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MG MGB Technical - Timing Issue

My wife's 1978 model has its timing marks on the top, which makes setting the timing easy. My 1966 model has its timing marks on the bottom, so I have to keep crawling under the car to check the timing every time I make an adjustment. It's a real pain to do it this way. What do I have to do to convert my car so it will be like hers?
Wayne Omps

Wayne. To the best of my knowledge, you need to replace the harmonic balancer with an early 18V model and the timing chain cover with any 18V model. My 68 GT had the later timing chain cover and harmonic balancer when I purchased it and it has never been a problem. You might want to check the Moss catalog as there were a few different bolts used to hold the harmonic balancer to the crankshaft. You would want to use the correct bolt for the specific harmonic balancer being installed.

There were two different sizes of the harmonic balancer used on the 18V engine. The smaller one is the one to use. I believe they went to a larger harmonic balancer when they modified the engine bay for the V-8 engine, but have not bothered to verify this in Clausager's "Orginal MGB".

Les
Les Bengtson

Wayne The way I did my 68 worked well. While I had the radiator out for another job I lined up the TDC mark under the pulley. I then fabricated a a small plate from thin sheat metal with a pointer bent at right angle. Then cleaned a spot the same size as the plate to the bear metal on the timing case in an easy to see position above the pulley and epoxied the plate to the timing case. I then, after checking to see that nothing had moved, cut a shallow line in the pulley with a hack saw blade. Job done. You could add more lines every 5* to the right of TDC if you wish. Its been on four years and so far so good. I used 12min epoxy. It would have taken less than an hour with the radiator already out and it costs nil.
A thing that would improve this job further would be to check the position of the old timing mark before you start, (using a stop in number 1 plug hole) as when fitting a new harmonic balance a few years later I found the the old one was two degrees out, and this is common.
Only do the last bit if your real fussy.
Denis
DENIS4

I did much the same but with 2 blobs of white paint.
Stan Best

Paint blobs works for me...
K Harris

Paint blobs would work OK on a rubber bumper car as there is a lot more space in front of the engine but theres a lot less room on an early car. I would think on a RB you might might even be able to do it without removing the rad.
DENIS4

This thread was discussed between 28/06/2008 and 30/06/2008

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