Bill Schultz's Journal

Well, it was one year ago this week I bought and brought home my current 1974 B. I picked it up in Watervliet NY, just above Albany. The 80 plus miles to its new driveway was uneventful except for the awful noise of metal dragging on asphalt as we were passing through Stockbridge MA on the Mass Pike. Stan, the friend I hired to help me pick up the car with his car dolly, had the same look on his face as I did, thinking it was the drive shaft, exhaust system or worse when a please look cam over Stan's face. "I know what it is" he said with a smile as we pulled into the emergency lane. We both hopped out and he told me to stand on a part of the dolly, which immediately lifted it up and he bent over and inserted a oin in the hole supporting the pivot point on the dolly. "All set" he said and off we went to the final destination for this trip, my home.
From Nove of 2016 until May of 2017, I dumped 2 pints each of Mystery Oil, Brake Fluid and a quart of acetone into the cylinders, hoping for the engine to UN-seize, Nothing worked, including pushing the car up the driveway with my Saturn Ion with the MG in 1st gear. The rear tires would drag of the right one would spin a little, which I could not imagine was anything good to be doing.
Meanwhil, I sorted out minor electrical problems for the lights and started running new lines, replacing the rear shoes and calipers and pads up front. Right side is done still must get at the left side.
In May I started planning on a rebuild of the engine and then I saw an ad on facebook on the MG Appreciation pages for a used, running 1800 from a 1975. Surprisingly, it was at a small MG shop just 30 miles from my place, I called Geoff and made a deal after confirming the compression was good. I was ready to pick it up when my left eye's Retina decided to let go. Emergency surgery and six weeks later, I was back at it.
I picked up the motor and pulled the froze '74 and the tranny out of the car. I replaced clutch components and had the flywheel trued up. Swapped the face plate so the new mounts would fit the frame of the '74 and replaced the rear mount on the tranny. One of the more fun jobs to perform on these cars, but all was being re assembled and installed by October, I had also replaced the jets and seats and needles in the carbs. One of the carb, the front, was pretty tight as far as the piston movement in the vacuum dome. I sanded the edges of the poston and it seems to be free moving now.
After installing the tranny and motor, I attached the battery and turned the key, Click, Click. That's what it did before I did all the work on it. You would think I would have had the started tested while it was out of the car for weeks, but noooo. So, I had to pull the started and replace it with one I got in less than 24 hours after ordering from O'Riely Auto Parts. Great store.
I put the new starter in as the temps were hovering around 47 degree's. My goal was to have the MG running before the snow flies, oh, I do not have a garage.
I installed the new starter, reattached the battery, turned the key and Whir...Whir went the engine. That wonderful sound of an MG motor sounded like the most wonderful thing I have heard in a long time...it is to THE WEEK that it turned over, one year before, when I bought the car and brought it home.
Now, two day after the started being installed, November turned into February with 14 degree temps and wind chills to 4 degrees! When more seasonable temos return, I will finish attaching the overflow lines and other assorted lines under the hood, attache the lawn mower gas tank to the carbs and start the adjustments to get it running, Oh, the floors will be done in the spring, I started cutting them out in the summer...rusted through. Also the gas tank need a good examination and I will purchase a new fuel pump over the winter...Ah, but I just feel good that the engine turnds over and I am that much closer to going for a ride...

While its fairly fresh in my mind, I want to list how I installed the Rear Mounts and Cross Member on the '74.
The engine I put in is a '75 as the original engine is seized. Will be rebuilt in a year or two.
Anyway, I cruised this site, the Bentley, The Haynes, YouTube and Googled every bit of info I could find - John Twists info on the variations was very helpful) - because of the posts on this site indicating it is a bear of a job. As it proved to be. Yes, after doing it a few times like others on this site, I can see were, with some exaggerating, it can be done in 30 minutes. So, lucky for me, my buddy I purchased some carb parts for for my previous B, over in Dartmouth, posted photos of his install right when I needed it. There was another person who had posted his version of the sequence of attaching the parts with a different sequence.
Well, I tried both variations and only got so far before one part or another would just not pop in or access to the bolts was impossible.
So, Here is how I did it...
First, I DID NOT remove the exhaust system.
Second, I DO NOT have a lift or a garage.
So, like many of us, i was working on my back in the drive way with the car on jack stands about 15 to 18 inches up.
Those are both items you should consider changing...at least a lift...
Ok, so, I cleaned and painted all the reusable parts.
I assembled the butterfly top and bottom with the new bushing and bolt.
I bolted to transmission with the butterfly, ears to the rear, very loosely. I had the new mounts in place also.
I fit the cross member in place, having to use a shovel between the frame and the exhaust pipe, lifting up on the shovel handle, gave me an inch or so to get the cross member back in place with some wiggle room.
I DID drill socket size holes in the cross member, as described on this site, for easier access to the mount studs. I had tried every position and combination previously and with the car NOT on a lift and the exhaust in place, its the only way I could install.
So with the cross member moved into position and loosely attaching the two bolts to the captive nuts in the butterfly,
I got the left side mount stud, into the cross members bracket.
(rear hole - not OD transmission so the cross member has to be closer to the trans. If OD trans, use the front hole).
I thought it would be a simple matter of positioning the cross member on the right side,..but...
I've seen photos of cross members which have slots in the bracket that bolts to the stud in the back of the rubber mounts, I believe individuals do this to ease the positioning of the stud into the hole(s). I do not think any cross members came from the factory with such slots.
So, I trying to wiggle, pull,loosen bolts already tightened, on both sides of the car... I tried prying the shovel handle up a little farther.
Nothing worked. I just could not get enough leverage to move the cross member. or tranny, over enough to make the stud pop in on the right side. It was easily within .125"! Many different tools and implements were use to help in the persuasion, to no avail.
Then I thought if I only had a come - along...then I thought more and wondered if my very recent purchase from Harbor Freight would do the trick. I bought the ratcheting set of tie downs just the day before...
I wrapper one around the butterfly bracket and the other end I fed around a handy deck support, 4X4.attached to the house.
I started ratcheting and within 15 ratchets, I heard a comforting thunk from under the car. I crawled under it, tow rope still in place, taught, and saw that it had worked. The stud on the mount was in a hole, but it was the front hole, for OD transmissions.
I grabbed the cross member where it bolts to the frame and pulled down, with almost no effort at all the stud came out of the bracket and with a slight move on the cross member, it went right in the rear hole.
I then tightened the nuts onto the studs, via the holes I drilled in the cross member and made sure all was tight.
Bolting the member back in place. I had new rear mounts!
That kind of how I remember doing it...
Good luck with yours...