---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 16 Oct 1994 23:52:07 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jim Fink c/o Joanne..<hershfld@isisb.oit.unc.edu>
To: jtrindle@tsquare.com
Subject: Oil Pressure & Oil loss & MGB's
Hi, I recognize your frustration and did a similar "bodge" about 4,000
Miles ago with a '73 MGB engine, first 1,000 miles after the "bodge" were
in the orig. '73 MGB/GT, the last 3,000 in a '69 MGB which took the engine
and transmission as a running transplant a few months ago....Its now my
daily driver, obviously with the miles on it so fast......
Anyway, what I did....
The engine had low oil pressure and a main bearing knock developed in it,
I spent $100 and got a new oil pump....$70, and new rod and main
bearings. The originals were standard size and I replaced-em with
standard size bearings, knowing that the engine had not been rebuilt
before made sense at 86,000 miles showing....so..., it now has 90,500.
I believe you guys should have also replace the oil pump while you were
in there, thats where the pressure is driven from.." and the bearings were
shot,,,,," sure mine were worn to the copper but the crank journals were
smooth and not too damaged yet....after checking the bearings' fit with
plastiguage, the gap was still in spec, so I put all back together, I was
a little lazier and just replaced three of the mains not wanting to mess
with the front seal etc....the five main bearing engine is strong and
replaceing three, and in your case four out of the five should hedge your
bets for 10K miles or so....
the other variable here is if the rear is really bad and broken and
blocking the oil hole or something, it could be causing the pressure to
be low,,,,,,,,I am just guessing here, but it is remotely and reasonably
possible....I
would put in a NEW oil pump, $75...and another three hours standing on
your head.....and then if still low, I would say its rebuild time,,,,
In my case, the "BODGE" is still holding...pressure is at 60 running and
its good at idle, and no more bearing knock, I forget the idle pressure,
my guage sticks a bit on the low end..., and its late.....
Now however I am using some oil too, I know my rings are old and the
pistons are pretty loose in their holes, and the head is old and I have
bodged it by seating the valves with valve grinding grit and a power
drill attached to the valve stems, in the head on the bench of
course,,,,,BUT IT RUNS STILL, with 135-150 compression and when I drive 150
Miles on the highway
at 70 MPH, (overdrive engaged) it sucks up close to two quarts of oil, up
from one quart a thousand or so miles ago....but....I know i am going to
have to start on the orig. High Compression engine's rebuild soon, or be
prepared to stick my other sitting, '73 engine which RUNS albeit
questionably and smokingly, in over a huried weekend, but
THat keeps life exciting, now if I can get a little more "paying work", I'll
get seriously back into engine work as I did when I did my '71
correctly.....It didn't get any such bodges, but I'm not discussing her
right now.....
Question to the net on burning/loosing oil......the valve guides versus
the pistons, is the oil down the cylinders and a compression test a good
way to determine where most of the oil loss would be coming from ?...
I mean I know I need both rings and guides, but, I would rather do guides
now than rings, well, maybe I had better start on the orig, engines's
rebuild before I buy another Toyota.....
TTFN
Jim Fink
'69 MGB
'71 MGB
'85 V---O
PS, WOW, those colors in the mountains, just returned from a familly,
(with inlaws) trip in the non-lbc wagon, from Ashville North Carolina and
a long cruise up the Blue Ridge Parkway, up around 5100 Ft, and back
down, I have never seen Red spotted mountains like that before.....
Did see several old model A fords, a Datsun 1600 Roadster, and on the way
back an italian coupe, '68 white and a 1500 Red Spit together,
suprisingly few other LBC,s though....
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