MG MGB Technical MGB GT Newly Restored BBS discussion at MG-Cars.info

MG MGB Technical - MGB GT Newly Restored

It is quite some time and several reasons why I didn't post anything about my restoration project. I simply wanted to finish it and while it needs a few little adornments to complete it, I am happy to show off what I have done up until now, for the past two and a half years. Maurie Prior - New England Highlands, NSW, Australia

R M Prior

Andy, Thank you. It is very generous of you to say so. here are some more images for anyone who may be interested.

R M Prior

Hi Maurie It looks like you went to a great deal of trouble. It certainly puts my two MG's to shame. It may be the photo, but I can't see the stabiliser bracket for the exhaust pipe that originally was fitted from the bottom nearside bell-housing bolt to the exhaust pipes. Not taken for this purpose, but perhaps you can see it in this photo of the underside of my far from pristine MGB. (But at least you can tell the car is oil tight!) Sorry; I don't know why the photo loaded sideways. I personally think this bracket is important as it ensures the engine pipe/s moves in unison with the exhaust manifold. This was also omitted by the exhaust business who fitted the larger bore exhaust system to my MGA for me, so I fabricated one with a friend later.

T Aczel

FWIW the factory arrangement uses a bracket on the two lower bellhousing bolts 'C' then a strap 'B' from that to a clip 'A' on the nearest pipe. No apologies for the muckiness ...

paulh4

Thomas, Thank you, here is an image of the original gearbox to down-pipe bracket which has been retained in it's correctly appropriate location, however, I need to fabricate a new dual down-pipe connecting bracket, as the original suits only one down-pipe, not the two needed with the new extractors exhaust design. Cheers, Maurie

R M Prior

Hi All, Here are 2 more images of my newly restored 1973 MGB GT. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Paul H in particular, for the marvellous information available from his website. Paul's terrific technically detailed pages, enabled me to reference many issues over what went where especially after the long period between strip down and re-assembly. Paul H, take a bow! Cheers, Maurie Prior

R M Prior

"FWIW the factory arrangement uses a bracket on the two lower bellhousing bolts 'C' then a strap 'B' from that to a clip 'A' on the nearest pipe." Thanks Paul I've owned my MGB for 53 yers now, and for as long as I can remember the exhaust stabiliser has been as shown in my photo. Having looked into this now, I can see that the arrangement you show in your photo is how it was originally, ex-factory. I have no idea when it was changed on my MGB. My late father's workshop did all the work on the car in my youth. It is surprising how often this item is omitted from cars, along with other items originally included for well-considered reasons. (Gearbox stabiliser bar, sway bar lateral location blocks, and air cleaner base plate stub stacks are three examples. All are there for very good reasons, and yet I have seen people question the need for each of them at times). The MGA arrangement uses two metal straps, and two bolts on the bell-housing, the bottom near side bolt and the one above.One is short and runs transversely, and the other is longer and runs obliquely. Perhaps you can make them out in these two photos I found on "MGA Guru". They can fracture on the MGA and therefore clearly serve a purpose. The original cast iron MGA exhaust manifold is also fracture prone, which I don't believe is the case with the MGB exhaust manifold. Maurie, I still can't make the bracket out in your photo, but I assume it's just me, or the photo, most likely the former.

T Aczel

This thread was discussed between 07/06/2023 and 01/07/2023

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