MGB Front End In

One weekend home from school I picked up all the parts for the front end and started putting it back together. I cleaned and painted all the front end parts individually, including sandblasting and painting the 1969 cross member. I rented a spring compressor from the local auto parts store and put the springs back in. Once the cross member was rebuilt, I put it back in the car.

Things were running smoothly, until I determined the steering column was too long! Because I was fitting the car with a 1969 front end cross member to lower the car ride height, the steering column would no longer fit. Another delay. I managed to take apart the steering assembly before I had to head back to school.

Pops took the steering column into the local machine shop for me, with the new dimensions. They ended up shortening the shaft by removing a section out of the middle of the shaft.

Another weekend home and we put the steering assembly back together and in the car. Pops had manufactured a couple of steering column adjusters out of a design in the MGB Workshop manual and they worked great. We managed to setup the steering without any problems. Now, the engine.

Front end rebuild

After I got back from Switzerland I had a couple weeks before I had to be back at school in Edmonton, plenty of time to get the front end rebuilt. I eased the front end out of car by doing the following.

1. Remove the front tires, it makes it easier to remove the front crossmember.
2. Under the nuts holding the front anti sway bar to the wishbone arm. These may be tight, you will have to use a tie rod splitter to get them apart.
3. Remove the steering rack by undoing the u-joint closer to the steering wheel and undo the four mounting bolts.
4. Undo the brake line union nuts and free the brake lines.
5. Place a jack under the cross member and undo the four crossmember mounting bolts.
6. Ease the cross member assembly down and away from the car.
7. Inspect the mounting pads, they may need to be replaced.

I took the whole assembly into the local MG shop and had them look it over. They removed the springs and took apart the kingpin assemblies for me. After inspection we determined the shocks needed to be replaced and the kingpins needed to be redone. More shop time before I would get the car on the road, it was looking like next summer would be when I could finally drive it.

Switzerland!

In May I headed off to Switzerland to work for a Mechanical Engineering firm on my last practicum. The experience was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I had the chance to work with an exceptional Mechanical Engineering firm in Switzerland. Not only did I learn a lot, I got the chance to travel Europe. Thats me in the picture being taught how to make an authentic Swiss fondue.

My Mom had some relatives in Wales so I made sure to go and see them on my way home. My Mom's cousin was a great help in tracking down a few really good examples of a restored MGB.

We spotted this blue one in Wales and had the chance to talk to the owner about some of the differences in the North American car and the British one. That night, my Mom's cousin and I were talking over a few pints about the car and he suggested we get an official British "T" reg license plate for the car. A plate with a T as the final letter are reserved for cars built in 1978, the same year as my MGB. My cousin assured me that we would be able to pick one up at the wreckers the next day.

We set out in the morning to find a T-reg license plate for my MGB. After hitting a few of the wreckers we managed to find one. My cousin had brought all the tools required to remove it from the car and we headed home with the plate. My MGB back home was going to get an official British T-reg plate.

Transmission

While I had the engine out, I decided that I might as well pull out the transmission and clean it up as well. The transmission drain plug had a slight leak and had managed to coat just about every square inch of the transmission, not to mention other parts of the cars underside.

I jacked the car up as best I could and proceeded to pull out the transmision. The front of the transmission was held up by a rope and 2X4 laid across the top of the front fenders. I put a jack under the center of the transmission and proceeded to remove the transmission.

1. Remove the gearshift cover by unscrewing the 4 mounting screws holding down the cover plate.
2. Raise the rubber boot and remove the gearsift retaining plate and bolts.
3. Get under the car and remove the cable for the tachometer.
4. Remove the bolts holding the clutch slave cylinder in place and set it aside making sure you dont kink the hydraulics hose.
5. Remove the reverse light switch.
6. Disconnect the drive shaft, making sure to mark the driveshaft and the transmission so you know it will be balanced when you put it back together.
7. Disconnect the grounding strap.
8. Remove the Engine restraint rod.
9. Make sure the jack is supporting the weight of the transmission and undo the mounting bolts. There should be four of the them, don't take the cross member off, it will come out all in one piece.
10. Ease the transmission down and either pull it out on the jack (if you have the car raised high enough) or strongarm it on to the floor so you can slide it out from under the car.

I cleaned the transmission with some engine cleaner, a wire brush and an old tooth brush. Once I had it as clean as I thought I could get it, I painted it with a high heat engine paint.

The engine and transmission were ready to go back in the car, but it would all have to wait. I had gotten a job offer to work in Basel, Switzerland for my final work term. It was time to head to Europe!

Reassembly of a Classic Car Engine

Over the Spring semester of school my friend, his brother and Dad helped me to put the MGB Engine back together. I am very grateful to my buddies family for not only being my family away from home when I lived in Edmonton, but for putting up with my English Motor. Thanks Aubrey's!

We slowly but the engine back together, working weekends and evenings when we had the chance. It wasn't easy with having to be in school full time but it was a good way to relax and forget about school.

Once we got it home I set about painting it. If you look closely at the picture of the primed engine you can see the "Mexican Chromed head".

MGB Parts are in!

I got the phone call from the local MGB parts place. My order had come in! All the bearings, washers and gaskets to put the MGB motor back together. All I needed now was a new head and camshaft.

On a weekend at home I went through all the boxes of stuff that my brother in law had given me with the car and my luck was holding. In one box was a used camshaft and complete head. They both looked like they were in pretty good shape but was hard to tell with all of the caked on gunk. I packed the parts in a cardboard box along with assorted other goodies and headed back to Edmonton for school.

My friend and I took the head and camshaft into the local machine shop that the British car shop guy had recommended. They set about cleaning both heads and cams, the original parts and the ones I had brought back from home.

I got a call from the machine shop to let me know that I was in luck, one of the heads was good, and both camshafts could be used. I just told them to use the best cam, they were going to machine the lobes to provide better performance as well.

When I went to the machine shop a few days later they had told me that they had chromed the head for me. I was shocked, being a traditionalist, I couldn't believe my eyes. "Mexican Chrome" the shop guy informed me, simply put, silver paint. We had a good chuckle about that one, and still laugh about it to this day.

All the parts were in, the head and cam were machined, it was time for reassembly!