Common Faults of The Late MGB

red TR3

Departing New Orleans from E. Hartford, Connecticut

Repairs completed and fully tested, I ran the Texas-tagged red TR3 down to East Hartford, Connecticut for a pick up by Passport Transport for the trip the rest of the way to New Orleans, Louisana.

It’s en route now and we’re waiting on a full report from the owner.

MGB A-Arm bushings

Rubber Bumper MGB A-Arm Bushings & Brake Hose

In our experience rubber bumper MGB’s beat the snot out of the lower A-Arm bushings in as little as 30,000 miles because of their taller ride height.  This is much less of a problem with MG TD’s, MGA’s & chrome bumper MGB’s which all use exactly the same bushings.  The change in geometry is distinctly unfriendly to them, and the simple & permanent solution is to replace what’s left with the much harder “V8″ type bushing which also has a metal inner sleeve.

Upper trunnion bushings

Upper Trunnion Bushings, other side

These need to be “preloaded” or tightened down with the normal weight of the front end exerting its influence.  This is because the steel inner sleeve is pinched up on the lower pivot pin once the castle nut is tightened and that can put twist into rubber part of the bushing.

However, we just jack up on the spring pan and take an educated guess.  Take note of the split in the brake hose at the mounting bracket, another problem common to MGB’s.  This hose has already been replaced with a chrome bumper car brake hose hasa spiral coil around it.  Also take note of the pounding the upper trunnion bushings have received.  Changing them when the shock absorber was (recently) changed would have been a good idea, too.

XKE on test

An early E-type goes thru its paces Thursday

Right now we have seven E-types in the house, slightly skewed towards series 1 cars.  This white E-type is going to be Florida-bound soon, part of a permanent relocation, and we’re encouraging the owner to have some fun and  drive  it down.  That means we have to be highly confident that it will make it without any hicups, so we’re heavily involved in the drudge work of driving it.

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