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MG MG Y Type - Bad Driving

While on the subject of tear-away driving, It seems that it is nothing new. My father in law who is 91 related [or admitted ] to me how as a young RAF apprentice he would try to break his personal times back to Halton in his 1930 Lagonda Speed 6, also occasionly exceeding 100mph on the Banbury to Oxford road, you didn't in those days drive with one hand on the steering wheel and a mobile in the other [even if you had one], the chances are that any modern jockey who tries that trick would soon be ploughing the nearby field.
It is possible that your Y type was pushed mercilessly down hill at over 80 some time in its life, mine was because I did it! It may be that many middle class owners through family reasons had to give up their T type but not their enthusiasm.
As a footnote, my son was recently driving his Alfa along the M40 when to his astonishment, what he thought was a very dirty 4 1/2 Blower Bentley, the driver in flying helmet and goggles, overtook in the 3rd lane. Tim said he was really shifting, and there on the back a plaque he could just make out "Peking to Paris"
So next time you are tail gated watch out for those dumb irons and huge head lights.
Bryan

The mind boggles at doing 80 mph downhill in a Y - in 27 years of ownership of my YB the fastest I have ever dared go was about 60 mph and that's scary (and noisy) enough!
David Mullen

David,

Just to brag a little bit: a few hours ago when returning from the 50th anniversary of MGCC Luxembourg I touched an indicated 70 mph! Scary indeed!

We drove 625 miles in four days with only a little bit of trouble with binding rearbrakes and a scary shortcircuit in the rearlight that had smoke pouring from under the dashboard. Met Peter Arnell and defended the Y honour by finishing second overall.
Willem van der Veer

Hate to admit it but I have had 70+ out of mine on the flat - it was great fun ... but I wont do it on a regular basis!

Paul
Paul Barrow

Bryan,
Years ago I had the sight of my life when I was overtaken on the motorway in GB by a deafening pre-war Vauxhall tourer (a Prince Henry?) carrying for straight faced gentlemen. I was travelling in the MGB at about 75 mph....
Willem van der Veer

Come on David and Willem, scarey indeed! Thats how all cars behaved in those days. Because of poor tyres and even worse road surfaces [tar blocks, tram lines, cobbles etc] driving demanded fast reactions and a feel for the change in surface especially in the rain.
The Y type was quite outstanding in its road holding but its sure that every driver would have experianced it break away. As an example take a look at John Cobb in his Railton high on the Brooklands banking traveling at 150mph with 3 wheeles off the ground.
By the way, I dont advacate anyone attempting 80 in their Y type now since a nice new green crank shaft is a whole lot different to an old one riddled with cracks.
Bryan

Bryan, the scary bit WAS the thought of parts evacuating the engine in random order.

I hugely enjoyed the driving in Luxembourg and Belgium over the bad, winding and steep B-roads (especially bad in Belgium) on the screaming cross-plies; my face still hurts from the constant stupid grinning. Again people commented that they had to push rather hard to keep up (down-hill...)

I did notice this morning that I was still double-clutching in the modern car and reaching for the non-excisting indicator-switch that does excist in my Y.
Willem van der Veer

Come on guys where's your spirit of adventure? I had a ball in 2003 driving to Le Mans in our YT on the French Motorway at 90mph chasing Prancing Horses, Lambos and TVRs and laughing at the looks of amazment on the drivers faces! Cheers Richo YT3208.
Richard Prior

Richo, was that in your modified YT with MGB mechanicals? If so own up, please! Rob
Rob Dunsterville

Willem - "...the scary bit WAS the thought of parts evacuating the engine in random order." Been there, done that in our TD when a gudgon pin pinch bolt parted ways at 4200 RPM. There was a BANG and a cloud of smoke filling the cockpit and the road behind us as all the other cars in I5 in Olympia, Washington (not far from where Paul lives) instantly gave way for me to get to the inside shoulder. When I took the engine apart, the sump was full of itty, bitty pieces of what had previously been fully operational parts of the engine (that was what had not left the engine in random order as you so nicely stated it) and the bottom two inches of the right side of the crancase fell onto the floor when the sump was removed. Surprisingly, the crank not only survived, it is now residing in someone's TC engine. As for our TD, it now has a replacment engine in it and still being driven at 4200 RPM on a regular basis (after far more attention was paid to the torque value that the new gudgon pin pinch bolts were tightened to - with a freshly calibrated torque wrench. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

Funny you should mention about your gudgon pin pinch bolt David. I purchased an ex Californian 1954 TF re imported back to UK. I noted that the engine was rather noisy so decided on stripping it down, and guess what, number 2 cylinder was badly scored due to a loose gudgon pin. You don't happen to know who messed up your engine, I wondered if its the same guy.
Bryan

Bryan - Not the same guy. The idiot who screwed up my engine was severly repremanded and made to learn how to properly install and torque the pinch bolts. I now do an excellent job when reassembling the engines. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

What worries me is few of you seem to think of that ancient crankshaft spinning round at over 4500 rpm, with four heavy pistons being accelerated and stopped tens of thousands of times, at this 70mph. The whole lot is probably approaching 60 years, if not more. The massive number os stress reversals that reciprocating mass has already suffered means many of your cranks will have fine cracks in them, and soon the lot will let go.

How do I know, because in 1970 I took one up to 75mph on the M1 near Hemel, and the car ran like a dream, until there was this huge BANG. Very little was left of that engine's insides. ( Note, there were no speed limits then.)

NC.
Neil Cairns

Neil,
Believe me; I was thinking of my ancient crankshaft when doing 70 (for a very short time). But as you say it sounded beautiful, fortunately not followed by a BANG.
Willem van der Veer

OK, I own up! Cheers Richo
Richard Prior

This thread was discussed between 27/08/2007 and 22/09/2007

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