1964 MG B Roadster Discussion.

[MichaelJFox]

As I said I wouldn't do, here's the build thread..

 

 

[tortron]

This is just the worst 

 

Congrats

 

Looks like the sparkplugs have been kept well oiled

[Lord Gruntfuttock]

Cool colour, should be easy engine to work on. There will be heeeaaaps of information on MGBarryforums...

[Indiana_Jones]

Awesome shit mate, get her all sorted.

/giz to me when you're sick of it lol

Will be fun to watch her come to life again.

[locost_bryan]

Nice colour.  Plenty of parts availability, can't see anything cracked from your pics.  Replacing the old hoses should be easy.  While you're waiting, check the electric fuel pump still works.  Good luck!

[MichaelJFox]

14 minutes ago, locost_bryan said:

Nice colour.  Plenty of parts availability, can't see anything cracked from your pics.  Replacing the old hoses should be easy.  While you're waiting, check the electric fuel pump still works.  Good luck!

Yeah, excellent point. I'm yet to put a battery to it (negative earth, and had two 6v batteries fitted factory) and have the magic Lucas blue smoke get released into the wild. I'm sure there's all sorts of fun to be had there.

[dmulally]

I recall those two batteries under the seat. 

What a great car. I owned one many years ago and it was built like a tank. Very easy to weld in any patches. 

[MRT1TRD]

Nice car, but that engine needs a lot of work, #4 cylinder is a different generation valve spring and keepers and probably valves, there looks like one of the valve seats looks like it is possibly moving, and lastly there's probably more coolant flow in a dry drag racing engine, I'd hate to see how blocked the radiator is.

[MichaelJFox]

10 hours ago, MRT1TRD said:

Nice car, but that engine needs a lot of work, #4 cylinder is a different generation valve spring and keepers and probably valves, there looks like one of the valve seats looks like it is possibly moving, and lastly there's probably more coolant flow in a dry drag racing engine, I'd hate to see how blocked the radiator is.

I think I see what you're saying, the last two valve springs/keepers are the older Type "A" ones but the rest look like they could be "Type B" ones - that likely to cause any drama?

How would one check the valve seats moving? And yeah the coolant passages look.. tasty will do what I can there.

Let me know if I should start hunting for a long block instead.

[MRT1TRD]

Ideally take it to the engine shop get them to do a clean and check for cracks, and once it's clean and the valves removed the seat can be checked.

So these don't have seats originally but with different keepers it's had valve work before. On the pic of #4 combustion chamber between the valve and spark there's a line of rust dust that is possibly the valve seat moving but I can be wrong. If it is it's not much for a shop to cut/fit a larger seat.

Block you can clean yourself but best results need to remove core plugs and water pump, and if was seized there maybe something else damaged that you have to disassemble the rest of the engine to find 

[MichaelJFox]

32 minutes ago, MRT1TRD said:

Ideally take it to the engine shop get them to do a clean and check for cracks, and once it's clean and the valves removed the seat can be checked.

So these don't have seats originally but with different keepers it's had valve work before. On the pic of #4 combustion chamber between the valve and spark there's a line of rust dust that is possibly the valve seat moving but I can be wrong. If it is it's not much for a shop to cut/fit a larger seat.

Block you can clean yourself but best results need to remove core plugs and water pump, and if was seized there maybe something else damaged that you have to disassemble the rest of the engine to find 

Thanks for that man, appreciate the insight.

Plan was to take the head to a machine shop anyway, so I'll do whats mentioned above.

If the block becomes a real headache a friend of a friend mentioned they have a good block in Wellington, so might have to start looking down that path.

[MichaelJFox]

Alright so the cylinders do not want to budge.

Had them sitting with the head off soaked in ATF for three weeks now probably. Was being pretty mean to them with a piece of wood and a literal sledge hammer at one point.

If anyone knows of a motor for sale anywhere let me know

[Sunbeam]

Try acetone with the atf. Otherwise take the crank out and bash the pistons with a steel drift. Wood absorbs too much power from the hammer. Sounds brutal, but the pistons and bores are already rooted anyway at this point. It’s a tractor engine so the marks should bore out for new oversized pistons with meat to spare. I had to use the agro method on a Fiat block to get a piston out. Moved pretty quick once the wooden drift was abandoned and didn’t even break a ring in the end. 

[tortron]

Apply heat till the atf heats up

 

You will know it's hot enough when your eyes burn and it hurts to breathe

[tortron]

Here's a example of heat and rust stuck rings

These ones made a ping when they came loose

[MRT1TRD]

I have a Morris 1622 engine that I have had running on a pallet 

[locost_bryan]

Twin crab Riley/MG version?

[MichaelJFox]

17 hours ago, MRT1TRD said:

I have a Morris 1622 engine that I have had running on a pallet 

Are those the same lump, just smaller CC? I have a lead on a short block and a potentially a complete motor down these ways but if that doesn't pan out I may be keen on that.
Otherwise it'll be remove the block from the car, remove everything bash the pistons out and see what I'm left with.

[locost_bryan]

The 1622 has a 3 bearing crank, the 1800 had a 3 bearing crank (18GA prefix) until October 1964, when it was replaced by a 5 bearing crank (18GB prefix).  Distributor advance curve and carb needles and/or springs will be different.

[MichaelJFox]

A friend of mines old man pretty much told me to suck it up and pull the motor and he's got a guy that'll hone/plane/sort the block n head, so will get that under way if I don't find a like for like replacement soon.

How did I end up rebuilding this bloody motor