MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGB Technical - Carb Heat shield material

Anyone recommend a replacement for the asbestos heat shielding material on the carbs heat shield.

TIA

Tom (member)
Tom(member)

Tom. I have been using the heat shield material available at most parts stores. It has to be cut to size and attached to the heat shield.

Les
Les Bengtson

Careful on removing the old material. I am sure you know it is asbestos. Wet it when removing.

You can also find a nice replacement at your local hardware store in the pipe department. They make a sheet of material used to prevent a torch from catching things on fire when sweating copper pipe in tight places. It is nearly a perfect replacement size.
Bruce-C

Thanks, Bruce, I will remember that. Good tip!

Don't know how many times I saw it and walked right past it in the plumbing aisle when I worked at HD and never made the connection! Doh!
Bob Muenchausen

WOW! Once again my ignorance is exposed. Now that I know that the heatshield is not just a piece of sheet metal, how is the insulation material attached? Glue? Tabs? Tape? Screws? What is the proper shape?

Secondly, I have been advised to drill to 3/4 inch holes in the heatshield to allow access to the intake manifold bolts. I was told this allows removal of the entire carb "assembly" as a unit. Any comments on this? Thanks, Tom, TC 2850 and others
Thomas McNamara

Mine is attached with copper rivets.
John Minchin

Oh jesus, that fibrous stuff below my carbs is asbestos?? F*ckin' hell! Out it comes next time I get the chance! Is it asbestos even on the late cars? I hate that stuff and wont go near it.
Ross Kelly

In the 60s and 70s I worked in telephone exchanges where the holes in the walls and floors the cables went through were filled with bags woven from asbestos fibre and filled with loose fibre as a fire-stop. Every now and again 'asbestos bag fights' would break out where we would chuck these at each other, and often the first thing you knew about it was walking past the end of a gangway and one would catch you on the side of the head. During the 70s it was all replaced with vermiculite in a bonding agent, but I don't recall any special precautions when they did so.

It's not ideal, but as far as the ones on your heatshield go you would have to pulverise them in a polythene bag over your head to be at any kind of risk. If you *are* going to replace it, wet it first then remove and discard the whole heat-shield, I wouldn't replace just the insulators.
Paul Hunt2

Agreed Paul.
James

This thread was discussed between 24/04/2008 and 01/05/2008

MG MGB Technical index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG MGB Technical BBS now