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MG MGB Technical - New B joins the fleet, plenty questions to come

Well, what can I say? It followed me home.

I’ve never had a rubber bumper before, or a roadster, and this is also my first Weber conversion MG (dual choke 32/36 downdraft). I bought it dead, so it’s a pretty good bet that I will need some advise.

Here are a couple to get started. The distributor is built with some box on the side of it. Sorry, I just got it home at 2:00 this morning so I don’t have the numbers yet, but I think it is a stock distributor. On the fender well, there is an electronic box that says “Allison” on it. So, is this maybe the early problematic distributor that has been converted to electronic?

Is it okay to sandblast wire wheels, or is that too aggressive? Do I have to use glass beading instead, or what?

It is a 1977 with a December 1976 build date. Pic attached if I can figure out how to do it.

Charley


C R Huff

Charley-
The Allison pointless electronic ignition conversion is the direct ancestor of today's Crane XR700 system.
Sandblasting spoke wheels is a good wat to end up with brokem spokes later on. I'd suggest using Naval Jelly to get the rust off.
Steve S.

Thanks Steve,

I had forgotten all about Navel Jelly. I don't need any broken spokes. I guess the sandblasting work-hardens the surface?

Apparently the Allison system still works. I got a chance to check the car out a bit today, and with fresh gas it started right up.

Charley
C R Huff

I had some wire wheels powder coated once and was told they were sand blasted first. I never lost a spoke and 2 of them are still on the car although the powder coating did not work. Of course they may have done them with walnut shells and not told me as "sand blasting" is what customers expect to hear.
Stan Best

John Twist has a video on youtube about Allison ignitions. It might be of some use to you.
Ross Kelly

Stan,
Thanks for the tip. I had wondered about powder coating. I will probably clean them up by hand since neither the remaining paint nor the rust is heavy, and then just spray paint them.

Ross,
Good to know. The Allison seems to work fine at the moment, but probably best to arm myself with knowledge and a spare distributor.

Charley
C R Huff

I spray mine with Silver hammerite after several hours with emery cloth and Jenolite now. The powder coating was not flexible enough and when it cracks water gets under it.
Stan Best

Stan,

Does the Hammertite come in a bulk can (as opposed to aerosol spray cans) so that I can put it in a gun?

Also, do you think they make just one silver color so that there will be no confusion?

Charley
C R Huff

Over here we get Hammerite in bulk cans and they do a silver smooth finish. I've never had a matching problem from batch to batch and it comes up a nice bright silver, the aluminium paint they ship in looks far too dull against BRG. I imagine you could use any silver paint but I had some in the garage and it worked fine so I've stuck with it.
Stan Best

Thanks Stan. I'll check the stores around here and see what I can find.

Charley
C R Huff

This thread was discussed between 12/07/2008 and 17/07/2008

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