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  • About
    • Introduction
    • Our Exploits
    • Our Cars
    • Copyright & Disclaimer
    • MG Links
  • Advice
    • Technical Notes
    • Tweaking your MG for the road
  • Workshop
    • What We Do & Meet the Team
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    • Tune-up
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MGA-MGB, Midget

Home » MGA-MGB, Midget
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By Paul
In Engine - Tuning, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted March 21, 2017

Electronic Ignition

In principle there are three types of electronic ignition:   Points replacement module:  this substitutes an electronic switch for the mechanical points.  It has two big advantages over the [...]

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By Paul
In Brakes, Wheels, Suspension And Steering, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted March 3, 2017

Adjustment of rear drum brakes and handbrake

Note:  Midgets and late rubber bumper B’s used rods rather than cables in places.  In this note, please read handbrake cable to be handbrake rod where relevant. If the handbrake lever is [...]

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By Paul
In Brakes, Wheels, Suspension And Steering, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted March 1, 2017

Midget front wheel bearings

Midget front wheel bearings are of the angular contact type.  They are non-adjustable and are assembled with a solid spacer between the inner and outer bearings so that both are locked on to the [...]

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By Paul
In Engine General, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted February 27, 2017

Use of the choke when starting from cold

With modern cars having engine computers to do all the tricky stuff, the operation of the choke is something that many new owners of classics are not familiar with.  Under use of the choke will [...]

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 Speedo Calibration
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By Paul
In General, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted August 30, 2016

Speedo Calibration

If a tyre of a different size or aspect ratio is fitted, this will affect the speedo. To check the effect of the tyres on the speedo, measure the rolling radius of the front tyre and rear tyre. [...]

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 Tweaking your MG for the road
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By Paul
In MGA-MGB, Midget, MGF
Posted August 30, 2016

Tweaking your MG for the road

Paul’s tips on how to go about it! (Part 1) NOTE: While the following is written mainly around the MGB, it also applies equally to the MGA and Midget other than remembering that Midgets are a [...]

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By Paul
In K Series Conversion, MGA-MGB, Midget, MGF
Posted December 13, 2014

Superchip on test in VVC engine

I had a chance to try out the superchip with the accelerometer today, on our VVC engined Midget. The engine is standard MGF apart from a 55mm throttle body & larger exhaust.   The superchip [...]

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By Paul
In K Series Conversion, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 13, 2014

Rover Engine Management Security system

If using the original Rover engine computer (MEMS) in a conversion, it may be necessary to address the computer’s immobilser.  The MEMS security system searches for a coded signal from the [...]

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 K Series turns over but won’t start
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By Paul
In K Series Conversion, MGA-MGB, Midget, MGF, MGF Engine
Posted December 13, 2014

K Series turns over but won’t start

Check that the immobiliser (if fitted) is responding to your key fob transmitter by checking that the alarm indicator light on the dash has stopped flashing. If not, most commonly the fob may be [...]

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By Paul
In K Series Conversion, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 13, 2014

Spreadsheet for wiring K series engine into MG Midget or MGB

Paul Walbran Motors:   Wiring notes, K series engine & ECU intalled into MG Midget (This was done for a VVC, but is generally applicable to non-VVC which is the same except for the [...]

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By Paul
In Bodywork, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 13, 2014

Soft top very tight to erect

Soft tops stretch in use, so hood manufacturers and fitters set them up to be tight initially – if they didn’t the hood would turn into an ugly floppy bag of a thing once it had been [...]

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By Paul
In Bodywork, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 13, 2014

Fitting windscreen seals

Windscreen glazing seals can sometimes appear to be too short or too long. This happens because the seal gets slightly compressed or stretched during the fitting process. If this happens, start [...]

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 Windscreen fitting – Midget, MGA, MGB Roadster
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By Paul
In Bodywork, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 13, 2014

Windscreen fitting – Midget, MGA, MGB Roadster

Fitting a convertible windscreen is a difficult job, but if you are reasonably handy you should be able to do it. All it requires is a bit of care, a lot of patience, and an average level of DIY [...]

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By Paul
In Bodywork, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 13, 2014

Repair of window Regulators

If your window regulator problem is the usual stripped drive problem, you can fit the regulator drive head from any contemporary BMC saloon as they all used the same basic unit with different [...]

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By Paul
In Electrical, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 13, 2014

Indicators not working properly

Indicator won’t work at all Check the fuses The simple way to this in pre-1980 MG’s is see if the wipers, tacho and fuel gauge are still working, as they all run off the same fuse. Hazard Switch [...]

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 Joseph’s rear disc brake conversion
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By Paul
In Brakes, Wheels, Suspension And Steering, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 13, 2014

Joseph’s rear disc brake conversion

When driving on gravel you don’t get the weight transfer you get when braking on seal, and when rallying you also want a bit of rear bias to help kick the car sideways going into corners.  [...]

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By Paul
In Brakes, Wheels, Suspension And Steering, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 13, 2014

Lowering rubber bumper ride height to that of the chrome bumper cars – MGB and Midget

Midget: The Midget is relatively simpler than the B.  At the front end, the chassis outrigger brackets which form the inner mounting for the wishbones need to be changed.  Alternatively, the [...]

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By Paul
In Brakes, Wheels, Suspension And Steering, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 13, 2014

Wandering steering/loose U-bolts

A number of factors, including tyre pressure, wear and wheel alignment, can affect the steering.  In addition to these, for those used to driving saloon cars and not familiar with MG’s, the [...]

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 Repairing Leaf Springs
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By Paul
In Brakes, Wheels, Suspension And Steering, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 13, 2014

Repairing Leaf Springs

The main thing to check for if contemplating repairing leaf springs is around the end of each leaf. Have a good look at the leaf above to see if it has been worn by the end of the leaf below it. [...]

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By Paul
In Brakes, Wheels, Suspension And Steering, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 13, 2014

Mounting rear telescopic shock absorbers

To get the right position of the bottom mount hole, measure the clearance between the bump stop and where it hits the body at full bounce. Add 1/2″ to allow for bump stop compression. (Some [...]

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By Paul
In Brakes, Wheels, Suspension And Steering, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 13, 2014

Mounting a tramp bar

When full power is applied to the driving wheels, the axle experiences a reaction torque which tries to rotate it in the opposite direction from the wheels.   A tramp bar is a device which [...]

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By Paul
In Brakes, Wheels, Suspension And Steering, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 13, 2014

Suspension – removal of seized components

Rubber bushes which incorporate steel sleeves in the inner hole (crush tubes) are frequently seized between the crush tube and their supporting pin, making removal difficult. Examples are the [...]

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By Paul
In Brakes, Wheels, Suspension And Steering, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 13, 2014

Alloy wheel options for the Midget

Midgets with the square wheel arch at the rear (all of them apart from 73-74 models) are very tight for clearance on wheels and tyres, so when fitting alloys it is important that you make the [...]

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By Paul
In Brakes, Wheels, Suspension And Steering, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 13, 2014

Understeer – what is it, has my car got it?

Books have been written on this, so I’ll try to be brief: A car should track around a corner along an arc with its centre at the meeting point of the rear wheel and front wheel axes. The more the [...]

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By Paul
In Brakes, Wheels, Suspension And Steering, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 13, 2014

Wire wheel balance problems

Sometimes wire wheels can be a problem to get balanced. Here are a few tips to try and solve it: Check how the balancing machine locates the wheels. It should locate on the taper on the inside of [...]

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By Paul
In Brakes, Wheels, Suspension And Steering, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 13, 2014

PWM Bilstein front coil-over kit

What it contains: 1 pr Bilstein shocks Upper mounting bracket Upper inner fulcrum block and bushes Upper wishbone arms and fulcrum shaft Modified upper spring locating cup Modified bottom spring [...]

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By Paul
In Brakes, Wheels, Suspension And Steering, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 12, 2014

Brake Upgrades

When do you need to upgrade your brakes? For normal – even exuberant – road use, the standard brakes are fine, especially if fitted with uprated pads and linings. My key reference [...]

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By Paul
In Brakes, Wheels, Suspension And Steering, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 12, 2014

Rear wheel cylinders, MGB and Midget

Safety warning The MGB and Midget rear wheel cylinders are part of a range identical in design apart from the bore size, which ranges from 5/8 to 7/8 (I think I have seen 15/16 too) in 1/16 [...]

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By Paul
In Fuel and Exhaust, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 12, 2014

Whether to fit a stainless exhaust system?

In New Zealand as we don’t have a salt-induced corrosion problem from the outside as they do in the UK, so a stainless system hasn’t quite the same imperative here. However, stainless [...]

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By Paul
In Fuel and Exhaust, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 12, 2014

Extractor Systems – How They Work, What to Look For

The workings of an extractor are frequently misunderstood and misrepresented, so herewith a bit of explanation. For reading material, one of the best books I’ve found on the topic remains [...]

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By Paul
In Fuel and Exhaust, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 12, 2014

Non-vented Fuel Caps

The USA spec fuel cap fitted to many MGB’s & Midgets was unvented and as a result sometimes there is a big suck of air when you undo the fuel cap. – to such an extent that the [...]

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By Paul
In Fuel and Exhaust, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 12, 2014

SU Fuel Pumps – they are not inherently unreliable!

The original SU pump is very reliable for about 12 – 15 years. Once it starts to falter, overhaul it and it will be good for another 12 – 15 years. The SU pump only ever had one [...]

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By Paul
In MGA-MGB, Midget, Transmission And Rear Axle
Posted December 12, 2014

Uprating Midget rear axles

Questions are often asked about how well the Midget rear axle can cope with additional power.  The answer is that it depends on which part of the rear axle you are referring to! Our testing [...]

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By Paul
In MGA-MGB, Midget, Transmission And Rear Axle
Posted December 12, 2014

Halfshaft Strength

Halfshafts require good ultimate strength – which will depend on the both type of steel used and the design. The material strength is a similar issue to bolts: Mild steel bolts are like [...]

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By Paul
In MGA-MGB, Midget, Transmission And Rear Axle
Posted December 12, 2014

Diff pinion and oil seal replacement

Care needed! When replacing the pinion oil seal you need to be aware that you could disturb the settings on the diff of some models. The reason for this is that the pinion bearings are set up [...]

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By Paul
In MGA-MGB, Midget, Transmission And Rear Axle
Posted December 12, 2014

Clutch problems

Clutch drag is when the car will not engage gear properly without grinding the gears, especially in reverse. Generally, this occurs because the pressure plate is not retracting enough to clear [...]

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By Paul
In MGA-MGB, Midget, Transmission And Rear Axle
Posted December 12, 2014

Rear wheel bearing seal replacement – Tube Axles

It is not necessary to remove the brake backplate and seal housing from the axle assembly – simply withdraw the inner cone (on which the hub mounts and the seal runs) over the halfshaft. Do [...]

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By Paul
In MGA-MGB, Midget, Transmission And Rear Axle
Posted December 12, 2014

Limited Slip Differentials

What does a Limited Slip Differential do? An LSD is installed to maximise wheel traction. These benefits are seen most readily in competition, particularly where the car is attempting to [...]

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By Paul
In MGA-MGB, Midget, Transmission And Rear Axle
Posted December 12, 2014

Checking your diff ratio

Sometimes doubt arises as to the diff ratio currently fitted to a car, as a significant number of them have had their diff ratios changed over the years.  Reasons include Deliberate modification [...]

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By Paul
In MGA-MGB, Midget, Transmission And Rear Axle
Posted December 11, 2014

Installation of 4-synchro gearbox into the Mk1 MGB body

Note: In addition to the changes below, cars with 3 bearing engines have a much smaller crankshaft spigot bush (5/8″ against 7/8″). As far as I’m aware, the only way around this [...]

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 AAU3052 Layshaft Bearings – B series 3 synchromesh gearbox, 3 hole layshaft
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By Paul
In MGA-MGB, Midget, Transmission And Rear Axle
Posted December 11, 2014

AAU3052 Layshaft Bearings – B series 3 synchromesh gearbox, 3 hole layshaft

Currently, the needles in the AAU3052 bearings are .004” undersized, which will result in incorrect meshing of the gears.  An alternative is to use needle roller 8G2404 in this application.  [...]

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By Paul
In MGA-MGB, Midget, Transmission And Rear Axle
Posted December 10, 2014

Overdrives

Introduction An overdrive is a two speed, electrically activated, supplementary gearbox which is attached to the rear of the main gearbox.  It was a popular period option which easily converted [...]

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By Paul
In Engine - Modified, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 10, 2014

Valve clearances on modified camshafts

The page on valve clearances in the tuning section refers BMC cams. My comments above also assumed normal roadwork, not competition. Other profiles have the ramps in different positions at [...]

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By Paul
In Engine - Modified, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 10, 2014

Measuring & setting up cam timing

To ascertain what type of camshaft you are running  (or at least get a feel for it) Camshafts can be identified by the opening and closing points of the valves, in conjunction with the amount of [...]

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By Paul
In Engine - Modified, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 10, 2014

Setting up ignition timing for modified engines

If the engine has been modified, its requirements for ignition timing will probably be different from standard. Also, the distributor itself may have been modified. What I describe below is a [...]

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By Paul
In Engine - Tuning, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 10, 2014

Run On

Run-on is a term used to describe what happens when the key is turned off and the engine continues to run somewhat erratically for a second or two, or even quite some time.  Run-on causes high [...]

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By Paul
In Engine - Tuning, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 10, 2014

Combustion problems and detonation

(Applies to any engine, but the B series is particularly prone to it). Combustion problems caused by erratic burning and/or detonation of fuel rather than controlled and even burning shorten [...]

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By Paul
In Engine - Tuning, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 10, 2014

Twin Carburettors

Forget the old myth that they are hard to keep tuned.  Twin carburettors have an unjustified reputation for being hard to keep in tune. It’s origins lie in the bad practice of fiddling with [...]

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By Paul
In Engine - Tuning, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 10, 2014

Vacuum units

The vacuum unit works to advance the spark on part throttle in order to improve efficiency and fuel economy when cruising/at steady speed. At full throttle the manifold vacuum disappears and so [...]

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By Paul
In Engine - Tuning, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 10, 2014

Valve Clearances

Maintaining the correct valve clearance is important to prevent premature valve train wear.  Too tight and there is a risk that the valves won’t seat properly and burn out, too loose and [...]

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By Paul
In Engine - Tuning, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 10, 2014

Distributor advance rate adjustments: compensating for high mileage wear

The most common cause of combustion problems such as pinking in MG engines is not fuel as usually assumed (provided the engine is running on minimum 95 octane), but distributors not performing to [...]

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By Paul
In Engine - Tuning, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 10, 2014

Setting Ignition Timing

The following notes are intended to supplement the information on how to set ignition timing (by either method) which is found in most good workshop manuals, with particular reference to how to [...]

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By Paul
In Engine - Tuning, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 10, 2014

Introduction to tuning

All pre-electronic MG engines are easy to tune and hold no great mysteries, so are easy for owners who want to do their own maintenance to tackle if they go about it methodically and in the right [...]

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 Engine Mount Restraint
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By Paul
In Engine General, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 10, 2014

Engine Mount Restraint

If you have a problem with carburettors touching/denting the bonnet,or engine mounts breaking under competition use then read on … On our Midgets we have put a restraint on the engine mount [...]

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By Paul
In Engine General, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 10, 2014

Engine difficult to start when hot

If your engine won’t start easily when hot, and has good fuel delivery and good spark, it may be because heat soak is making the fuel expand and rise enough to dribble out the jet and flood [...]

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By Paul
In Engine General, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 10, 2014

Engine completely and suddenly dies

If your engine has been running fine and suddenly dies and will not fire at all while cranking on the starter, check: Fuel – assuming you have some in the tank! Remove a fuel line from one [...]

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By Paul
In Engine General, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 10, 2014

Pushrod cover gaskets & seals – rubber or cork?

Both A series (except the 1275) and B series engines had cover plates on the side of the block providing easy access to the cam followers.   On the 1275 (except the early Cooper S blocks) the [...]

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By Paul
In Engine General, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 10, 2014

Fix those noisy tappets!

Excessive tappet noise is an indication that something needs attending to.   Even the B series engine, renowned for tappet noise, is quite quiet in the valve gear with newly reground cam and [...]

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By Paul
In Engine General, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 10, 2014

Have I got hardened valve seats?

It is often difficult to determine whether valve seat inserts have been fitted before, when viewed only from the chamber, – the original machining usually left a pattern which is not to [...]

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By Paul
In Engine General, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 10, 2014

Valve seat recession and unleaded fuel

I often get asked what is the best way to deal with this. The options are: Additives added to the tank when you top-up with fuel In-line tin-based canisters Stainless valve seat inserts. [...]

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By Paul
In Engine General, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 10, 2014

Engine freshen-up – what to check

An engine freshen-up is a term that means different things to different people. In the context of the following I have taken it to be replacing the rings and bearing shells and attending to other [...]

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By Paul
In Engine General, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 10, 2014

Burning oil in an MGB or Midget? It may not be as bad as you think!

There are two faults which show up in the breather systems of Midgets and MGBs which cause dramatic oil consumption and lots of blue smoke, even with a reconditioned engine.  Quite a number of [...]

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By Paul
In Engine General, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 10, 2014

B series water pumps – Which one?

MGA, MGB 3 main bearing, and MGB 5 main bearing engines all had different water pumps.  MGB 5 bearing engines also had two types of water pump, differing in their length. When ordering [...]

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By Paul
In Engine General, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 10, 2014

B-series Cylinder head markings

All 1800cc heads have the number 18 embossed on the top of the head next to the rear stud (on the spark plug side of it). 1600 heads have a 16, most (all?) 1500 heads had nothing there. On the [...]

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By Paul
In General, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 10, 2014

Bolts – The right strength bolt can be critical to safety and reliability!

Bolt head markings show how strong the bolt is. Original bolts on MGB and earlier MGs carried markings on the bolt head, the most common of which were ‘R’, ‘S’ or ‘T’. R is a basic grade of bolt [...]

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By Paul
In General, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 10, 2014

Speedo Calibration

If a tyre of a different size or aspect ratio is fitted, this will affect the speedo. To check the effect of the tyres on the speedo, measure the rolling radius of the front tyre and rear tyre. [...]

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By Paul
In General, MGA-MGB, Midget
Posted December 10, 2014

MGB model identification

In NZ, there is always vagueness as to the exact model when looking at date of first registration due to the shipping time as well as the other lags between manufacture and sale. I’ve never [...]

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By Paul
In General, MGA-MGB, Midget, MGF
Posted December 10, 2014

Pre-emptive maintenance

For pre-emptive maintenance, classic MG’s are fairly basic cars and simple to maintain by today’s standards.  The long term health of the car can be easily looked after on a day-to-day [...]

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By Paul
In General, MGA-MGB, Midget, MGF
Posted December 10, 2014

Reregistering a Car with Lapsed Registration

      A car which has its registration lapsed for more than a year is de-registered by NZTA.  To return it to the road, it has to undergo the same compliance process as a newly imported vehicle, [...]

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By Paul
In General, MGA-MGB, Midget, MGF
Posted December 8, 2014

Importing a Car into New Zealand

Look before you leap!   If you are thinking of importing a car to NZ, here are some things to be aware of:         To be registered in New Zealand, the car will have to undergo a compliance [...]

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By Paul
In General, MGA-MGB, Midget, MGF
Posted December 8, 2014

Buying an MG?

       We offer free pre-purchase checks which are high level rather than detailed checks of the key problem areas of the body, engine condition and the general feel of whether the car drives as [...]

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