Need a little Help with the Wife's 79 MGB

First off, NO I'm not dropping in a 455 big block, Thank you. Glad that's out of the way.uzzled:

Generally have taken this car to a local MG shop, but they aren't around anymore, so I'm trying to figure out a few things myself.

Tried posting to the mgexperience.net board, but that was fruitless. So.....

1) Hazards don't work, blinkers do. Replaced the hazard relay and can hear it ticking, but no lights. Is there some other relay or interlock in the system?

2) Wipers work on low, not on high, and don't park. I see victoria british sells some internal parts for the wiper motor, but is this most likely the problem, or should I track down a whole new motor, or is it the switch on the column?

3) Know a better MG board where I can actually get a response?

-- Steve

 

got to love the Prince, owned an Austin America,MGB,and a Jag. Just beat me.:rant: ou:

 

Buy a Triumph. Seriously though try this link. www.mgcarclubflorida.org

 

Yeah, the headlights on MG's have three settings -- dim, flicker, and off.

-- Steve

 

Had a buddy who owned a string of Brit cars-MG Bug Eye Sprite, Sprite, TR-6, GT coupe. He had bumper stickers made for his cars that stated:

All parts falling off this car are genuine British-made car parts. ou: ou:

 

I understand a common option on those cars is the underdash smoke dispenser.

 

My understanding of these cars is that electrical problems will show up anywhere and everywhere.

A 77 MGB that I used to have shut down on me once and it turned out to be a broken wire feeding the points inside the distributor... a broken wire in the MIDDLE of an unmolested length with no visible breaks in the sheathing :shock: :eek2: I just couldn't get my head around that one

Otherwise, just about any connection was suspect on my car. When I hear about the problems that the factory had back then with labor issues and sabatoge by line workers, pretty much anything goes.

Sorry I'm not of more help. Good luck.

 

On a side note...

How could you let the mother of your children drive one of those things?!?

 

i hate to admit it but i own 2 mgb's right now and what i have found is a corosion problem on all the grounds and the bullet connectors have caused me the biggest problems o No: my wifes 74 MGB roadster is excellent so far but my GT has some :blast: issues lets say

but try by cleaning ALL the grounds and bullet connections cant hurt

here are my two MGB's

 

Hey, it's a sweet ride. For maybe $5,000 you get a four-speed ragtop that corners great and is fun to drive. It isn't a muscle car, but try touching a four-speed GS ragtop for that price -- the GS would have to have been fire-bombed to sell for $5,000.

Plus MGB's are fairly solid cars -- yeah they are small, but they aren't complete POS's like a Midget or a bug-eye Sprite. I wouldn't want to to get hit by a bicycle in one of those.

-- Steve

 

I used to work with a guy who drove an MG every clear day to work. He was 6' 6" and about 260 lbs. I have no idea how he wedged his legs in there. His line of sight was over the windshield. But he didn't have to worry about mussing up his hair, as he was completely bald.

 

Ha... Steve I was just kidding. I liked mine when I had it. At the time, it was the closest thing to a motorcycle that I could get without my parents disowning me...

It was the first car that I took to an autocross, the first clutch replacement that I did, the first engine rebuild... got a Crane World cam and a Weber downdraft carb, took off the front cat... it was fun and sounded kinda cool.

I'm 6'-2". I test drove a Fiat 124 spyder before I bought the MGB and I just didn't fit. I could actually stretch my legs straight out in the MG.

If it weren't for the mistakes I made rebuilding the engine, I would have had it a lot longer than I did.

 

Steve,

I have a 1968 MGB that I have owned since 1983. It was my first car at age 16 and it has been a great adventure. As you may know British cars since the 1970s began to have quality problems due to the government run aspect and union strike problems at British Leyland which led to the sad demise of the affordable British Sports car which played such a major part of automotive history in America in the 50's & 60s.

The MG however always had higher quality standards than say some of the issues with Austin, rover and the notorious Triumph TR7. The Lucas image is not totally deserved, but we recognize its faults too, and its why we like bumper stickers at British car shows that ask, "Why do the English Drink Warm Beer? Because they have Lucas Refrigerators !"

British wiring is not bad, its just different ... and I've found that their components usually work right up until you see smoke rolling out from them. ( the lucas dash switch has 3 positions, off, dim and flicker!)

Seriously, you have a great car in the MGB. Mazda perfected it and made it a hit all over. . .with jap electronics, hydrollic lifters and a 5 speed, but they used the MGB as a model and to drive an old Miata is erie in its similarity to the MG.

This may not be the direct answer you want, but I would strongly recommend that you buy the book "MGB electrical Systems" by Rick Astley. Its about $35 but worth every penny. The book is a must have. Its readable, written for laymen rather than electricians. I just got it for Christmas and wondered how I got along for so long without it.

Hazzard Switch info is on Page 123 and I think you can look that up online via google an preview it without buying it. .. but its an excellent book and it debunks a lot of the jokes about Lucas and explains why the car is wired as it is, (which we Americans don't always understand) but it actually starts to makes sense when you read the book. . .even though we do things slightly different here. (Some of MG's problems which were fewer than other british marques, were due to suppliers rather than MG, which were all part of the British Leyland behemoth of the 70's.)

Regardless of the direct answer to your problem, I'd recommend this book MGB electrical systems by Rick Astley for any MGB owner. (Haynes, Chiltons, & the British Service Manual don't even compare to this book.)

Micah

 

IN HEAVEN
The Brits are the cops
The Germans build the cars
The French are the cooks

IN HELL
The Brits are the cooks
The Germans are the cops
The French build the cars

 

Steve,

Great pics of your wife's 79 MGB . .. very interesting too, since you have a 63-69 grill, a 63-70 chrome bumper, a late 60's steering wheel. . . but those are all great things that are (in my opinion) nicer than the 79 versions. . . of rubber bumpers and steering wheels.

You have a very nice car inside and out. . . . here's a few pics of my 68.

Micah

 

Did you really mean it about the 455?:idea2:

If it was me I would try and see if Painless or some other company has a new harness. I like new wiring in anything over 30 years old.

 

Micah --

Thanks for the suggestion. Guess I'll buy the book.

Nice car you got there. I like most cars stock, but the wife's car screamed for a little customization to make it look as nice as yours.

The grill and surround were $10 junkyard specials just like the 63-only steering wheel. The car started off a nasty shade of brown with stock black bumpers, but the wife wrecked it so I changed colors and did the chrome bumper conversion.

And if she wrecks it again it goes back to brown with black bumpers to teach her a lesson.:rant:

-- Steve

 

Kelly has to DRIVE it to wreck it Steve.:laugh:

 

Micah --

Book was the right purchase. thanks.

Even lists the solution to the issue of "engine starts when I pull on the parking brake", which had me / us perplexed.

-- Steve