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MG MGB Technical - Holes in the front bulkhead

I have an early '74 chrome bumper roadster which I am putting back together after a LHD to RHD conversion.

I have a couple of questions about the routing of certain lines through the bulk head.

1) Windwash tube - I think this passes through the large hole below the LH (when cosidered from inside the car) bonnet hinge. Do you agree?

2) Choke cable - the car has twin SU HIF carbs and the cable approaches the carbs from below. Where does it pass through the bulkhead?

3) Heater valve cable - when the car was in LHD format I think this passed through a hole below the large not quite rectangular pedal box access gromet. I don't think the hole is there on a RHD car. So where does this control cable go?

4) Just in front of the transmission tunnel opening, near the top of the verticle, inboard side of the RH footwell there is a 1/2 inch round hole. I am sure something passes through that hole but I can't remember what. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance,

David
David Witham

Are you going to Stoneleigh at the weekend? There are bound to be lots of bonnets to look under!

Dave
D O'Neill

I had hoped to but my wife tells me that I was out alot last weekend. Also I have not used all the parts I bought last year! So I may stop home instead, and perhaps get some garage time if I behave!
David Witham

I have resolved question 3. The heater cable passes through one of the pair of 25mm holes on the horizontal part of the bulkhead. Which of the pair depends on the source but the inboard one seems to be favourite.
David Witham

David,

From memory (I'll look later), washer tube is very close to the bonnet hinge, choke goes through a hole on the LH side near where the hole for the pedal box would be on a LHD car (mine's welded up...), and maybe the speedo cable for hole no 4 on your list.

Neil
Neil Lock

david
your right on the 1st one but if your washer bottle is on the back of the radiator diafram you are better to take it out of the hole through the grommet your dash loom comes into the engine bay as you can run it along the loom to the right place
the choe cable comes out of the hole at the side of themain hole that the steering column comes through on a left hand drive car
the hole on the tunnel is for the speedo cable
ste
Ste Brown

I have 70 roadster sold new in California (have bill of sale and all original owner receipts). Ste Brown is correct regarding the choke and speedo cables. Over the years, I have had trouble with both of these cables because the routes they take cause excessive cable bending. I have re-routed the speedo cable to my satisfaction, but the choke continues to be a problem.

JRB
J Brown

If you do re-route the choke cable, don't do what my DPO did. He routed the cable so that is was free of excess bends, but proceeded to have it approach the carbs from above instead of from below (I have a '73).

Since the backing plate isn't designed for this approach he fiddled together a cable lock made from a cast-off heater locking nut (one of those itty-bitty things that allow the heater cable to swivel in its bracket). The problem is, he didn't check for clearance when he did it.

My first hint of a problem came with a tremendous smell of gasoline one time during a cold start. I immediately turned off the engine, and on checking found that his jury-rigged locking nut had snagged the small fuel line running between the carbs, pulling it completely loose from one - thereby letting gasoline poor right down on the exhaust manifold. I got REALLY lucky on that one, and if I could've tracked the SOB down I would've put that +@$%&*@#$@# contraption way up where the sun don't shine.

Bottom line: Think ahead.

End of rant.

R.
Rick Stevens

Thanks for your comments.

I remember the choke cable hole STE describes. I think I welded it up when I patched the bulkhead after removing the LHD column outer mounting cone.

If I take the choke cable through the higher level hole I describe in 3) above, previously used for the heater valve control, the route will be effected by the glove box, so I may redrill.

The hole I describe in 4) is not the RHD speedo hole. The speedo hole is further down the tunnel side where the side does a slight wiggle providing a place that is closer to horizontal.
David Witham

david
that will be the hole for the oil capillary pipe which exits there then curls upwards to the t piece which joins the flexi to engine
the two holes on the bulk head under the heater are
from front of car looking in engine bay
left hole is for the water temp gauge
the right one is the heater tap cable
go to my web site and look in restoration pics on left side then click on the wiring and pipe routing pics
www.mgste.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk
ste
Ste Brown

This thread was discussed between 22/02/2007 and 26/02/2007

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