the road.

On the other hand, those activities were more or less part of regular maintenance. And you had to serve it more often - oil change and grease every 1,000 miles or so. Today an engine is good for 300,000 miles or more even if you never even lift off the cover over the camshaft (as long as you change your oil, filters, and - yes - that bloody cambelt).

As you'll see from the list below the car had a fair bit done to it - number 2 may explain your observations;

1. Drilled front brake disks and new front brake calipers, rear drum brake slave cylinders and all flexible brake hoses replaced with new stainless-steel braided hoses. Green stuff pads.

2. New brake master cylinder.

3. `Koni' front suspension telescopic damper kit with new front coil and rear leaf springs et al- utilising an MG Owners' Club kit - lowering the ride height to that of a chrome bumper `B'.

4. `GKN' `LE' alloy wheels.

5. All wheel bearings.

6. Engine completely rebuilt, upgraded and converted to run on unleaded fuel.

7. 1950cc Stage 2 tuned engine with:

Kent 717 fast road camshaft (280º duration & 103º lift).

Full polished and ported head (42ml capacity per cylinder) with hardened seats for unleaded petrol.

8. New Lucas sports distributor type 43D4 and ‘Aldon’ electronic ignition.

9. Carburettors upgraded commensurate with stage 2 engine and `K & N' air filters

10. Mesh fuel filter.

11. Stainless steel exhaust.

12. Gearbox reconditioned.

13. Overdrive reconditioned.

14. ‘Borg and Beck’ performance clutch with roller thrust bearing

15. New prop shaft and bearings.

16. Upgraded oil cooler with an oil cooler thermostat fitted.

17. New water pump, new radiator with a high efficiency thermostatically controlled radiator mounted electric cooling fan with internal manual over-ride.

18. ‘Kenlow’ 3kw engine heater.

19. Interior moulded carpeting and installed sound deadening felt.

20. Upgraded Lucas alternator type LRA275, 45A output.

21. Battery isolation switch with improved cabling.

22. New heated rear window.

23. Rear fog lights.

24. Remote door locking with immobiliser to Thatcham Category 2.

25. Aluminium bonnet with sound deadening panel.

26. Mountney steering wheel.

27. Chrome interior fittings.

28. Professional body restoration and respray

I remember changing a door skin and clutch on one of those. Engine and gearbox out in one lump (overdrive box)

I also remember changing those bloody annoying by-pass hoses on mini waterpumps without removing the pump :eek:

Not possible unless you used one of those bellows-type ones, I thought?

I cooked a mini engine by having one of those let go on the motorway.

It *was* a bit of a pain to get the pump out...

Yeah cheated with the cheap nasty bellows one that last about 10 miles

Yeah cheated with the cheap nasty bellows one that last about 10 miles

You would open the bonnet and have to dodge the steaming hot jet of water! The motorfactors used to keep them on a card behind the counter a bit like Scampi Fries, I used to keep one spare in the car along with spare points, a full toolkit, a tube of superglue, an assortment of 1" glass fuses and a pad to demist the window.

Messing with them was fun, when you wanted and were in the mood for it. Problem with the old(er) cars, or at least the BL sheds I had, was they always broke down, or developed some 'characterful feature' on the way to pick up a girlfriend, of halfway between London and Manchester. And of course, whenever it rained.

Messing with them was fun, when you wanted and were in the mood for it. Problem with the old(er) cars, or at least the BL sheds I had, was they always broke down, or developed some 'characterful feature' on the way to pick up a girlfriend, of halfway between London and Manchester. And of course, whenever it rained.

:agree:

I guess that your cars were equipped with the three position Lucas switch - Dim, Flicker and Off? And that you made use of a few cans of this:

oh now i remember

just about every car i ever owned up till 6 yrs ago i must have stripped and repaired

Can you still get Gun Gum?

As to modern cars,did you see that bit on 5th Gear about changing a bulb on a Renault Megane? Think it took the professional about 45 minutes.

Most people would have to take it to a garage to get it done at a cost of betwenn £80 and £200 IIRC:eek:

Can you still get Gun Gum?

Yeah, and Fire Putty

Decokes, valve grinding, gearbox rebuilds..............do I miss it all?

A bit - but only a teensy bit!

Valve grinding = RSI

Valve grinding = RSI

I cheated - I had a tool which fitted in the chuck of my Black & Decker

I could do a complete decoke and valve grind on my Vitesse in 2 hours :D

Used to hate balancing twin carbs :(:(

I cheated - I had a tool which fitted in the chuck of my Black & Decker

I could do a complete decoke and valve grind on my Vitesse in 2 hours :D

Used to hate balancing twin carbs :(:(

Nice.

Got some sort of Vacuum device, looks a bit like a kids trumpet for doing the carbs which I have only attempted to use once on the MGB. It's wasn't nice.

Nice.

Got some sort of Vacuum device, looks a bit like a kids trumpet for doing the carbs which I have only attempted to use once on the MGB. It's wasn't nice.

Gunsons Carbalancer, perhaps?

Demon Tweeks Motorsport, Motorcycle, Modifying, Parts and Accessories

Gunsons Carbalancer, perhaps?

Demon Tweeks Motorsport, Motorcycle, Modifying, Parts and Accessories

Nah, much older all in one device. Think it's made by Sykes.

:agree:

I guess that your cars were equipped with the three position Lucas switch - Dim, Flicker and Off? And that you made use of a few cans of this:

I did after doing a bit of re-wiring in my Triumph Dolomite, in retrospect instead of disconnecting the battery and spending the next 3 nights with a torch in winter replacing wires, I should have put a gallon of 4 star in it and filed an insurance claim.