OK, a quick update for those following my 'smoking 'B" tale! I was
looking for *any* other easy fix that didn't require me pulling the head
off again... I lost enough of the magic last time I opened her up.
Well... one eventually gets sick of fiddling around the edges and never
really getting to the root of the problem, so....
1. Yes the guy who did the head work (I'll stop calling it a head job)
in Melbourne had not properly installed the valve stem seals when he put
it back together. Basically they were just flopping around causing more
of a nuisance than aything - not doing their job. The resultant mess
made this recently done head look years old inside!
2. I couldn't escape the fact... new rings!!
3. Conrod bearings were shot - replaced.
You don't want the nut-by-bolt rundown!!!!!
The *good* news (!?) was that there was no (OK, minimal) damage to the
cylinder with the broken rings - other cylinders in good condition, as
were valve guides, valves OK and basically all else pretty solid. A
'professional' examination by my MG doctor gave me the good prognosis of
at least another four years before a 'full' engine re-build should even
be considered (and remember, I do almost a thousand miles a month and
sometimes more, so we are looking at maybe another 50,000 miles or so).
I guess I really can't afford to sell her just now, so I had better take
her off the market and drive her for another year to get some value out
of this expensive exercise.
It is late and my checkbook hurts... if I feel like purging more of this
to make me feel even less guilty about spending more money on this girl
you will get PART II - for now you are lucky.
Thanks for listening.
Eric
'68 MGB MkII
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