First -- apologies if my site bounced messages for a few days. We had a,
um, hurricane. Fortunately for us the baby, house, and everything else
survived without damage. A lot of people lost everything.
lbc content --
The baby (1960 MGA) went on her first big trip to her first show this
weekend! The Fifth Annual South Alabama British Car Club's British Car
Day in Mobile AL (USA) was a good time. We met some great people and saw
some beautiful cars. Thanks to Warren Beatty and all the others that
helped make it happen.
The two and a half hour drive to Mobile from Fort Walton Beach FL was
beautiful, a perfect day for driving. 60-70 mph most of the way with a
stop halfway there to stretch legs and let the car spit up the specified
eight ounces of coolant (it was topped off before the drive). Halfway
home we started loosing oil pressure -- fast. I pulled off the highway
and checked the oil. It was a quart low so I added a quart. Pressure
was still too but not dangerously so. But now the car had a loud
knocking sound that seemed to be coming from under the valve cover. The
car had not overheated and the knocking only occured at cruising --
not accelerating of decellerating. So I made my way across Pensacola,
Florida, accelerating and decellerating, to a friend's house to get some
light and work on the car. We were stumped. Distributor hadn't moved,
timing was still right and vacuum unit still connected. Finally I figured
out that the exhaust pipe had loosened at the manifold and that was the
cause of the rattle. What a relief. I was really sweating this one for
a couple of hours. Two things happening at the same time can make you
think they are related. Engine had cooled down by then and oil pressure
was back to normal for the drive home by the water under the full moon.
So what caused the drop in oil pressure? Maybe I should fit an oil cooler.
Anyway our trip to the 5th Annual SABCC British Car Day was a success.
We took home a plaque for Third Place! (In MGAs.) (Out of three MGAs.)
But we had a great time and that's what it's all about!
Kevin Sullivan -- 1960 MGA
Nichols Research Corp.
Shalimar FL USA
|