Hi William,
If the engine is so much worn down, I'd opt for an rebuilt engine from a
trusworthy source.
Cheeers,
Hans
-----Original Message-----
From: William Killeffer [mailto:wtkilleffer@yahoo.com]
Sent: woensdag 22 november 2000 6:27
To: mgs@autox.team.net
Subject: apology and question
Hello,
Due to an email snafu and bankruptcy of my isp, I have neither been able to
send nor receive the list. So, if any of you have attempted to contact me, I
apologize for the trouble.
Here's my question w/ background:
I finally got my 74 mgb to run, but the popping noise I mentioned one time
continued and was supplemented my occasional carb backfires. Adjustments to
the carbs did nothing, and the presence of a seepage down one side of the
engine lead me to believe a head gasket replacement might cure this problem.
Since I've never done that before, I took it to a Eurasian car mechanic here
in town that had done some work for some friends. One of the mechanics on
staff used to be a mechanic at the local MG dealer before it closed. After a
few hrs, they called me to come and look at what they had found. Due to the
negligence of some dpo in the past, the camshaft, valve lifters, rod
bearings and several other parts were worn out, and the exhaust valves had
pounded themselves into the head, and the cylinder walls were way off spec.
The head gasket was also bad, but that's beside the point. Today, he
determined that the pistons were worn out as well. On the bright side, the
block was not cracked and the head was sound with no warpage.
The price he quoted me for all this to be replaced was $3600. That's more
than I paid for the car! Now, I trust his integrity because he has done some
work for friends, but he did charge my best friend nearly $8000 to rebuild
the engine and tranny on his 70s Porsche 911.
Based upon your experiences, is this figure too much or am I getting off
easy? There aren't too many other shops here in town that do this sort of
work to the best of my knowledge. The end result would be a nearly new
engine, but I'm trying to avoid getting ripped off.
Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving,
-William Killeffer
1974 MGB
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