MGB Roadmaster

BlownMGB-V8 · February 01, 2012, 08:37:19 AM

Next the car comes back to Florence for the winter gathering on the 25th (unless Dan has another appearance for it planned) so I'm guessing it will be here late on the 24th. It will be here for the weekend and then go with Carl down to Johnson City, then to Lugoff with Steve, then to Townsend for the Blount County meet and whatever else Dan M. has planned (the big Hot Rod run has been mentioned I think) and from there to Palestine. After that Bill Young is in charge of the schedule.

I think Carl and Steve have plans for day or weekend trips within their driving range Max, so I'm sure you can get one or the other of them to bring it up your way.

Jim

Dan B · February 01, 2012, 12:44:43 PM

No more big plans for it here, slow season for car shows. Our local british car club meets Saturday the 18th, so maybe a riding/driving session there.

Dan B · February 02, 2012, 10:20:01 AM

As you may be able to see from this pic I took with my phone, the speedo is reading at about 40 mph at 70 on the GPS. The tach also bounces around, then settles down. Fuel guage is typical MG, after it gets to a half a tank, start looking for gas.

Other observations at highway speed-- quite a bit of wind noise. Passenger door seems to be leaking. Also, when slowing you can hear some gear whine. Radio needs an antenna. I have probably run about 15 gallons of gas through it in around 200 miles.

Dan B · February 02, 2012, 10:23:10 AM

I would also like to commend Max and his crew for the GREAT JOB on the interior, particularly the headliner. There was no better looking car at the WV International Car show!

madmax · February 06, 2012, 10:00:22 AM

Thanks, Dan. We're sorry you couldn't join us (but you'd have gotten the floor! :-) )

RE: Palestine. JIM-- can we make sure the Roadmaster gets pencilled in for a chunk of the Dyno time? We really need it dialed in before it goes bouncing around the country. $.02

To that end, can we send out an "all-call" for QuadraJet jets and needles and tubes and whatever else it has? Fibre said he just put in "the biggest I had".

Can you open up the carb and see where it's currently jetted at? If Dan has been getting ~ 14mpg we can't be too far off. (I mean, what did we THINK it was going to get cruising-- 16?)

We have plenty of power on tap-- I suggest tuning for economy (which, interestingly, is not that far off from power peak! :-) ) So, rather than 12.5 to 1, tune for 14 to 1. Also will be better in the hotter weather. (Though, if it's already pretty HOT in Palestine in May, go the other way--- tune closer to 12.5, so we'll be richer for the cooler weather....)

$.02

M

Citron · February 08, 2012, 03:50:50 PM

Max,
I hope when I have the car next, I can bring it up for you to see and maybe even get some dyno time.

Steve

crashbash · February 08, 2012, 04:50:21 PM

Now don't be scarin the natives all of you that get to drive this car! I remember what you all told me about driving one of these cars too fast when I asked for some of those there I was stories......They now seem to be slipping out. I want to hear more.
lol!

Dan B · February 08, 2012, 09:46:23 PM

It is rich. I hardly have to choke it to get it started when it is cold. It does seem to be running in nicely though.

mgb260 · February 11, 2012, 01:28:22 AM

Give these guys a call on recommendations on the Quadrajet: http://www.cliffshighperformance.com/

madmax · February 12, 2012, 05:59:08 PM

Steve:

Okay, when are we thinking?

I've ordered in a copy of Cliff's QuadraJet book (Thx, Jim Nichols!), but we'd still need to know what range so as to get a tuning kit.

JIM: have you written down your current timing settings, jet settings, etc.? I'd want to double check what I find versus what you have (Read: your timing gun vs. Mine) and also to have a record of where we were compared to where we end up on the dyno.

I'm expecting that top dyno numbers will NOT end up being driveable settings! (That whole idle timing issue, blah blah....) So, necessary to know what options in case we have to go back to a known setting that "worked".

Hopefully that's not the case, but best to be prepared. :-)

Cheers,

M

Citron · February 16, 2012, 11:08:37 AM

Max,
Don't know dates yet. Hopefully will find out something at the winter party. I have to get the car from Carl. Then take it to you and play with it.

steve

Dan B · February 16, 2012, 01:59:17 PM

I have now added a gallon of coolant to the car. Also, the battery is weak. I did not drive it any over the weekend due to the cold and snow so when the weather was pretty yesterday it required a little help to start. I used my booster/charger. I have also added 2 quarts of oil during the time I have had it. Total miles driven are probably in the 300 range.

BlownMGB-V8 · February 16, 2012, 07:21:42 PM

It's got a little pinhole in the surge tank, we should probably fix that, and it would be pretty easy to do that while it is here. How full did you go with it? 1/2 to 2/3 up in the tank is adequate, it needs to have a little air space. If the tank was down to 1/4 or 1/3 you could easily add a gallon.

I noticed that about the battery myself. We should probably put a new one in it.

Guess the oil usage hasn't really improved. We'll just have to keep an eye on that.

Jim

Dan B · February 18, 2012, 01:45:18 PM

We had nice weather for the WVBCC meting this morning, and everyone who wanted to got to drive or ride in the Roadmaster. I mentioned the opportunity to donate, but nobody gave me any money. If I had T-shirts I could have sold a few.
Everyone was quite impressed! I also had an inquiry as to where you can get the headlights. Fred, could you post that information? I tried to find it in the thread, but I don't think it is there.

Dan B · February 24, 2012, 11:44:29 AM

To give everybody an idea of the kind of acceleration this car has, yesterday evening I was rolling along at about 70 when a semi truck decided to pass the one in front of him going up a hill. So I slowed to about 60 behind him as he took the entire long grade on I-64 to pass the truck that was going probably 59. After he cleared the pass and pulled over, I dropped to 4th gear and punched it. As I passed the cab I glanced at the GPS which read 101. So it went from 60 to 100 in like 80 feet!! (well, a little more since we were moving but seriously!!!)

Great weather yesterday here, by the way.

roverman · February 24, 2012, 05:41:11 PM

BadAss is Passin ! This might be a proper sign for the pass side window ? Will it out-run radar/lol. Have safe fun, roverman.

madmax · February 25, 2012, 09:14:08 AM

So, you're all up at Jim's Winter Gathering! So....Post some pics!

Some thoughts in response to Blackwood(s) posts:

a) Oil consumption. If it ain't showing up on the floor, it's going out the tailpipe. We've had a couple instances of "unacceptable" oil consumption in new motors, and both times it was improperly installed compression rings! (Upside down, for instance.) I'm not saying tear the motor apart, but perhaps a dry and wet compression test for comparison?

a-2) If we are RICH, as Dan suggests, then this will affect the motors' ability to seal the rings (washing the oil down the sides). Perhaps time for a sniff of the oil and oil change to see how thin and fouled we are getting? 2 qts in 300 miles is pretty severe. One quart in 1000 is industry maximum, and most people complain about that! (Think of it-- that would be adding 3 qts during one 3000 mile oil change!)

b) The battery. Are we sure it's not those twin fans running on post-ignition? They are a hell of a draw (13A running). I would put a Smartcharger on the battery and see if it gets happy again. Then I'd consider putting a second sensing unit on the fans to stagger when they come on and go off. (Maybe one at 195F, etc.)

$.02

Have fun!

M

mgb260 · February 25, 2012, 10:36:41 AM

Too fine of hone for cast iron rings have trouble seating also. Find a long down hill grade and use engine compression to slow down. Might help to seat the rings.

roverman · February 25, 2012, 03:09:46 PM

I do hope someone errored on the slightly more expensive side and selected "moly" rings ? Blowby gage ? Good Luck, roverman.

Bill Young · February 26, 2012, 06:17:46 PM

After a good inspection of the car this Saturday it appears that the oil consumption is mainly leaking from the rear main seal area when the engine is running and being blown under the car and onto the road, Not much is actually dripping off when the car is idle it seems. The battery checked out at an 89% charge but I went ahead and put in a new one just in case and brought the old one home with me to check in my car. It's probaby running a little rich as the tail pipes are both a bit sooty, but it doesn't seem to be too bad and runs pretty good. Idles clean without and odor of being rich at that point.
We don't think it's burning much oil as there is almost no sign of blowby at the outlet of the PCV tube into the air cleaner.

mgb260 · February 26, 2012, 06:27:58 PM

Bill, Sometimes the back of intake leaks down and looks like the rear seal leaking also. On the small V6 I had a bad O ring on the distributor leaking.

MGBV8 · February 26, 2012, 08:40:23 PM

Yeah, many years ago, I got a great deal on a S10 that was thought to have a rear main leaking. I was tickled to find it only was the distributor o-ring. Didn't have one so I used the old fashioned flat gasket.

Of course, the Buick distributor isn't in the back.

djw090 · February 27, 2012, 04:36:47 AM

Bill, as its an MGB we should look upon the spray oil under the car from the rear seal as a positive not a negative.

Dan B · February 27, 2012, 11:42:34 AM

I drove it back to WV yesterday afternoon. Beautiful afternoon for a drive too. Since the speedo it not calibrated, I can only guess at the gas mileage, but running it pretty easy most of the way it may have gotten as good as 18 mpg. But it is still getting about 100 miles per quart of oil. We put two in to fill it at Jim's before I left and I had to put two more in to fill it when I got gas in WV.

Carl and I found the calibration procedure for the speedo, but we are missing a piece required to do it. A small plug apparently connects to the speedo under the mounting bar. Attached to that plug are two wires with a calibration button connecting them. Does anybody have SW guages and the required part? It is not needed after the speedo is calibrated by driving a measured mile. It would be handy to know how fast you are actually going......

RMO 699F · February 27, 2012, 11:14:47 PM

Hi all...just wanted to express my thanks for Jim Blackwoods hospitality this past weekend at the winter meeting.. Edith and Jim prepared some great soup and stew, and lots of other goodies to eat. I hope I have not missed anyone, but here is a list of those who attended:
Bill Young, Carl Floyd, Steve Degroat, Dan Blackwood, Kelly Stevenson, Dann Wade, Mike Maloney and of course Jim. Here are some cell phone pics of those in attendance. Sorry Kelly, you had just left when I arrived Saturday morning. Hope you are feeling better--but all was not lost, as Bill Young provided the curb service :-)
Winter Meeting 2012 007.jpg