BritishV8 Forum

Here is the new engine ready to go in my '71 MGB.

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This new engine is a 300 based stroker of 346 cubic inch displacement at a .030" overbore. It uses a 350 Buick crank, Carillo 6.2" rods, 10.5 Wiseco pistons, TAPerformance Rover heads, 1.9/1.6" Ti valves, beehive springs, LS style stud mount roller rockers, modded Chevy solid roller lifters and a TA roller cam with the LT "Hot" grind. The intake is fully custom with vertical runners and centered vertical dump injectors from a top plenum fed from an inverted M112 blower and will use the same Enderlie style bug catcher as the last two engines, at least until I see fit to make a new one. The block is deburred and coated inside and out with Cerrakote silver ceramic as are the outside surfaces of the other engine parts.

Here is the prepared engine bay which previously housed a variety of 215's, a Buick 340 and a 300, N/A, turboed and blown.

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The 346 stroker is the best of the lot and with luck may be the last but I kept and upgraded the 340 as a spare just in case. That may provide the insurance to prevent the need, ultimately letting me sell the 340 but time will tell. Many things change.

I will document the install but basically it is old hat by now, mainly the reverse of the last removal with a few new custom parts like a set of fuel rails and a riser for the scoop, and ordering some bits like a set of stainless ferry bolts for the headers.

The new engine will provide performance just a bit better than the 340 did but in a package that fits the MGB better. Not that it particularly matters for this car as it already has the mods required for the 340, but I did want to do a high performance 300 build and this is it. It has much better heads and stronger rods, better oil drainback and should have a higher redline.

Jim

That engine is a work of art.  The custom plenum work on top of the blower is amazing.  Full throttle blasts will be fun but brief. 

The removal took just a day or two but going the other way is going to be at least a couple of weeks. Funny how that works. I had 3 choices on the bellhousing and after trying all three decided to use the old conventional standard push type if I can. You know the one, it had a fully mechanical linkage as used by GM. The advantage is that the clutch fork has a MUCH wider range of motion which makes the rest of it so much easier instead of having to fight to get every detail perfect so the clutch will work. One of these is the Sunfire (Starfire? Sunbird? Whatever) cable operated bell which is second best and the modded bell with the S10 clutch fork is the trickiest to set up and the least forgiving.

The mechanical bell is often used with a pull cylinder, frequently with the clutch fork shortened. I am going to attempt to use it with a push cylinder, we'll see how that works out.

I had a "You're so stupid" moment, never overlook the length of the lifting arm on your engine hoist. I had the arm all the way out and the legs pulled back and never even thought about it when I took the engine off the stand. It was fine until I had the transmission bolted up and began to lift it up again. Of course it waited to overbalance until it was a couple feet in the air and then it was like a slow motion train wreck as I watched the hoist tip up and deposit the engine back on the floor. DUH! If I'd been only a little less surprised I could have hopped up on the back of the hoist frame but no. I just stood there like a complete idiot and watched while it bashed in the bottom of my newly painted and sealed oil pan.

So that's gotta come back off. Engine's gotta go back on the stand. Lucky that's the only damage. This could be cause for major frustration and indeed for a time I was quite unsettled. The day had started poorly with a dream of a gang of 4wd trucks destroying the back yard with 2 ft deep ruts to the point where all grass was gone and it'd take days with a bulldozer (which I don't have) to even begin to fix it. How's that even happen in a day? I yelled at people, ran them all off, and was even considering the shotgun, and it'd all started as a party. Dreams, right? Fagidaboudit. The rest of the day was one step forward and two steps back until I realized later on, I'm really a very lucky guy! How many can spend their time the way I do? I've got WAY more to be thankful for than to complain about. With that thought in mind, I want to wish you all a fantastic day, I know mine will be. And as I've said before, anything worth doing is worth doing twice. Generally the second time I find ways to do it better.

Jim

The saga continues and I'm about where I was before dropping the engine except I have the mechanical bell bolted up and haven't attached the transmission yet.

So I've been looking at the slave cylinder and I'm a little concerned about clearance to the tunnel for the clutch arm. I could approach this several different ways. It's probably possible to mount and use a push cylinder. It may not be the best option though. Space will be tight and servicing won't be any easier, may in fact be more cramped. The arm could be cut and shortened by re-welding the end back on after a section is removed, a long enough rod could be used to get the mount forward of the flange, Then I'd have to order a larger master cylinder. At the existing length that would have to be 15/16", with a 1" shorter arm it would have to be 7/8", both available. The mount would be tricky, and with the headers and block drain in the same general area it would only be accessible from the bottom so no advantage there.

OTOH, I could go with a pull cylinder. To do that the arm gets cut off and a hole drilled through the top and bottom flange and maybe a bit more work for clearance for a rod end. At the other end the case has a lug that can be used. Pretty easy. I could add a strap from the lug to a case bolt if I want to reinforce it and I probably do. We used this setup (without the strap) on the MGB-Roadmaster and had zero issues with it. The only questions are how much to shorten the arm and what size master cylinder to use.

I think the RoadMaster used a 3/4" MC, the pull slave has a 7/8" bore and I think that's pretty standard. The 3/8" rod reduces the effective size of the bore to .791".

My existing slave cylinder has a 3/4" bore. I can reduce the arm length up to 2-1/4" from 7" or as short as 4-3/4" on the MC side for a ratio of 1.58:1 for a ratio increase of 1.4:1, meaning that with the .791" effective bore my MC size would need to be .739 or better which checks rather nicely with the MC size in the RM and I have a new 3/4" MC that I can easily use. So far it all looks good. I've made an assumption as to my existing MC size but think it's accurate as I decreased it recently. So I just need a couple of spherical joints which I'll have to look, might have one or two, and the pull cylinder which from Speedway costs less than a new Tilton MC. I can go ahead with the install once the arm is shortened and drilled as this can all be added from under the lift.

Good progress.

Jim

Looks like I made the right choice going to the pull cylinder and shortening the arm by 2-1/4". The spacing works out just about right.

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I put the hole as close to the vertical wall as I could get it, even cutting into the wall a bit and then sliced out clearance for the heim joint but I wasn't happy with the amount of metal left between the hole and the edge so I used the MIG welder to build that up and then the angle grinder with a flapper wheel to dress it back down flat and put a radius on it. Might not be clear in the shot but the end product looks right.

Now a word on some of the finer details of the block side mounts when used on the 300. The following photo shows the position of the driver's side mount when used with the TA heads:

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Notice the proximity to the dipstick tube and the adjacent boss on the block. Once you stack a couple washers and a 7/16" hex bolt with it's 11/16" head there is barely enough room to get a 3/8" drive socket on the head of the bolt and it may take a prybar levering the engine sideways to do it. You could make the mount a little wider but it's already getting pretty close to the wing on both sides so clearance is tight. A SHCS could be used instead of a hex bolt and that solves the problem. Also forming a screw tip on the end of the bolt makes it lead into the captive nut for easier install. The iron heads are a bit worse as that boss on the block is covered up by a boss on the heads:

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The Rover heads are the same as the TA heads and the aluminum 300 heads are sort of in between the two:

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I still think these are the best mounts, closer to perfection than anything else we have so far, but still not perfect but I think it's as close as we are going to get. If I was doing them again I'd probably space that one out a good sixteenth from the block, really more an issue of the hole location in the frame rail than the mount itself as it has some play. I didn't do it this time but if I have them out again in the future I think I will just plan on the SHCS mod. It'll make things easier.

As for forming a screw tip, the best way is on a lathe, running CCW so the tool runs off the end of the screw and running in the crossfeed by hand at the end to cut the threads into a point. It can be done in a vise with a triangular file also. A bit tedious and inaccurate but it doesn't have to be perfect. It's only purpose is to engage the threads and pull the bolt into full engagement.

Jim

Yesterday I put the new dust boot on the shifter of my Tremec 3550. This same boot is listed for all the Tremecs and T5s with the oem shift tower. The original boot has a plate that bolts down and a small rubber boot, this one is about a 3" diameter all rubber boot that stretches out to fit over the edge of the shift tower and the boot itself is considerably larger. It's probably the only replacement boot available and it seems to work well but is not easy to stretch over the tower. They provided 3 tabs to get ahold of it with but even so it has to stretch quite a lot. I also lubed the hole the shifter goes through, the step on the shaft is a small hurdle. Reasonably tight there as well. It can be done by dropping the transmission mount crossmember a couple inches but be prepared for a struggle.

While inspecting the bottom side I found a couple of issues that need attention, the brake line to the right side got crimped badly at the fitting, probably by the starter so that will need re-flared but should be salvageable without running a new line. Must be time to flush the front brake lines. Also I have the wrong filter base on my oil pump so that will need to be changed. This could have been a big problem. This particular base sits at a 45 degree angle and seems to be the most common one with the SBB engines. I have several of them. The one on my iron head 300 is at 30 degrees and works with my frame rail/big cross flow radiator mods but that one will require re-positioning of my serpentine drive belt tensioner. I really don't want to do that. Otherwise it's a good filter mount if the frame mods are done. One of those, probably the 30 degree mount is likely to be the "Metric" mount used later on in production by Buick.

Fortunately for me I also have the straight mount from one of my old 215 engines. On the original install I used the smallest diameter filter possible and positioned it between the steering rack, the frame rail, and the sway bar. Today, the frame rail angles outwards, the steering rack is lowered, and the sway bar is moved down about 3 inches so there should be plenty of room. I may need to do a small bit of trimming on the bottom edge of the accessory drive mounting plate but possibly not even that. All in all a good result. It means having to re-seal the oil pump which I dislike, but at least it's a relatively easy fix.

So I'll work on buttoning up the bottom of the car. Wiring and such of course. The pull slave has been shipped and I want to make a reinforcing bracket for the transmission end of that which should be fairly simple.

Jim

I felt the risk of case breakage outweighed the utility of being able to use the lug on the side of the transmission as an anchor point for the pull cylinder which should be here by Friday so I made a reinforcement bracket.

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As is often the case I decided to make it out of stainless, as it needs no paint, is easy to clean, and gives generally about the same or better strength to weight ratio as steel. It is heavier but also stronger. I used 1/8" or 12 ga material, if I was using mild steel I would have used 3/16". Ignore all the power cords, those are from my angle grinders which seem to be a little bit like rabbits. HF is a definite enabler.

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I used a card to lay out the pattern of the base but this next shot gives approximate dimensions and the outline. It was an easy piece to make and is strong enough to make sure the tab doesn't get broken off the side of the case.

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The hole in the tab had to be enlarged slightly to match the 3/8" heim joint which will go above the plate. I considered an extra rib to triangulate the base plate but decided it really wasn't needed once I saw what was required to straighten the base after welding. I believe it'll be fine.

Yesterday I also swapped bases on some oil pumps, taking the "Metric" base off the 300 mule and putting it on the 340 and vice-versa for the standard base. The metric is definitely the base wanted if the wide-radiator frame mod is done, provided the engine is far forward enough to make use of it. I will be using the straight 215 base on the stroker and probably swapping it on today along with addressing the smashed brake line. Maybe hook up the wires to the starter if I get that far. I also need to make a splash shield for the bellhousing. I used some 3/8" thick white polyethylene for that part on the bay car, I may do the same thing here.

Jim

The pull cylinder came in yesterday and wouldn't you know it the description was inadequate. Listed as having 3/8" rods and while that is technically correct the business ends of the rods have a 5/16-24 thread. So here I am with 3/8" holes for the heim joints at both ends, meaning a sloppy fit that will wear. Not acceptable. Plus I have the 3/8" ends but do not have any 5/16" ones. I ordered a helicoil kit and will try inserting those in the rod ends to match the pull cylinder threads. The overall length should be close enough with those ends. If not I can make up a new rod for the stationary end that will take the 3/8" rod end directly. I might consider that for the pull rod too, I just hate breaking down a perfectly new cylinder. Still, it's an opportunity to make sure it is assembled correctly. Might need some 3/8" stainless rod.

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The replacement pump cover has plenty of clearance all around, the ports are to the back so nothing even comes close to the belt idler and there's plenty of room for a filter. I could probably use a full sized one.

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Jim

Some detail work going on.. I got the slave done and bled and it seems like that's going to work fine.

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My new yoke used straps instead of u-bolts so I positioned the VSS to trigger on the ears of the yoke which will mean changing the setting for that.

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I made a dust cover for the bellhousing, still have to cut the starter hole. Used 3/8" low density polyethylene.

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And did some trimming on the fan shroud to mate it to the new Proform 1-2-3 radiator from Summit.

Jim

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I did not trust the U-joint straps on my Camaro.  I replaced them with U-joint girdles.

Good idea but it'd require the threaded holes to be drilled out.

Jim

The starter is out for delivery today and I have one multi-tube clamp I want to rework before that goes in as it will be hard to get to afterwards. I re-routed the slave cylinder lines and I suspect the bleeder line was bent and internally crimped because it doesn't flow the way it should but as I was able to bleed the cylinder anyway I'll leave it for now. I straightened the bent part and  it does work but is slow to bleed. Not optimal but it is acceptable. If it has to come out some time in the future I'll probably replace the hose with something better.

I'm not really happy with the VSS so I've been thinking about how I could mount my old 2 piece tooth wheel. Problem is that the new bolts that hold the U-joint straps are specialized. I'm not all that happy with that. I suppose I could use SHCS which are grade 9. Several details involved there, for one the bolts are smaller diameter so the alignment of the tooth wheel will be trickier and the heads may pull through the holes, meaning lock washers or spacers or both are needed. Also that stamped stock bracket on the sensor allows it to rattle around more than I'm comfortable with, which wouldn't have been an issue in the stock application as it's clear from the o-ring that the sensor was located in a bore. The mount I'm using was never intended as a long term remedy anyway so I guess it's time to improve it. Some scraps of aluminum should suffice.

My grease gun needles came in so with the u-joints greased and the starter installed I should be pretty much done underneath once that's all handled and it'll be on to the radiator, wiring, plumbing and headers plus controls. Then new cylinder mounts for the bonnet and some bodywork trimming, at which point the new resonators should be here. They are small 6" diameter chambered units and I think that will complement the glass pack main mufflers and give a nice rumble out the back without being overly loud but there's going to be quite a bit of work routing and installing that part so it may not get done right away and maybe not in time for BV8 this year.

As if all that weren't enough, I've still got to make up a pair of fuel rails, weld up the cracks in the bug catcher, and make a riser to get it above the rails, after which get into the tuning software and at the very least change the values for the fuel injectors and hope that'll make it at least run well enough to drive. I expect an appointment with Nick for dyno tuning will be something like 6 months out or possibly even more. So it'll be up to me to get the more general tuning work done. Time is beginning to grow a bit short.

Jim

My starter came in today, not quite identical to the one I bought before so I could have just as well gone with the $46 one maybe. I'll make it work. Have to 'adjust' the block brace. No biggie.

Here's a couple shots of my line brackets:

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I should shorten the screw on that one. Pretty good lower view of my motor mount though...

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This one did hold the hoses for the clutch slave but that caused a kink with the new pull cylinder. Here's how I ended up mounting my timing wheel for the VSS. SHCS are grade 9 and I made up shouldered tubes to space out and center the halves. Not ideal and I was a little sloppy when I laid out the holes originally but it should work.

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Lastly here is the new sensor mount.

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Quite a bit of fiddly work to get the clearance in range and it varies more than I'd like but it should be OK.

Jim

I got the starter in (left the brace off, if it breaks the nose cone I'll swap the solenoid to the old one and use it). Still need to install the block drain on this side. I was off a little bit on the dust shield, oh well.

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I eliminated the filler neck on the radiator but may need to add an air bleed fitting.

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Also cut the exit holes to turn my exhaust in instead of out, need to buy some bends and couplers for that.

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Then bead blasted the port spacers and gaskets for my headers and test fitted those. Did some grinding for the spark plug boots and got that all bolted up with new stainless Ferry bolts. Those things are danged expensive but nothing else works as well. Started on new mounts for the bonnet lift cylinders. One of the old ones broke and the other is showing cracks. These may also be the source of my bonnet misalignment. A bit of automotive Jewelry there. I wonder if they'd draw any interest at the auction?

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May have to buy a new fan for the radiator, space is tight between one of the fan motors and the belt tensioner. Onward we go.

Jim

Next thing, because of the new belt layout the tensioner and one of the radiator fan motors want to occupy the same space so I'm exploring options on that. Might be able to make a new shroud and reverse the up/down stagger and keep these fans, might have to go with pancake motors, might even have to use a single larger fan. Some measuring and experimentation is required. I was not happy at all with the fan that comes with this radiator, as it's a single and instead of a full shroud has what is essentially a sheet metal mounting bracket with large openings in it. There is still much to do and I'm no longer certain of getting it all done in time for the meet. That was an open question going in to this upgrade though so it's nothing new. I'll be there, just don't know if the car will at this point. Probably. A lot depends on the tune when I get to that point. Today's tasks are plenty to deal with today and hopefully by tomorrow I'll have the fan solution well in hand. With luck maybe even have exhaust couplers and bends ordered as well. One can hope...

Jim

I have a plan. First, a shot of the late Camaro fan package, which can be had for around $100 or so new. It uses 3 relays so that the two fans can be driven in series for low speed at 6v and parallel for high at 12v and that method seems to work well.

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However the motor on the right side above wanted to use the same space as my belt tensioner. The remedy is to reposition the fans so the right one is lower, which involves cutting away part of the package and making a new shroud to mount them on. Here is the layout.

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Done that way there is plenty of toom for the tensioner and it should also make the fans much easier to remove if needed.

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Also my resonators came in. I didn't have a banana for scale so I used a spray bomb. As you can see they are fat little suckers. I'm considering spraying them with Cerrakote, meaning I have to sand blast them first. They didn't have them in stainless and the aluminized steel has more of a dampening effect anyway, meaning they are less likely to ring than if they were stainless. I'm pretty well convinced that the ringing is what makes some of the more popular aftermarket systems so annoying. These are a baffled/chambered resonator which should pair well with my glasspack forward mufflers.

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Jim

Had a little back strain yesterday but still got the shroud mostly finished:

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It's made of stainless, probably about 20ga and my cheap HF bender/slicer isn't much in the way of a pan brake so I had to beat the crap out of the corners to square them up but pretty much got there at last.

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Today I'll attach the fans, do a little straightening and maybe weld the corners if I think it'll help. Add fasteners and test fit and trim where needed. Drill and tap for a vent line probably, check how the slam panel matches up and move on to hoses. Every little bit helps.

Jim

Made good progress yesterday, I'm going on 3 days at this point on the radiator mods which I wasn't really expecting to have to do, but I wasn't considering how much different the new serpentine drive is from the old one on the 340. There will probably also end up being a cutout in the bonnet for the alternator which I had hoped to avoid but don't think at this point I'll be able to.

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Still some detail work to be done but the shroud is finished and the fans mounted. Welding the corners stiffened up the shroud more than you would expect.

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Spacing is pretty similar to the old radiator but it's an easier install. If I move the condenser the package goes right in. I padded the upper and lower mounts with 1/8" rubber sheet contact cemented in place.

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Tensioner clearance is... there? swapping belts might get a little tricky but nothing hits so at least that much is a win.

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The slam panel fits in the usual spot as before. I'll need to add nutserts for the top attachment where the hydraulic lines run and at the sides to attach the condenser, then I'll be able to reassemble the front of the car. I did drill and tap the radiator for the vent line, which of course now is just a bit short because the radiator is narrower.

Still lots to do though. Cylinder mounts for the hood actuators, then cascading downwards,the bonnet should sit lower meaning a host of small body tweaks. Plus wiring, plumbing, exhaust, charging the AC and tuning the engine. But at least the end is in sight.

Jim

Spent most of the day yesterday on two jobs.Admittedly they weren't really easy jobs but it doesn't seem like much to claim for your efforts. Anyway the first was the battery cable running from the alternator back to my main power post which is under the fuse and relay panel on the fenderwell. I used a 2 gage battery cable for that, heavily crimped the new end then soldered and heat shrunk both ends. That was routed down to the top of the frame rail and fitted with several inches of 5/8 heater hose where it passes the motor mount just for extra padding. May seem like overkill but that alternator has a capacity to put out 350 amps. Gage 2 should be adequate.

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The second was to add an arm to the bracket that locates the alternator, that arm going over to the AC compressor to do the same. I had apparently overlooked that part when I made up the serpentine drive but it should be fine now. Adequate clearances to the headers and the fenderwell.

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I did also get the big suction line in place and that was difficult. I'll need to see if I have a 1-1/16" crow's foot to try and tighten it down, and make sure I have clearance so I can easily remove the valve covers for valve adjustments. I had to trim my sheet metal cover that protects a bunch of electrical connections as it would not quite clear the new breaker for the heater fan motor otherwise. Lots of cascading details this time around, it's almost as much as doing a complete conversion.

Jim

Put a ground wire on yesterday and fought with the lower radiator hose. The battle continues...

Parts came in for the exhaust. I've made one slice and will get started on that next.

Jim

Pulled the old exhaust tips off and the perforated stainless rocker panels, exposing the glass pack mufflers. I'm pretty sure those have to come out to be cut off and have the couplers welded on so that would be next.

I've been tied up the last few days with the washer/dryer hutch but the last parts are now in the spray booth so it'll be done in the next couple of days. I did take a couple of photos. I'll try to get more of the MG tomorrow.

Jim

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I went ahead and pulled the header mufflers out.

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Amazing how quickly dirt and crud builds up isn't it?

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Turns out they aren't in the best shape so I will be replacing them. I have a query in to Thrush technical and if they have a proper sized stainless glass pack cartridge at a reasonable price I'm inclined to go that route.

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However, I am prepared to roll my own, I'd just need to purchase a perforated liner, which isn't cheap but is available. If I do I will make them rebuildable, similar to dirt bike mufflers. I have the tubing for the casing on hand.

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I also have some welding blanket which I think will make suitable packing, probably better than fiberglass, not quite as good as ceramic but less hazardous to handle. And it's already paid for. Mataceinc.com
I applied the flame from a very large butane torch to a corner of the blanket until the edges glowed and after removing it you couldn't tell it'd been touched.

Jim

Work on the exhaust is coming along nicely, although it seems I need to go ahead and place the order for the perforated stainless inner liner from the UK since I can't find it anywhere else. They will cost me about $75 each for  meter lengths of 2.25 or 2" liners. If I go with the usual glass pack manufacturer's practice I will order the smaller size despite the rest of the system being 2-1/4. It'd make assembly easier and seems to be the path most followed. Has to be a reason, maybe more than I'm aware of. Anyway typical deliveries from there could take a month or more so I'd better get that done today.

Here are a couple of shots and it's working out rather nicely so far.

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I may just tack the couplers to the old glass packs so that I can fit everything up and tack it in position. The trick is going to be after I pull off the rear wheels, to get the intermediate pipe up into position with the coupler connected to the headermuff and the pipe going over the suspension. The resonators will have matching couplers on each end for an easy install and I'll have the option of reversing them if I feel the need for additional tuning. Typically running them backwards would result in a bit more back pressure but also a bit more quiet. I will probably try them both ways. The glass pack liner tubes are not louvered so they will not have that option but they will be rebuildable. Most likely have to cut the rear weld to do that but being stainless it can then be re-welded once the new packing is in place. If this Matace carbon fiber blanket holds up as well as I think it might, it may never need to be replaced. If it does, the job shouldn't be onerous.

Jim

Jim, you can get these in 30" length:

https://stainlessworks.net/perforated-tubing-exhaust-inserts/

Thanks for that reference Jim. I decided to go with the 2" in the 1 meter length. The cores in my existing header muffs are a 1-3/4" louvered tube so these will be considerably less restrictive, in fact the entire new system including the resonators should be less restrictive than just the header muffs. And I was plenty happy with how that system worked so the main issue I can see cropping up might be sound level. No way I can predict that really, but I have made mufflers before and I'm hoping for a good result. The 2-1/2" inserts would leave room for less than 1/4" of packing. I don't see that being very effective.

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I'm going to have to re-route my fuel and hydraulic lines as they are currently tucked up in the frame rails and that would be right above the intermediate pipe as it goes over the axle half-shaft and I think they would pick up too much heat there.

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Also I ordered V-band couplers for the header collectors so that means unbolting the headers to weld those on the ends. I keep adding more details that need to be done but in the end at least it'll be the way I want it. I've tolerated an awful lot of feature creep so far, I guess I can tolerate a little more. Everything in the exhaust south of the headers will be stainless after this so that will be good, and the headers have lasted 41 years so far without serious degradation.

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Of course this also meant removing the upper stainless rails from the inner wings and will mean removing the AC compressor, which means making a special tool to slacken the belt adjuster which I wasn't planning on doing right away, so more feature creep. OTOH this will make it easier to fit the lower radiator hose so that's a plus.

Everything was going along fine up to the point where I set the car on fire. Drat! I hate it when that happens. I got in too big of a hurry with the welding, built up too much heat, and lit off the trim panel you can see above and of course that set fire to the bulkhead speaker so I had a nice little pocket sized bonfire that simply refused to expire until I resorted to the water hose on both sides of the bulkhead. I wasted time futzing about with expired extinguishers first and then tried to snuff it with a fire blanket, and by then it was too big for a blast of compressed air to do anything but enrage it and was about ready to begin threatening the paint when I went for the nuclear option. I'm an old hand with fires so I wasn't worried at any point, just a little vexed. You might be able to see a bit of the smoke damage in photo 3 but I've already begun painting over it. I'll have to replace the bulkhead speakers and make a new bulkhead trim panel, and my inertia switch looks a little melty but still seems to be in working order. So an annoyance more than anything else. And why not add to the timeline, eh? Anyway it's all good. More parts arriving soon and plenty of work to do.

Jim

Hmm.  Think I will go check my fire extinguishers.

Always a good idea. I ordered some new nicopp fuel line, probably should have just bought some at the corner store but I'm sure it'll get used eventually. My rear section looks fairly abused but it's only about 4 ft long before it hits a union. That should make it easier to route up and over the suspension crossmember. Might need to do the same for the return which is 5/16" but probably won't need to order more. The vent line shouldn't care about added heat and the hydraulic lines may eventually go away. Current offerings for electric wing cylinders have a wart on the side and only produce 110 lbs of thrust, which I don't think is enough, but they also have a built in cut off switch which could help. I'm tempted to buy a pair of them. If I can't use them on the bonnet maybe they would work for the wing. (I'll need heavier gas struts for the trunk lid but that's coming due anyway.) Might be best to leave the hydraulic lines alone for now.

I did get the headers back in the car and the bends came for the radiator hose. Looks like a little trimming of the belt tensioner bracket and that will line up. Could maybe pull the radiator and weld in a smaller lower neck which would fit the hose better, and a bend could be an advantage, I used one on the old radiator. I could cut that off and reuse it but I hate to scrap out a part that is usable. Maybe I could get a hundred for the old one on ebay?

Now for the collectors I have this:

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Instead of this:

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You might think 2-1/4 is small for a collector diameter but it's the volume more than the diameter that counts and with a foot or so dumping directly into the 2" perforated tube it should be fine. Based on past performance it'll be quite a bit more than fine.

It's the details that get you on these things. With about 5 weeks left, time is growing short but I'll do what I can. I do have a backup plan at least.

Jim

I think I may have found the electric actuators i can use for the bonnet:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D4LWDZBR/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?pd_rd_i=B0CPPDLWV8&pd_rd_w=DpylU&content-id=amzn1.sym.bbb3fb5e-28ad-4062-a3ba-1f7b9f2e4371&pf_rd_p=bbb3fb5e-28ad-4062-a3ba-1f7b9f2e4371&pf_rd_r=BSN7AW7FWTCX7XE4Y3JY&pd_rd_wg=JqtFS&pd_rd_r=3e23e957-3b4c-4894-9104-933fec1ed88c&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWxfdGhlbWF0aWM&th=1

About $50 ea from Amazon which is quite reasonable I feel. I just have to check the dimensions and clearances. I will have to make new mounts to the big stainless inner wing braces but I'd have to do that anyway. I think the thrust on this one is about right. If it isn't, the good news is they are available at over twice that value. I never liked the wart on the side but I've seen worse. Possibly I can locate that on the bonnet side.

I also ordered stainless bungs for the sensors:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F2SH8RBR/ref=sspa_dk_detail_2?pd_rd_i=B0F2SH8RBR&pd_rd_w=yLPlS&content-id=amzn1.sym.386c274b-4bfe-4421-9052-a1a56db557ab&pf_rd_p=386c274b-4bfe-4421-9052-a1a56db557ab&pf_rd_r=BSZ08WT1FNDJ57CSQTNK&pd_rd_wg=X8s10&pd_rd_r=46de32a6-b57e-4bda-a11c-4bc82e67e75e&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWxfdGhlbWF0aWM&th=1

These will go on the header pipe below the collectors. I have two O2 sensors, one AFR and one EGT. The EGT gage is for a diesel application that I installed decades ago when I was running the turbo Jetfire engine and it has a lower redline than you'd see for a gasoline engine, but installed downstream it reads lower too so that all works out. I typically see temps on that gage anywhere from 600 to a max of 1500 degrees, typically running around 900 or so. I'm waiting on the perforated tubes to arrive from the UK. DHL has them and their delivery and tracking is sorta messed up. Should be here by the middle of the week but fingers crossed on that one. They also may have delivered them to the wrong address.

I pulled the radiator back out to plumb the hoses. I'm going to add a bend to the top neck to point it at the thermostat housing which will let me get by with a simple hose with one mild bend. The lower hose is tricky of course. I clearanced the tensioner bracket to make a bit more room and plan to use a aluminum bend to come off the water pump and weld a same sized stub in the lower bung position, possibly also with a bend which hopefully will allow two short hose sections to connect up. I do like the ease with which the radiator/fan package is removed/reinstalled.

Jim

I almost forgot... The new fan shroud has to go on over the hose necks. With them both bending upwards that might work but they also both go towards the center which might not. Glad I thought of that before I started welding.

Jim

So that's finished now.

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I also cut and plated a small notch in the frame rail for hose clearance and a couple other details.

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And set the unit in place to sort out the radiator hoses and that's coming along.

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More exhaust plumbing came in including the perforated tubes and the sensor bungs so I'll be able to move ahead with that part.

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Also the linear actuators came in and they are cute little buggers. I'll be pulling the last of the hydraulics out and as soon as I've successfully tested the bonnet lift will order units for the wing cylinders also. I'll need a ground sensor and a control unit to make that work properly but I'm thinking that parking sensors might do the job.

Jim

Got the lower radiator hose/pipe combo installed yesterday finally, it was a game of many small adjustments to close clearances but now I'm happy with it. Close quarters and no photos. Also removed the bonnet actuators and associated lines as well as the Mercruiser tilt/trim hydropak from the trunk. Here are the replacements:

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Open or shut will take about 1/4 of a minute but it has switch stops at each end which cures a couple issues. I'll be able to hit the switch to open and walk away for instance, and when it shuts it will resist lifting from aero effects which will be a plus.

As you can see it does not have the spherical ends so I will have to build that into the mounts. I have the bearings ordered. Once these are installed and tested I plan to order a set for the wing as well.

Jim

Two jobs yesterday. First I wire brushed the sockets and plug-ins for the bumper assembly, checked the fit and painted them with black rustoleum. When we went to remove the bumper rust had built up and made that difficult so that's to be prevented in the future.

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If I can find Waxoyl at the box store I'll spray that down the sockets into the square tube, and I'm going to apply a generous coating of anti-sieze as well. Hopefully all that will do the trick for next time. Otherwise the fit is just fine.

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Job 2 was getting started on building the mufflers. Using holesaws I made up 4 spacer washers which I'll weld about an inch inboard of the ends of the perforated tubes. Then using a hammer I belled one end of the outside tube inwards so that it fits the 2-1/4" tubing and did the other one today. Better job the second time, blacksmithing takes practice and patience. Takes quite a bit of hammer work but makes a nice transition.If not quite up to factory standards, it's at least a thicker material and should be more durable.

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I expect they form cherry bomb case ends in a press with special dies. I will probably cut two more spacer washers for the outlet ends and weld those shut, though I do wish I could come up with an acceptable means of making it removable with common tools. On bike mufflers they just use a slip fit with retaining screws. I'll have to give it some thought, I don't think I have any suitable stainless for doing that but maybe I could buy a piece of 303 round bar and cut them out. That would probably be best, I could put a lip on it and notches for removal. Nope, too expensive, that stuff is almost $300 a foot. Maybe Ken has something useful lying around which probably means I'm back to holesaws again. Not a light proposition for 5/8" thick plate. He could waterjet cut them for me though... Still probably a C note for that. I'll check with him tomorrow, I don't have any usable scraps lying around and Alro doesn't have any drops.

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Jim

The bumper slid in just like butter. Then of course I had to go and overtighten one of the bolts and probably collapsed the spacer tube a little so it will need work next time it comes apart but I can let that go for now.

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My usual sources were not much help on material to make the donuts for the removable end of the mufflers so it seems there's more blacksmithing in my future. Here's a piece of surplus 3/8 x 3/4 stainless bar that I've begun bending into a circle. I will have to heat it to get it round but after the ends are welded together it can go in the lathe to cut the step that will go inside the 3" tube.

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The V coupler flange is 3" diameter so it makes a decent gage. I won't be able to cold bend the bar all the way around but with heat, hammer and anvil I expect to prevail eventually.

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After that I will add screws to hold it together and notches to punch it apart. Still thinking about what type of screws to use. Kinda leaning towards brass a little.

Jim

Made up my spacer donuts yesterday, which will allow me to remove the exit end of the mufflers to repack them. After forming the 3/8" strap into rough circles I welded the ends shut, allowing a semi-generous kerf for the filler:

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Next between the vise and the hydraulic press I made 'em mostly round, using a 2" chunk of round bar and a V block. The fit on the tube is loose but I can fill that with weld:

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Next it went in the lathe to cut the OD and I got a good result there, just what I was looking for. I cut the 60 degree front ends which need trimmed to length and mated to the collectors. Some careful measuring will be needed to make sure the rear clamp is in the right place, weld that all up and it'll be time to wrap and pack.

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I've seen people use masking tape on the packing, which works but will burn off. Glass tape might be better. I found some teflon coated glass fabric tape on amazon that should work quite well.

Jim

Or thin stainless wire?

Good suggestion. The work continues with decent progress though not much to show. The header muffler bodies are now in place and connected up, they need the sensor bungs and the end plug and to be packed.

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The length is going to be close and as they are longer than the old ones I hope the extra length and the packing will offset the tendency of the stainless to ring. I'll be cramming in as much of the packing as I can get to fit. Part of the work on the rear of the system is already done so that should go rather quickly but I have to re-route the fuel lines before they can go in.

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I'm about close enough for a checklist. After the exhaust is finished and the grille is installed:

-Complete the fuel filler neck.
-Install the bonnet and make mounts for the electric hood actuators. Align bonnet and trim tinwork to match.Install wiring, change switch to standard (not MO) toggle switch.
-Close up AC system and charge with oil.
-Make fuel rails, connect lines and install FPR.
-Make standoff to locate bug catcher above fuel rails.
-Kerf and weld cracks in bug catcher, grind, buff and polish. Install that and throttle body. Connect linkages and wiring. Extend and connect injector wiring.
-Complete detail work.
-Reprogram ECU.

I think that's most of it.

Jim

I hope to pack the mufflers today. some screws and taps need to come in before I can install them for the last time, close up the rockers and install the sensors but I can pretty much get everything done except the caps. Here are the sensor bungs and let me tell you, starting the tap correctly for chasing the threads after welding is not the easiest task.

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These caps were actually pretty easy once I had the parts assembled. I'll probably use a high temp silicone on them at final assembly. The screws won't actually clamp the tube to the plug, as much as hold it in position using the sides of the heads. That way there is less of the head projecting into the clearance areas.

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Jim

Quote from: BlownMGB-V8 on May 05, 2026, 09:12:31 AMHere are the sensor bungs and let me tell you, starting the tap correctly for chasing the threads after welding is not the easiest task.

Hmm, could you have welded them up with a big bolt or an old sensor threaded in?

Not sure that's a good idea. There is warpage and stainless is real bad to gall and seize. It might work but could also stick and that'd be bad, especially if you broke off a sensor. Part of the problem is that my M-18 tap, though of fine quality tool steel is also a plug tap. Which isn't problem usually but in this stainless it's way too easy to get it started crooked and then you're pretty well screwed. I was using standard brown cutting oil but I'm thinking that lubricating the tap with cutting wax like you use for band saws and carbide die grinder bits might have worked better. If I'd had more than 4 of them to do I'd have tried that.

I got the mufflers packed and it went smoothly. Photos of that tomorrow. Just reclaimed some trunk space and noted that my exhaust tubing is the same size as my gas tank filler neck so that helps. Also have to do seat belts. My thicker webbing came in and I've cut the pieces and stitched up one end but I'll need to increase the top side tension to get even stitches. That can come later.

Jim

So the first shot below shows one of the cores wrapped in the carbon fiber fire blanket and then spiral wrapped with the teflon tape, leaving gaps where the blanket poofed out (technical term) which may give it varying silencing characteristics. I'm going to claim that is a proprietary layering method.

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As you can see here, the poofed segment contacts the outer casing while the taped segment eases insertion into the casing. The ends slip into the stubs for a seamless (literally) transition at each end.

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Here you see the stub on the end cap.

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Fortunately my taps and screws came from McMasterCarr last night and I found a tube of red high temp silicone in the cabinet so I should be able to do the final install of the header muffs today. Hope so anyway.

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I got the fuel return line re-routed yesterday (also the VSS sensor wires) and should get the fuel supply line done today. Then the vent line. That will clear the way for the rear half of the exhaust system so another couple of days should do that. Then it's on to the bonnet and perhaps the filler neck.

Jim

Here's the end plug glued and screwed.

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The glue is red high temp gasket maker and I found that it cleans up pretty easily using paint thinner.

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The screws are a stainless round headed torks plus from McMasterCarr, said to provide extra driving force, anti-seize applied of course. I used the copper based one here.

Jim

Nearly finished with the driver's side now, and not a great photo but light was flaring in from the skylight in the shop so it was the best I could do on short notice.

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I'll probably move the resonator forward a couple inches to clean it up at the rear but other than that the side is done. Still have to install the tip and the cheese grater rocker panel, and after the bonnet is properly fitted I have plans to install splash panels between the headers and the front tires but that can come later. After all I've put that part of for over 4 decades now, I think it can wait a few more months.

Jim

I moved the resonator forward 3" which gives me room for an exhaust tip and gets the coupler under the bodywork. Fitted and tacked the parts for the other side and hope to finish that today.

Note of interest, if you build a stainless exhaust and do the work yourself, make sure you provide yourself with a safe air supply under your welding hood. Chromium and Nickel fumes are toxic and while you can tolerate light exposure you will start feeling bad before you realize what you've done. I know better, not my first time around but you tend to forget these things you know? Make sure you deal with it before you realize that you aren't feeling like your normal self. Happily symptoms tend to clear in a few days so it's almost like a mild cold but heavy metals do tend to take longer to get rid of so it's best avoided in the first place.

For the most basic of systems, provided your shop air is free of things like compressor oil a simple metered tube and diffuser inside the helmet is an acceptable fast remedy. As a rule I don't advise breathing shop air but it's cleaner than welding smoke.

Jim

Not the best shots, but except for the vented panels the exhaust is done.

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I plan to button it up today and put the wheels back on, then lower it back onto the tires and prep for the bonnet fitment.

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That could be challenging. A little back story here. When I created the current one piece bonnet it was with fresh sheet metal and an intent to do the job right. I got it all fitted up then disassembled it for paint but when I went to reassemble I was never able to get it to fit quite right. My mission now is to find out why and correct that problem. For the past couple of decades the beltline has never been right and the assembly sat high in the front. At one point I closed up the gap at the mating line so that's another issue I'll have to deal with, and there's also some warpage that was created by poor welding strategies at the time. I should be able to correct all of that but can't say what it'll do to the paint. That's another job that will eventually have to be re-done. Oh well, the car's never been straight the whole time I've owned it. I'll just have to do the best I can, same as always.

Jim

Wheels are back on and it's starting to look like a car again thankfully, if somewhat dirty. Oh well. Fitting the bonnet and trying to get it down in the front so the beltline is straight. So far I've trimmed out metal from the underside of the hood and enlarged the cutout to make room for the alternator. It pokes through a half inch or so. That will be more by the time I'm done but I was able to follow the curve of my black flames so it blends in pretty well I think.

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The next step involves some bending. It seems that at some point the passenger's side got pranged a bit. Dan was there at the time I'm sure he will remember. Anyway it's never gotten properly straightened back out and it's causing the beltline to be high in the front by about 3/4" at this point. I can't correct it any more by shifting things around. Below if you look carefully you can see some evidence of buckling. It's not much, but projected forwards it's enough to cause trouble.

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So, I've chained the car to the floor. I have a couple of cheap Black&Decker laser levels I've used for wheel alignment so today's task is to stick those to the doors and project them forwards along the beltline for references at the front corners, and then I can try jacking that corner down. Maybe I'll be able to pull it in.

Of course if I succeed that means the big stainless stringer on that side will no longer fit as the holes will be moved forward, perhaps about 1/8" or so. The remedy is more blacksmithery naturally. I'll have to heat and beat the stringer to stretch it out so the holes line up and then grind and polish it again. It's a bit of work, but that beltline has bugged me for decades now. It's time to fix it.

Jim

It's better than it was and I think some times that's all you can hope for. The sad truth is that this particular Hot Wheels car has just been sky'd off the ramp too many times to ever hope to be perfectly straight again. That'd take a redo with a different car that was straight to begin with and I really can't see me doing that. However, no MGB was ever perfectly straight even right out of the factory and you can bet I'm gonna use that. So here are a few shots of the process. I set up my lasers  to line up with the doors and if you look close enough you can see the lines and the center dot. I've got to work with what I have and this is as close as I can get it. Once the lift struts are on they may be able to pull the bonnet down slightly more. If cost were no object of course I could have the bonnet made up in carbon fiber with a perfect fit but that will have to wait for the brand new Heritage body tub that I'm never going to buy. For now this will do. Time for some reassembly.

Jim

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Made up a 3" riser yesterday for the Enderlie bug catcher/throttle body.

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I still need to do come cleanup and maybe some buffing then that will be ready to bolt on. Some seams on the scoop need reworked. The riser is needed to clear the fuel rails and as room for the IAC under the scoop. I set it in place and sat in the driver's seat and think I'll be able to see past it OK. When I was out though I bought a narrower air filter to use making up a new unit that can fit in between the rails and sit lower if I feel like making one of those up later, In the meantime this one will work fine. I've also been playing around with the idea of a FBW throttle on the next one, provided I can come up with a suitable actuator. It may be a couple of years before I get around to that though.

Jim

Of course, I welded the ports onto the wrong side of the riser. Duh. It'll be fine... maybe... sort it out later sorta thing. At least now I can make up the fuel rails. 1 ft long rails should do fine this time around. I need to reconfigure the throttle linkage and mount the TPS on the throttle body, probably should have done that to start with. At least I should be able to keep the same sensor. I have to drill and tap the end of the throttle shaft then screw in a blade to engage the Ford type sensor and loctite it in place once I have the orientation correct. I could possibly do a light press fit instead. I'll have to think about it, that can be tricky.

I don't expect to get much done on it today but a little something would be nice.

Jim

Occurring enough to be remarked upon, sometimes mistake is just another word for opportunity. Such is the case here. I was not thinking about the MAF sensor that I acquired some time back with the idea of using it on this engine, but the riser is a near perfect spot for it and the back of the riser is where it should be. If I'd put the ports on the back rather than this:

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I wouldn't have been able to mount the MAF like this:

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Here is the top shot showing the innards.

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And here it is with the scoop housing mounted.

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I think it worked out rather well myself. Now integrating that into the software is likely to be a bit of a challenge, especially since I don't have a calibrated flow bench to establish values, but like most things I expect I can wing it and get acceptable results. This is not final assembly btw, just a test fit. The housing has to come back off for TIG to repair cracks that have embarrassed my welding skills, though to be fair about it I did that before I took the Vo-Tech course. They call it something else these days but whatever. I'll probably drill the injector ports in the fuel rails next, already did the ends and then think about anodizing them. Probably should. My tanks are probably big enough to annodise the scoop housing too if I want to but I wouldn't be able to do the throttle body so I may decide not to. The riser would need a good bit of clean up before it would make sense to do that one.

Jim

So, a bit of progress, the work on the riser, fuel rails and scoop is done except for any anodizing I decide to do and honestly for right now I may just skip it.

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The hood does close properly over it, with stuff sticking through.

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Here's about what the car looks like,

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And here's a shot through the windshield.

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It still is a bit high, at about the limits of what is practical in terms of being able to see past the scoop but it's better than it was with the 340. I can put off deciding what to do about the height until later. Potentially I can lower it almost 3 inches but would have to completely redo everything above the plenum except the fuel rails. I have other work that needs done first so that might get done in a couple years.

Jim

Doing a bit of trimming on the hood opening today to improve aesthetics and make a little more room for injector wiring and throttle linkages. I need to look at the cruise cable to see where that can go and I'll need a return spring of some sort as well as a longer throttle cable and a mounting point for the cable jackets. Still sorting out the fuel lines and FPR and will need a fitting or three, finding just the right ones might be fun.

I'm still holding off on deciding about the anodizing, and thinking about a new scoop design. It looks like there will be no trouble incorporating an IAC but I was playing with an electric throttle actuator and want to look at that again. The actuator doesn't have to be right on the throttle body so that opens some options. I will have to extend the fuel delivery line so it will get a second union up around the engine compartment somewhere making it a 3 piece line. And I'm still puzzling out the hood actuator mounts. That answer hasn't quite come to me yet.

Along in there somewhere I still need to make up new seat belts, which requires me to find a way to increase the top thread tension on the sewing machine. The heavy waxed thread I'm using doesn't pull back through the two webbing layers to where it needs to be. I get that adjusted though and it's a 2 hour job. So in reality more like a day or two. Then there's fluids, programming the ECU, start-up, break in, leak check and adjustments. It'll be a minute yet.

And of course reinstalling the AC compressor and the accessories belt and then charging and testing the AC system.

2 weeks to get all that done and tested to a level of reliability to insure a problem free thousand mile round trip? Yeah, piece of cake right? But the real goal is to button it up so it's driveable, pull out the Bay Car and get back on the bus conversion. Maybe next spring I can look at things like carpet, new electric wing actuators, the next inlet scoop, and maybe some body prep for a new paint job. Eventually I do plan to finish up on this car, even considering the feature creep.

Jim

Oh yeah, I also have to do something with the coils. Yep, not gonna make the meet deadline. Oh well, I guess I'll be forced to drive the Alfa. Such heartbreak, I even just got the seatbelt chime turned off. (I always use 'em, except in the driveway when the chime gets kinda annoying. It's way too loud.)

So I've been working on the mounts for the new electric bonnet lift cylinders and they are taking a rather innovative path you might say, since a spherical bearing needs to be incorporated into the mount at each end to avoid binding and the actuators come with a straight pin mount. I'll get some photos later on, today's job is to cut threads on the lathe, most likely a 1"x 24 thread and make up a pair of knurled pin spanner nuts. It's gotten a bit nutso on the design. Well that's not really anything new then is it? More later.

Jim

Got pictures this morning, first below are the cups I made to hold the spherical bearings. These are the ones to be attached to the inner fender and there are two more, not yet bored to depth that will attach to the struts later in the process.

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Anyway here is one bolted to the lift actuator, it will compensate for the angular misalignment.

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The fine thread is a 1" x 24 TPI which became necessary due to the thin wall of the cup. Below you see one screwed into the matching threaded piece which will be turned into a knurled pin spanner nut once the knurling tool I ordered off Amazon gets here. Supposedly today so probably next week sometime.

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I welded the cups into stainless plates which bolt to the inner fenders using the knurled nut and a BHCS through one of the holes formerly used for the hydraulic fittings. A bit of fettling to make the plate flush and that end's done. There's room for a second bolt if I decide it's needed or even a 3rd.

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Jim

So that's one end attachment done:

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The inside looks like this. Sort of automtive jewelry if you will, I suppose you could think of them as earrings if you wanted to. Totally extra but they do look nice:

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The other end is liable to be a little tricky.

Jim

The forward mounts are now completed.

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The geometry worked out well with full hood opening and closure, still a little work to do for fully smooth closing but it's nearly there.

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Clearances are tight but adequate.

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It's a little slower but the upside is that it now has built in limit switches so it can be switched to open or close and then ignored while it does it's thing. I may consider faster actuators later on, the next one is twice as fast but with half the power. That may be a good compromise.

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The end pin is a hex bolt that has had one flat cut back to the shaft in order to fit in the socket and that works just fine with the spherical joint. It does however fix the pin so it does not rotate, so rotation must be done at the strut, meaning that the nut must leave a little play. This can be done with a double nut so I'm considering an acorn nut and locknut combo. That should work fine and there is plenty of room for it.

Jim

Had to flatten one tube on each header a bit to allow the wings of the bonnet to slide past smoothly when closing, this allows the rear of the bonnet to drop, which lets the fingers go down and under the drip rail so that when the assembly is fully closed there is an extra safety keeping the rear edge from lifting. It's probably not needed now with the electric actuators, but it's been proven that very significant dents or dimples in the header tubes do not impede flow so I'll easily get by with this. It helps the bodywork match up better, bringing that one step closer. I'll need to add two new tabs to the stainless grille trim and buff out the weld discoloration.

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At any rate I've been testing the motion and it's been flawless with one exception. If I could limit the travel by about a quarter inch on opening it would keep the  hood trim from contacting the bumper. I went ahead and ordered a pair of the 2x-speed actuators, after all they are pretty affordable at $50 each. I'll fit those up and if they work I'll tear down one of the ones I have on it now and see what it'll take to shorten the travel a little bit. To me that'll be worth the premium. The analysis will be a fun task as well. The unused ones will not go to waste, I'm opposed to wastefulness so I'll use them in the RV on the bed platform storage lid.

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Flattening the tubes was kinda fun actually. I have an old brass hammer that I first used a flapper wheel to smooth out the heads so it wouldn't dimple the metal. Then after marking the tubes I began working the metal slowly with light taps while smoothing it into the shape that was needed. There were two main areas of concern, first to not push in the center of the area being deformed so far that a bit of curvature can't be maintained, which would result in a dish, which would look bad. It could only go completely flat at the final point in the process. Second area was the boundary or corners of the affected area. A radius had to be maintained there all the way up to the end of the process when it could then be reduced. But that point had to be accurately determined. There was a fine line between too much and too little and I hit it with just a little tolerance for finger clearance at the drip rail. Pretty happy with that. Granted we don't like to see dings in the header tubes but they don't look bad, they serve a useful purpose and they don't impede exhaust flow so that's a win pretty much all around.

IMG_0012.jpg

That brings me to the wiring and controls. Because the hydraulic pump was in the trunk the control wires went back there and will have to be re-routed to the front and go through the bulkhead seals which is in a crowded and poorly accessible area (typical though). Happily no relays will be needed as the current is low and a standard toggle switch will easily handle it. The current switch is momentary contact but fortunately toggle switches are easily found in almost any imaginable configuration. Two options seem suitable: ON-ON with no center position and this would be the simple solution, and probably the one most used. It gives you either open or closed positions. Or I could use ON-OFF-ON which would allow me to stop the motion at any intermediate point. I think I will start with that one and then consider the other later.

IMG_0011.jpg

One advantage of the ON-ON switch is that should dynamic forces backdrive the actuators they will immediately power up and return to the park position. But with at least 660 lbs of force at the actuator required to do that it seems unlikely. I did have that problem with the hydraulic system, which had zero resistance to backdriving and would let the hood float. This became an issue at speeds above 110 and there were times when I had to consider lifting. I expect that will be a thing of the past.

Jim

Been absent for a few days, V8 meet and all that plus a few other distractions but I haven't totally been sitting on my hands. Today I expect to finish up the re-webbing of my Kangol magnetic latch seat belts using the proper thickness of webbing and I'll take a few photos and add some tips later. I've also found enough of the 10mm marine plywood to replace the burned trim panel for the trunk bulkhead but haven't started the layout, and I need to order a new inertia switch and connector.

The new set of struts came in, they will operate twice as fast which should be about right. They are also one inch shorter overall and although that means I'll have to drill and tap a new set of mounting holes in the hinge mechanism, it also means the bonnet will be stopping short of the front bumper, which is what I really wanted in the first place. So that's a fortuitous development and I'll see how it all works out once I've calculated the geometry changes to locate the holes. I got really lucky that the closed position was exactly right but I'm not going to trust the width of a sharpie tip to get it exactly right twice in a row.

Jim

The most difficult part of rebuilding a set of Kangol Magnetic Latch seat belts is obtaining the webbing. I finally found a source:

For and on behalf of FDTS Limited
Susan Taylor
MBA, BA (hons) Law, DMS
Managing Director
sue@fdts-seatbelts.co.uk
Tel:  01932342043

I ordered 7 yards of their black ZY webbing and all costs included paid 90 Pounds Sterling. With the belts completed I can now confirm that it appears to be the correct material but I haven't test driven it yet. I had better than a yard left over, so 6 yards is a suitable order size. You might get by with 5, I seem to have misplaced a 1/2 yard piece somehow though so I couldn't guarantee that.


IMG_0013.jpg

The second hardest bit is finding all the plastic bits in good repair. They tend to suffer some abuse, especially the small webbing end pieces with the ones that slide along the lap belt getting the worst of it. Due to damage and lack of rivets I made up these bits and used 1/4" long x 10-32 stainless button heads.

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For the sliders I folded some strip over the plates and clamped them in the vise. They ended up being a bit too tight going over the screw heads so I had to insert a putty knife and flex them upwards to get the proper drag.

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The next hardest part is restoring the hard metal parts which are chrome plated and tend to rust and flake. I mostly replaced those bits with stainless, except for the adjuster frames and I just used the best ones I had. It's all completely disassemblable btw. The adjuster bar has an angle cut on one side that allows it to come out. I had to use a 400 series stainless for the hook, being a chromium stainless it is magnetic, unlike the 300 series nickel stainless but it is also considerably more expensive.

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I'm satisfied with the results. I spent more in time and money doing it myself than it would have cost me to send them off to be restored but I would never have gotten the stainless hardware that way, and I refuse to send my precious parts out for fear they would not come back. Hey, most do not guarantee you get your original parts back in the return and even if they did, "mistakes" can happen. I have known raccoons who might latch onto a particularly tasty shiny bit after all. I couldn't chance it. Besides, it gave me a chance to get creative and I couldn't be more pleased with the results. I suppose I could have buffed the plates, but I can always do that later when I have nothing better to do.

Jim

Doing the math on the new struts turned out to be embarrassingly easy and a quick glance at the trig tables showed that the length difference error due to the change in angle is significantly less than 1/64", probably about 5 thou realistically so there goes that excuse for getting on with it. High time I get started tidying up the details.

I have some trimming to do on that bulkhead panel, want to pull the console for the wiring change, and then probably cut the coil brackets so I can mount them.

In the meantime, just to stay busy you understand, I've disassembled the brakes on the Samurai (my 4wd golf cart). It's getting a bunch of new parts, hoses, maybe even a couple of lines, the muffler welded up, exhaust leaks sealed and prepped to get tags and title. It's role is being expanded to general around town pick-up micro truck. Parts are coming in Monday. Then the Lincoln Blackwood gets prepped for sale. Better that than to become a barn find.

Jim

Quote from: BlownMGB-V8 on June 19, 2026, 07:51:18 AMThen the Lincoln Blackwood gets prepped for sale. Better that than to become a barn find.

End of a era!

One way to look at it I guess, but also similar to when the Travelall went away. Still miss that truck sometimes though, what a beast it was.

Not much for today but I did get the first coat of finish on the trim panel. It should turn out pretty good. A bit of overkill like many things on the car but it'll make mounting speakers easy.

Jim

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Mounted the new bonnet power struts yesterday and am reasonably happy with the results. The hood trim no longer contacts the bumper which is what I wanted to start with, the bonnet closes properly and stays down, the speed is a bit faster but it looks like they are not much more than just powerful enough. Speed is 10mm/second and thrust is 330 lbs each, 660 lbs combined. An upgrade might be handy, something on the order of 20mm/sec and 450-500 lbs. That might be hard to find in a compact package small enough to give the right geometry though so this will do for now.

Jim

A little more progress, got the center console wiring and switch change done and routed the wires forward but as the Sammy is still on the lift was unable to complete that. Finished coating the rear panel with spar urethane so it can go in today. Pulled the wing cylinders and plumbing off and ordered electric actuators for that. they will need to be made longer but will have the right 2" of travel and are fairly fast at 1.75"/second. Best I could do for a reasonable price. The good news is that they are now making round linear actuators and there are some very fast ones. A bit large in diameter yet and at this point too expensive but that will change over time. I can wait.

I'm in a bit of a slump, almost looking forward to mowing today, that's not really a good sign. And I have an errand or two to run, Monday is my usual day for that but it rained a bit. With luck my brake parts will come in today and I can get on with it.

Jim

New panel:

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Installed nutserts for the speakers and painted the grilles, I have some spares that I'll use for now. I hooked up a set of sonys and a set of blaupunkt and the sonys sound crisper. They are paper cone where the others are poly and that's pretty typical. I'll use the sonys. Apparently the best sound these days comes from Alpine. Must be those clear mountain streams. But the price is dear, at over $300. That can wait.

Actuators for the wing came in and I'm halfway done with modding them to fit, The action looks pretty good. Control will be manual to start with, I can add sensors and a controller later on. I'm thinking there might be a parking sensor that I can use to detect ride height, and a brake light input for full downforce but it needs to be able to return to starting position when the pedal is released.

Making progress on the Sammy's brakes and also working on the forklift just so I don't get too bored waiting on the lift. Still have lines to hook up, injector wiring to stretch and coils to mount but I'm getting there.

Jim

Here are the wing actuators mounted up.

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Still need to connect the wires.

Jim

Speakers are in and hooked up but not tested, and the wing strut wires are routed and tested but not connected yet. I'm quite happy with how it works but it's purely manual control for now and no telling how long it'll be until I can do anything about that.

Mounting the coils is probably next.

Jim

Small steps at this point. Modded the coil mounts yesterday so that's moving along. Made up a short line for the FPR return, ordered supplies, that sort of thing. The new heater control valve came in and that looks usable (Yay!). A little every day and it'll soon be done.

Jim

I'm taking a different approach to protecting the back side of my bulkhead speakers, They are front mounted so they only stick through 2 inches which means the available speaker baffles are all way too deep. I ordered some 2" thick foam:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DJQ9TTLD?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

I plan to cut a hole then use 2 sided tape to mount it over the speaker back and attach a panel to the top to finish it off. I have some 1/8" runner sheet that should work.

Jim

Got the first coil assembly attached, I think I'll run a redundant ground wire to the head and it looks like I'll probably need to stretch out the wires on the coil loom to reach. New high tension wires of course.

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The other set will have to go behind the engine. There is just enough room in front of the heater box for that. Anybody know of a good source for spark plug wire building supplies? I'll need a coil of wire, end terminal, boots, and the correct crimping tool. Either 7 or 8mm should work and I prefer the wire wound center conductor type as it is a low resistance suppressor type. The boots I have now include an outer shield and spring contact to ground them to the spark plug. Standard GM in the '02 Silverado.

Jim

The coolant plumbing is a little tricky what with 2 temp sensors, the heater supply, return, thermostat bypass and surge tank drain and vent lines, plus my upper radiator hose may need a different thermostat neck or at least a riser. It's not going to work quite like I was thinking it would so I'm moving things around to see how it will all fit. Turns out I'm fortunate that the latest (external rotor) version of the cam position sensor and oil pump drive is short and fits under the ECM temp sensor. Strangely enough I don't seem to have a photo of that.

Jim

Good news, it turned out I had a more suitable thermostat neck, it was light alloy, and I had already cerrocoated it. I'll need a different top hose but that's a small inconvenience.

I was able to bend the heater supply from some stainless tube and found a nice compact 90 degree hose so it now goes up and over the plenum right behind the injectors and hooks directly into the front of the intake. Still need to find the hose barb for that.

The drain from the surge tank had a 90 but I was able to remove that and replace it with a 6" straight nipple, coupler and hose barb so now that line runs just under the AC return line which is jacketed. At the front I'll have to go either under the compressor and up to the water pump or over it. I favor the former as I don't want to create a siphon loop but it is the more difficult route. The rest is straightforward. Once that is all done I can mount the 2nd coil pack.

Still a good bit to do but it's at least moving forward.

Jim

Hoses are done but still need a bracket for the valve. Waiting on parts from Amazon but I have some hardware items to deal with in the meantime. Maybe sometime next week I can get it back in the lift to finish up the strut wiring. I did get the mass airflow sensor properly installed in the riser and I'm sorting out the vacuum lines and such before the scoop goes back on. Wires to do, bolts to tighten, short fuel lines to bend, etc. Throttle cables to hook up. I'm getting there, just have to keep after it. This part often takes the longest and is the most discouraging but it is also closest to the end so it's got that going for it at least. Looks like maybe 2 more weeks to start-up. Have to get spark plug wires too. That will give me a month for shake down before the Cinci show.

Jim

A bit of a peripheral concern below but it does affect my ongoing MGB project so I hope y'all find it amusing or at least entertaining. If it has to be moved then it must, but I see no real reason why it should.

Hornets are the original FAFO Faction (F-around, find out) and I've put 'em on high alert. They recognize and remember human faces and I doubt I can count on them giving me a pass just because they couldn't see me in the dark last night. Yes I'll admit it, I launched a completely unearned pre-emptive strike intended to force any survivors out of their home and neighborhood. I had convinced myself it was justified. It didn't work.

To be fair, they had been good neighbors. Setting up under the sunshade of my antique derelict forklift parked outside, they calmly ignored my comings and goings while I attempted to start the engine and removed the injector pump, banging tools around even though they were all but invisible about a foot above my head, and carried on with their daily routine of hunting pest insects to feed their growing nest. Until about a week ago when I noticed something odd... Huh. That'd been there all the time, it's truly a wonder I never got stung.

At that point I seriously wondered if maybe I should just leave them alone. They had earned a fair portion of goodwill after all. Inconvenient but if I waited until cold weather to fix the forklift they'd be gone and I *could* get by without it until then. Decisions, decisions.

Until I researched the common bald faced hornet. Nope, waiting them out is not an option. As it turns out, until about this time of year they are just happily buzzing along, eating well, hunting, feeding their grubs and papering the walls but at about this point in the season with the nest about halfway built the queen cuts off their food. Man it kinda sucks to be a hornet.

Well leave it to royalty to just upset the applecart. She doesn't care about the workers you see, she just wants to make more queens and protect them until hibernation time and she's quite willing to sacrifice the workers to do it. They can either find enough nectar to survive and keep working or die. Understandably they get a little miffed about that and bad attitudes start to set in. They have no HR department or appeal process so they just have to suck it up and well, being hungry all the time is bound to make anybody cross. Grumble though they might they can't take it out on the queen (survival of the species and all that) so they simply broil in their own juices and revert back to their Yellowjacket roots, becoming another variant of the painfully well known and most angry, aggressive, bad attitude bee on the planet. And who could blame them after all? (Hmmm... does this sound anything at all like a few certain misguided humans we know? Possibly?)

More queens make more workers and less nectar to go around so work gets harder as the nest grows into the fall and while recovering from those long flights the workers sit around the nest making each other miserable until one of them finds an excuse for a little action and they all pour out to express their anger and frustration on any ready target.

If they were out in the woods somewhere I wouldn't care. But since that target is most likely going to be me, and since I don't particularly care to be stung by a hoard of angry suicidal idiots I believe I am not only justified but indeed compelled to take action and the sooner the better. Hence last night's foray.

Still having feelings of kindness towards them I did not immediately take the nuclear option. I could, make no mistake about that. I could easily sacrifice the forklift for the greater good. It doesn't provide me with enough benefit that I would greatly miss it. That would leave me with a mess to clean up, but the scrap metal would be enough to make it worth it. So that's always a possibility but a last resort. I reasoned that if I could annoy them sufficiently perhaps they would willingly relocate and save us both a lot of trouble. So, following recommended guidelines I set up a bright light on one side then approached the nest from the other at night with my handy garden sprayer all pumped up with gasoline in the tank. This remedy has proven rather deadly to yellowjackets but of course the paper would protect the queen. However, perhaps enough would soak through to get them to move. I rather soaked the outside of the nest before enough of them fell out and survived the spray well enough to make sticking round risky and although the gasoline did wet the outside surface I didn't get the impression that it was being soaked up. This morning it looked like business as normal but I wasn't about to get too close.

I'll give it another day. Sterner measures may be required. I have tested the sprayer, which does at least have a brass wand and nozzle to see what would happen if I ignited the spray and feel that has potential. It makes a nice flame wand that can reach out four feet or so, possibly more depending on the tank pressure. It's no flame thrower of course but should be enough to do for a small hornet's nest. The gasoline burns off quickly but should ignite the paper and all there is up there to burn is a little rusty paint that probably won't even ignite. I'd have to watch for burning pieces falling on the engine but that's about it and being diesel I think the risks are acceptably low. Sorry, no napalm. That in my opinion is pretty much a war crime anyway and would be massive overkill perhaps even leading to ignition of the shop and we certainly don't want that.

Maybe it won't be necessary. Maybe they will take the hint. I expect it would take a little time to evacuate, certainly I doubt the queen would be all for it. But who wants to live in a house that smells like gasoline? I'll give them some time and see what develops. But sooner or later that nest has got to go. As it stands I cannot feel safe opening that garage door and I depend on that to mitigate the heat on that end of the lift. With August coming up and the MG needing to go back up, I can't wait around more than a few days at the most. (Hey hornets! Hate to rush you guys but it's better than the alternative.)

Jim

My favorite weapon for wasps & hornets is a spray can of something flammable. Add the red straw & hold a BBQ grill lighter out front to create a flamethrower.  Just too much fun.

My experience is that Bald Face Hornets are quite aggressive.

Can't wait to hear the next part of the story.

Dennis

Well the hornets didn't take the hint so it appears sterner measures are needed. Regrettable, but I was here first. It's my shop, my property, my forklift, and they are denying me the full use of my possessions. They will have to be evicted and there are only so many methods available to me to accomplish that. Could be that tonight they will get another visit, weather permitting. I'm not very hopeful at this point that they will leave peaceably and since war it will inevitably be, it will be war on my terms. I have the technology to eliminate most of the risk of casualty on my side of the battle and am unwilling to give up that advantage so they basically have until midnight. It's just too bad that I have no means of effectively communicating that deadline to them.

Meanwhile, Here is a shot of my mass airflow sensor as installed in the riser.

IMG_0007.jpg

The two rivnuts may disturb the airflow slightly but it was either that or more TIG welding, machining and polishing as one of the tapped holes had insufficient threads. Below is a rear view of the sensor. I'll have to look back and see what the application was, I think either Buick or Cadillac. I'll need that for the calibration data.

IMG_0006.jpg

Next shot, I have the coil packs mounted, one set to the heater box cover, these will feed the even numbered plugs, plug wire kit is on the way. Those have become available since hot rodders started placing their LS coils on the firewall or inner fenderwell. They  have 5 ft long wires but I'll need a spark plug wire crimper and I'm pretty sure I don't have one other than a home made block and punch set. That would work but it tedious.

IMG_0008.jpg

Lastly the FPR is installed and the lines connected. The other set of coils are visible in the lower right corner. Still need to finish up the heater valve and one small vent line and then I believe the plumbing is done.

IMG_0009.jpg

So the scoop can go back on, then throttle linkages and wiring is left, plus fluids, programming and some small hardware concerns, charging the AC, and a few other details. This has actually turned out to be quite a massive upgrade in a lot of ways and I'm pretty pleased to be near the end of it.

Jim

Yesterday I finished up the rest of the plumbing and got the scoop bolted back on, as well as stripping the friction tape off of the coil pack sub-harnesses. Good news on the wiring is that I was able to pull just enough slack to make all of the connections except the front coil pack so the rewire will just consist of that, the MAF sensor, the bonnet struts and replacement of the inertia switch and pigtail. A couple day's work probably. Then there is the throttle connections which will be a bit of a puzzle. I'll need to get the car back on the lift for fluids and final inspection as well.

I'm thinking it should start and run pretty well on the last tune I had for the 340, so that is most likely going to be my starting point. We shall see.

Jim

Jim, get rid of those hornets. About twenty years ago during the winter my late mother got another blanket out of the airing cupboard to keep warm at night. Unknown to her there was a hornet hibernating in the folded blanket, during the night the hornet crawled into her mouth and stung her tongue. Fortunately she had a Piper System and unusually for her was wearing the emergency call button on a neck strap, although she couldn't speak due to her swollen tongue the operator had an ambulance sent to her house. By the time they got to her she could barely breath let alone get out of bed, another plus of the Piper System is that they are able to tell the emergency services the code to get the spare key. I wouldn't give them an hour of survival let alone a day.

They are gone and so is their nest. Oddly enough they seem to have just disappeared in the night with hardly a trace, although I may have happened to see one  oddball buzzing about. Anyway that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Maybe they were transported away by aliens, I simply couldn't say. So for the last couple of days I've quite enjoyed opening the end door to let the breeze blow through, happy and secure in knowing that there will be no vengeful bees seeking me out to do harm. I have in the past been stung by hornets and have no wish to repeat the experience.

So anyway I've replaced the inertia switch and pigtail and made a pair of foam speaker backs and plan on rewiring one of the coil pack sub-harnesses next and that should let me finish up the wiring except for the bonnet struts and the MAF sensor. I spent most of the day getting the tail lights and trailer connectors for the Samurai sorted. Still waiting on brake hoses there so it has the lift tied up but once that's done I can check fluids and finish up this job.

Jim

Curious isn't it, how when you look you find things needing attention?

Just minor stuff like the spark plug wires for instance.... there weren't any. Couldn't be anything I've done however, the car simply didn't come equipped with the proper ones.

Then there's the alternator wires, I'm not fully confident it'll work without them. The brown/yellow one to the bulb I found but the one to the battery? Nah, no evidence of that. I suspect it might have vanished when the remote sender for the ammeter went in. That would have coincided with the iron head 300 and it's 1 wire alternator so it would have been not-essential at that time but surely I'd have recognized I'd need it later? I seriously hate just adding redundant wires. Don't strictly have to have the sense wire, and it doesn't strictly have to come directly from the battery but you give up a couple tenths of a volt charging if it doesn't so I like to use it with such a remote battery. The wire for the AC compressor is there I'm quite sure, if I could just find it. Nothing matches as it should on the MAF wiring so that'll be fun. The Google AI has been surprisingly helpful on that so far and some progress has been made but the pin assignments on the ECM don't quite line up yet. Probably need to give 'em the service number off the ecm.

But amazon and ebay tell me they will deliver today and it's a sure thing.... Sure! Is that what they mean? I *really* want my Samurai golf cart back.

Ah well, too hot to get excited about anything today so I'm sorting through small coils of surplus wires to get matching colors. Guess I've been slacking off a little in my documentation, where does that grey/red wire for the AC clutch go after the on-off switch and the evaporator thermostat before it changes to gray and shows up under the hood? Buried behind the dash of course and there are a few other gray wires unaccounted for there. "Oh Sure, no worries, I'm bound to recognize what's going on here", anybody would right?

So it's my noon break complete with half a pepsi and half a Hershey bar to help maintain my girlish figure. Ain't life GRAND!?!! Not a cloud on the horizon. I'm feelin' GOOD! We got spotify tunes on the hearing aids and the world is fine.

Jim

Details, details, details and so it goes but at least the end is in sight. I finished up the coils and plug wires which required re-splicing the sub harnesses and re-wrapping them. Fortunately I had a roll of vinyl flat wrap and some silicon rubber tape on hand as that makes a fairly neat and compact bundle. Must be why it was popular. Below is the left side set of coils with the plug wires tucked neatly under the headers.

IMG_0012.jpg

I bought a quality set  of ratcheting crimpers to do the spark plug wire ends and it did a good job so I recommend that method.

IMG_0013.jpg

The second set I put behind the intake, just enough room to mount them on the heater box.

IMG_0015.jpg

I plan to run a ground wire from each coil bracket to the head for a short and direct return path for the spark. That's noisy enough without routing it all about the car.

So what's up for today? Hard to say really. More wiring I suppose. Google's AI was more than a little helpful in sorting out the wiring for the new MAF sensor and IAT so probably that next. Also should look through the spares to see if I can find a connector body to replace the one on the CLT sensor as I managed to break the latch on that one somehow. Then of course there's the alt and AC clutch to sort out but the list is decreasing.

I have this neat illuminated blue pushbutton switch that I ran across decades ago and bought for a future AC install. It is sorta unique in that it mounts from the back of the panel with a decorative nut so the switch body can be a lot larger than the hole with plenty of room to hook up the wires. Very nice, but over time the button aged out and split down the middle. I ordered a couple of possible alternatives but then thought maybe I could fix it. I discovered it's made to allow the button to be pulled out to swap colors which was another cool feature if I only had replacement buttons which I don't and likely can't get. The alternative would be to fix the button, I mean after all the switch itself is unused. NOS. So I glued the two halves back together and ordered an assortment of thinwall brass tubes. They are metric but the 9mm is a good match for the button's OD so the trick is going to be getting the button into the lathe without breaking it and turning about half the length down about .040" so a collar of brass can be glued over the outside. I think I can make this work. Making a new button is another alternative and I could surely get some round polycarbonate I expect but turning it blue might be a trick. I'm not sure a blue sharpie would be a lasting solution.

OH! I know! Maybe I could get Jim Miller to print up a new button and put a snowflake on the end of it! Wouldn't that be just too cool? It could even be a mushroom button.

Jim

IMG_0016.jpg

The mushroom button gave me ideas so I ordered some blue acrylic rod and will do a little lathe work. The mushroom should make that end stronger and hopefully prevent cracking. So I reinstalled the switch.

That sensor you see in the photo above is the IAT sensor and there is one built into the 5 wire MAF sensor so it's now surplus to requirements and I've removed it and ordered a stainless plug to replace it. I found one with the right thread depth and a seal under the hex head so some light buffing should be all that needs, possibly a facing cut if the depth does not match exactly. That'll give me as smooth of a transition there as I can get. Ideally I would not have that 90 degree bend right before the MAF but, well space constraints and all that. The throat has roughly twice the area of the MAF in the '02 Camaro which is the base for my tune so I'll have to scale the table accordingly.

The IAT leads are now hooked up to the 5 wire MAF and I'll have to run another shielded cable for the 3 MAF leads. These teflon insulated shielded cables are working out well. They are quite small but have good sized conductors. Termination is not difficult at all and they are fully shielded with a stainless braid. The teflon jacket has not frayed as far as I have seen. I'm grounding the ECM end of that, the sensor end shield gets pulled back and then slid over the ends of the butt splices before heat shrink seals it all off, using the 22-26ga splices. I've finally gotten around to ordering a ratcheting crimper that can handle this small size, they are still not mainstream and won't be found at the box store. I've been doing them with a pair of antique dental pliers.

I ran a sense wire back to the battery, routed it in the corner under the carpet where I have the rest of the fore/aft wiring routed. It's a well protected location and easy to access. I have been trying to decide whether it should connect on the car side or the battery side of the ammeter shunt, but since it's job is to detect actual battery voltage and because the shunt represents at least some level of resistance in order to be able to sense the bypass current for the meter I think the battery side is probably the best. The alternator should never draw enough current on that wire to show up anyway. I suspect a heavy draw there would show up as poor charging anyway. So I have that and the alt wire at the fuse location and ready to go down to the frame rail and forwards but I'm waiting to join the AC clutch wire to it, along with a ground. The bonnet wires can also go in that sleeve at least most of the way. I *think* the gy/r wire from the thermostat probably goes to the ECM and then that turns on the clutch but I need to confirm it. The ECM may ground the clutch and it may need a relay so that might not be quite as simple as pre-ecm wiring. That just occurred to me last night and sounds like how I might have wired it. That leaves the MAF cable as the most challenging bit as it has to go through the firewall and also have pins inserted into the ECM connector. I'll be looking for terminated wires of the correct colors in the surplus wire bin. The ones for the AC should already be connected and I should have the ones for the MAF so that should go smoothly once that's done although I have 'stuff' above the firewall pass through and may have to use an alternate and longer route but I hope not, as my last remaining bit of 3 wire shielded is not as long as I might like and I'm not keen on ordering more right now.

And, that still leaves the bonnet actuator wiring. Overall it's not much is it? I get that last bit done and I can move on to loading the 340 tune back into the ecm and comparing that to the current 300 tune. Along with loading a new MAF table, enabling that, and enabling the AC controls. By then I'm quite sure I can have the car back on the lift to add fluids and do a final check.

Jim 

Jim,

Do you have this wiring diagram? Do you have a compatible pressure transducer in the system? My assumption is everything needs to be in place, at least this is how I'm wiring mine.

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Scott

Basically similar. I don't have the pressure sensor But I'm pretty sure I can turn that off in the software. I've traced out the circuit in the car except for one device that I haven't located yet. It's in the control circuit between the thermostat and the relay and appears to be in the engine compartment. At the moment I'm at a loss to identify it, I guess that's what I get for getting creative. I'll just have to trace out the wires tomorrow to find it. At the moment I just can't think what it might be.

Jim

Quote from: BlownMGB-V8 on July 20, 2026, 07:05:33 PMBasically similar. I don't have the pressure sensor But I'm pretty sure I can turn that off in the software. I've traced out the circuit in the car except for one device that I haven't located yet. It's in the control circuit between the thermostat and the relay and appears to be in the engine compartment. At the moment I'm at a loss to identify it, I guess that's what I get for getting creative. I'll just have to trace out the wires tomorrow to find it. At the moment I just can't think what it might be.

Jim

Jim, maybe you can play with the pressure values in the configuration in some way? The compressor relay won't be energized unless the pressure is at a specified value. As you know, that's how it is cycled. How are you cycling the compressor without a pressure sensor? 

I'm about two weeks away from being ready to charge the system. I got the compressor/belt/ tensioner installed this afternoon. It's nice to see it spinning at last. 

Scott

I know, right? It's the hardest part of the job, almost at the end but getting those last few bits that have been put off because they are the least enjoyable ones. I guess you'll be charging with r134a? Can't wait to find out how well it works. Almost like we are in a race to the finish! My goal is to have it done and dusted in time for my birthday bash at the Cincy meet. Really looking forward to that this year, especially after the last two went a little sideways. Angel Breath just in time for the hot days, right?

I went old school on the compressor control. A pushbutton on/off switch and an evaporator thermostat with a dashboard knob. Those two wires I thought went forward? Yeah, they go to the ECM, don't know how I missed that. In the bundle they must go down instead of up, very hard to see back there under the shelf. Must have just been tired I guess. I kept trying to think of anything else that might be used in that control line and there was just nothing. Plus, I had already located the relay by shorting one of the ecm connector pins. That would have had to have been the gray one going to the relay control. I will have to double check the gray/red one for signal {12v) on the demand pin. That's the last mystery solved I think. So all I should need in the tune is a way to force the compressor on in the ecm any time it gets a demand signal. I should be able to hear the relay click when it turns on. I need to fish a heavier wire from the relay to the compressor, so that's on for today. Then those wires go in a sleeve to run forward along the frame rail and I can finish it all up. Maybe get done today, maybe tomorrow but I'm shooting for today.

The inside end of the maf cable is done, that was tricky. The sense wire (yellow) carries a frequency signal in the 2khz+ range and the two others supply + and - and originally none of that is shielded. I wanted to shield the signal to remove a possible variable since I expect some trouble from the duct configuration anyway. Normally I'd use a shielded 3 conductor cable there and ground the ecm end of the shield but instead I'm using 2 conductor and will supply the ground with a short wire from the body ground at the power block on the inner wing. I'm leaning towards the body ground as that appears to be the way it was done to start with and could help isolate that ground from the signals. With the sensor generating a frequency it's possible for an image of that frequency to be carried back on the ground, so it's probably better to ground that at the body. Very technical stuff, but it needs to be considered.

Man the body on this car is badly in need of a wash. Probably a good sign that I'm thinking about that.

Jim

Quote from: BlownMGB-V8 on July 21, 2026, 10:14:31 AMI know, right? It's the hardest part of the job, almost at the end but getting those last few bits that have been put off because they are the least enjoyable ones. I guess you'll be charging with r134a? Can't wait to find out how well it works. Almost like we are in a race to the finish! My goal is to have it done and dusted in time for my birthday bash at the Cincy meet. Really looking forward to that this year, especially after the last two went a little sideways. Angel Breath just in time for the hot days, right?

Jim, I'm in no real race to get it done. I'll be driving up to Sandusky on August 25th so I'd like to have it working by then. I'm sure there will be some sorting things out, there always is with a big project. Yes, I'm going with r134a. We will see if it works like I hope it does!

Gotta be about the slowest race on record if it is. I was hoping to finish the wiring today but a new honeydo popped up so maybe not. Spent some time yesterday on wire routing and sleeving, down to the last 4 connectors. STILL waiting on my brake hoses for the sammy. Memphis FedEx SUCKS!

Jim

I had really hoped to complete the wiring yesterday but at least I got close. A blown fuse had me locking up just before I finished. That's OK, I'll do it today.

I just realized, that teflon insulated cable I've been using for sensors reminds me strongly of the sensor wires they use in jet aircraft engines, I wonder why I didn't recognize it earlier? Probably just left over ends somebody is selling on ebay.

So if all goes well today, I can put the console and radio back in, check off the wiring and go on to fluids.

Jim

I'm putting off the console until I decide if I want to do anything with the sound system but I may wait until winter. The rest is done other than the throttle cable and programming.

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Guess I'll make a cover for that hole also. Nuts and bolts for the strut pivots as well. As all of us who do these things are painfully aware, at the end there are always unexpected items that pop up and often cascade into bigger jobs. Such was tidying up the wiring bundle under the hood and putting things in order generally. That blown fuse? Turned out to be caused by a fat diode I put across the relay terminals for the AC clutch. It didn't like 12v and decided to conduct both ways. Since it was one of the last 2 wiring changes I made that wasn't too hard to find. Replaced it with another surplus unknown fat diode and all is well.

I ended up having to modify a support bracket for the relay panel as it was hitting the re-routed plumbing for the surge tank drain. Tedious but not difficult. And so today I think I will be able to add oil and perhaps even coolant.

I do need to go back and research this thread to see if I made any mention of actually putting oil in the compressor. I'm pretty sure I did but I really wish I'd made note of it with a sharpie to remove any doubt. I dislike the uncertainty.

So that's it for now. It was surprisingly difficult to find bulk throttle cable in the right size but it's likely I just never went about it right. I ended up calling Speedway and ordering a 48" cable from them and hopefully it'll be the right stuff.

Here is another example of unobtainium:



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This little bugger seems to no longer be in production. It's a shame too, it's a lot nicer than the alternatives. Lights up when blown, has a clear epoxy top with a nice organic rounded shape. They do become dull with age but still look better than the squared off ones.

Jim

Yesterday I flattened the sides of the glove box liner by heating them and clamping between two pieces of plywood until they cooled, that worked well enough. A bit of spot putty in the seams and it'll get some paint before going back in.

I also added the break-in oil, anyone care to offer break in advice for a roller cam engine? I added the antifreeze but that didn't turn out so well. I seem to have a leak in the radiator but with the sammy still on the lift couldn't sort out exactly where it is.

Then I made a new button for my AC compressor switch. Here is what the original button looked like. It's glued back together after it had split down the middle into two halves.

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And here are the two buttons after I had made the new one out of some blue acrylic round stock.

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I thought it turned out rather well, I used an old school method to make it shiny referred to as flame polishing that works well with acrylic if done properly. Here the part was spinning in the lathe which turned out to be critical as the heat partially melted the part and it would have sagged otherwise. It was heated until shiny and than left spinning until cool.

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Last shot shows the illumination. It's an old switch so it uses an incandescent bulb rather than an LED. I could swap that out but it ain't broke so... The acrylic will carry the light out to the edges of the button, making it just visible from the driver's position without being too bright.

Jim

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Quote from: BlownMGB-V8 on July 25, 2026, 06:54:40 AMI also added the break-in oil, anyone care to offer break in advice for a roller cam engine?


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Jim, I used Valvoline VR1 10W-30, which is high zinc, on my new GM 3.4L V6 with roller cam.  It wasn't a smooth path to get the first 20 minutes at 2500 RPM but everything seems to have turned out alright.  It's also available in 20W-50.  I'm onlY one data point but FWIW.

John

Since this is a new engine break-in, I would certainly use a good break-in oil.  With the roller cam it does not need to be high in ZDDP.  My understanding is that a roller cam does not require any break-in.

I'll use up some of the 5 gallon bucket of Lucas 30 wt break in oil I have on hand, that should do. Drawing ever nearer. Should be able to finish up the throttle cable today, waiting on new o-rings for the injectors, and just yesterday I finished upgrading my Lenova tuning laptop to an SSD. I had the brilliant idea to use the CD tray for the new drive and boy did that turn out well.

It did and it didn't. The new tray held both the new drive and the old cover almost perfectly, making it very easy to remove the CD drive which I never use and put in the new SSD, but then I got to play sys admin, with tasks like cloning the old drive, re-ordering the boot menu, and it is at this point that Windows displayed it's brilliance. Unsurprisingly my Bios does lack a few minor abilities, one apparently being able to access the boot files in a SDD installed in the CD tray. So, masking the issue entirely, Windows has this ability to just grab that off the old drive and boot right up normally. Or what gives the appearance of being normal when it's anything but. All was wine and dandelions until I repartitioned and formatted the old drive to use it for data storage. Then the laptop quite simply lost it's mind. This is why we use computers today. So they can entertain us with their endless eccentricities and give us things to do so that we don't simply die of absolute boredom.

So, Blue Screen of Keyboard Selection it was to be, through interminable correction attempts and on into the afternoon. Here is where Google AI became an absolute lifesaver. Absent that guidance I would never have found the real issue let alone how to fix it. OTOH I don't think the AI by itself would have gotten there either. It wasn't until after matters had devolved beyond regedit and down to the 4 entry dos boot selection dialog, and my passing along the BIOS ID that we ended up at my suggestion making up a recovery disc and redirecting Windows back to where it's mind had been sitting there all along. I'm saying it was a team effort and by the end the google AI seemed just as relieved as I was. Told me I'd graduated to Sys Admin 3 or some such. Whatever. At least it works now. Very snappy too, probably better than new. Had to get a new key for Multicuscan and what a bitch that was, but the rest seems to be working fine. If you ever have to shift Multi to a new drive here's the key. Only use copy/paste for the keywords. There are four of them across two different drives and they are about 20 characters long and you *will* screw up doing it by hand. I just don't know what those Bulgarians are thinking. Piracy must be absolutely rampant over there.

So now I'm all set to get started on the new tune. I have a 3 month break between the last tune used in the 340 and the first 300 Iron Head tune so the latest 340 tunes aren't hard to identify. There are several last minute variants and I'll just try to find the one I was using as the primary at that time. I know I was trying several different things in an attempt to solve the double-crank starting issue and the transient spike tuning. The new engine is using the same injectors. Then I'll do some comparisons to my last file which is on the ECU now, the HPTuners app has a handy Compare feature that I'll be using for the different maps, and I should be able to come up with a suitable starting tune.

Hmmm, maybe the Google AI will have some good ideas about the double-crank and transient spikes. That would definitely be worth asking about.

So, uh... stay..tuned?

Jim

Throttle linkage is complete and the o-rings came in so I'll be able to finish up the fuel rails today and check the return spring. It could be a little stiff.

IMG_0029.jpg

Touch up some paint on the under side of the bonnet, do a little programming, and I think it's ready to start. I think once I've done that I'll get it back on the lift and find the coolant leak, check fluids and such so it shouldn't be more than a few days now until it's roadworthy. Assuming no new issues appear.

Jim

Glove box liner is flocked and installed. I think it came out pretty good.

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Hardware is done, looks like my tuning software is probably working and I've decided on my first attempt. It'll be the 300 tune with the displacement and injector size increased. That should do for the initial start. Still have that coolant leak to find and fix. fluids to check, a few other things. Probably crank it up day after tomorrow.

Jim

Getting close. The end of my throttle cable had dropped, bounced off the radiator hose and gone through the radiator fan into the shroud where it was inaccessible. I had to do a bit of disassembly between that and the coolant leak which was an open port below the upper radiator hose. Got out the orthoscope and found the throttle end and then had to make a plastic tool to drag it across to where I could get it out of the shroud. Couldn't leave it in there, it's the sort of thing that could cause unknown problems later on. Then yesterday sorted out a resolution problem with my laptop and got about halfway done on the tuning file.

That leaves indexing the cam sensor, checking valve lash, downloading the new tune and some paint touch up and I should be ready for ignition. More likely tomorrow than today since I have grass to mow too.

Posted this shot on BuickV8 with the comment that it looks kinda beefy:

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Jim

The beast is about to awaken.  Seek shelter.