Rev Limiter for MGB Survival

We surmised that we over-revved the MGB engine in the first race of 2012, because:

    1) there was no tachometer

    2) there was no speedometer

    3) the engine is underpowered, causing drivers to floor it all the time, for the entire 14 hours

    4) the 4 speed manual transmission really really needs a 5th and 6th gear, causing drivers to floor it all the time, for the entire 14 hours

So we installed a tachometer from another MGB and rotated it so that 5250 is pointing straight up - she really could use a "shift now" light for gears 1, 2, and 3 and a "sit back - you're just along for the ride at this point" light for 4th gear. Some day.

We installed a Rev Limiter instead since our driver pool is often hungover and barely focusing on the road ahead much less the little numbers on the tach.

The Rev Limiter we ended up with was the Procomp Single Stage Rev Limiter PC2031, and it did just fine as far as well could tell. 

1-800-Dial-a-Prayer!

Also on the menu was a new fuel pressure regulator, the Holly Fuel Pressure Regulator had died after a failed attempt at rebuilding the internals with new rubber and filter element. Oops.

All those pretty blue AN fittings were a real pain to match up, but they sure mate nicely and are clean etc etc. Soooo un-MGB like.

MGB Fuel Pressure to Weber Carb should be about 4.5 psi and very shiny.

Race Report: 2012 Capitol Offense - The 24 Hours of LeMons

Race Report: 2012 Capitol Offense - The 24 Hours of LeMons at Summit Point Motorsports Park's Shenandoah Circuit in West Virginia

The Mighty Shenandoah - an MGB Friendly track if there ever was one... 22 turns, no waiting!

Never Mind the Bullocks Here's Gormless Racing MGB!

We had over-revved the engine at the last race and grenaded the engine, and so for this race we had installed not only a tachometer but a Rev Limiter as well, set to 5000 RPM - the suggested point at which cylinder 3 bearing starves for oil, melts down and goes all shambolic.

It worked great as far as we knew - engine didn't blow in any event. We sailed though Tech Inspection.

50 Years, 50 Horsepower, whatever

In the first 40 minutes of the race the accelerator cable popped out of the trunnion and left Driver Carl idling around the remaining 80% of the track, until pulling into the paddock. Remarkably no other teams noticed the speed difference. The FAIL was poetic justice, as Carl was the culprit that had gerry rigged the connection in the first place.

"I have NO IDEA why that trunnion would fail. Weird. Why do you ask?"

Dave and Scot hacked in an emergency repair and it lasted the rest of the race. About an hour total was lost.

"Ah HA! Here's the problem - Hamster wheel came off it's axle."

SEEMS LEGIT

We had also noted a half quart of oil "missing". No one would admit to taking it, but our sister BMW team was in the paddock beside us, and something about Germans stealing English oil rings true - they would not confess however.

2 hours and 15 minutes into the race, Scot driving... the entire pedal assembly holding the brake pedal and the clutch pedal fell off! oops. Scot was nonplussed however - explaining that one bolt was still sort of hanging on, and if he tilted the assembly correctly he could EITHER shift OR brake, but not at the same time - which was fine by him, as he swore to never use the brakes anyway. We noted another barrel of missing oil, so we tightened up the oil cooler lines at the engine and adjusted the connection angle.

"Look MA! I made it all the way to Turn 17!"

The rest of day one was only fun fun fun for us, cranking out the laps - slow yes - but laps none-the-less. Added 1/2 quart oil here and there, while wrapping various oil lines (there seemed to be a 'mist' around the distributor side).

Our poor sister team was pulled into a mashup, and smashed up their front end, enough to moved the drive train an estimated 3 inches forward!! They spent the rest of the evening replacing engine mounts, radiator, and trying to get old Ali running again for the next day. Quite a crowd gathered to help out, late into the night.

:-(

The only 'event' we had Sunday was Dave was attacked through the Esses and the gang of cars sheared off the passenger side mirror!

Saturday Night's Race to the Emergency Room: note inebriated skateboarder hanging onto the moving Boat-Mobile... which would later hit a newish expensive car when doing donuts in the parking lot...

Barely any water loss, so maybe head gasket ok. Oil consumption may be valves, rings, leaky oil pan, or leaky oil cooler hose... or all four. Probably all four.

It wasn't raining, and so "Queenie" was mounted to the windshield wiper post and continued to disapprove of our driving the entire race:

No matter what you asked the old girl, it just wasn't good enough

The home-made Cool Shirt cooler & pump worked spectacularly; highly recommended.

All in all: we finished 64th out of 117 starters... pretty damn good for taking our time swapping drivers, having the pedal assembly succeed from the kingdom, and having only 50 horse power.

MGB Engine Swap #1

We had replaced the head gasket in the '73 MGB Engine and tuned it up before the 2012 season's first race at NJMP, and it was now so powerful that the internal steel could not withstand it's mighty 68 horsepower. Also, we probably over-revved, starved bearing number 3 of oil and threw the rod. It's an MGB thing.

May, 2012:

So, time to steal the wife's engine out of the 1978 convertible MGB:

"To B or not to be a B, that is the question..."... "Oh shut up and take the damn engine out already!"

 Goldie, on a weight loss program:

"Yes, we know your hood's off, stop winking at us."

Engine swap in progress; we had debated swapping in the wet/dry vac (pictured) for the increased horsepower, but decided the Lucas Alternator would not handle the load, so we ended up swapping in the 1978 engine anyway. Of course, I didn't bother to rebuild the engine or even check the compression on it, 'cause I'm an idiot, but hey it's important to Keep The Mystery in every endeavor!

MGB engine swap without a supply of Guinness on hand? Gormless indeed.

Turns out the engine mounts changed between 1973 and 1978; which meant the front plate had to be swapped as well and the timing cover messed with (or possibly we just messed with that to check the chain tensioner while the engine was out). We installed a new clutch while we were in there.

She runs just fine, after a few hundred re-wirings to get the different alternator & distributor working. There is a little box bolted to the inside fender that goes with the newer distributors. How can you tell if an English car is running? Because it's leaking:

She's not leaking, she'd marking her territory.

The daughter & friends had dressed up The Short Bus To Adventure for their Prom party, and being out of time before the Summit Point race due to the late engine swap we made the executive-non-decision of using it as it. Plus, it was sparkly, like a Lucas electrical system on a foggy day. The lights on ceiling phase in & out between colors, which can get annoying when your damn car blows up again and you retreat to the couch only to have the ceiling look like it's 'on fire' and remind you of your woes... but that's another story.

The Short Bus To Adventure - voted prettiest tow vehicle at the Prom

Race Report: 2012 The Real Hoopties of New Jersey - 24 Hours of LeMons

The MGB was all ready and rarin' to go for the 24 Hours of LeMons race The Real Hoopties of New Jersey at New Jersey Motorsports Park on April 14 & 15 2012.

Sometimes it takes 12 wheels to get a tiny 1500 lbs car to a race.

Nice open pit area, front row. So front row that the LeMons crew came over to inspect us early so we didn't have to wait in line! Classy! 

Those big gold "50" balloons later detached in the gusty wind and floated up into the next-door airports airspace... oops - sorry NORAD.

Safety Inspection found a few items, which we fixed pronto:

1. Some of the seat bolts were a bit loose which allowed them to move it a bit side to side, so we tightened them all up and added bolts to the back bottom of the seat for extra stability.
2. Bolts holding the seat back support to the seat itself needed spreader washers (the seat is aluminum and would tear easily).
3. Seat harness bolts needed tightening.

Since we had plenty of spare time, Bob & Scot replaced the Weber DGV Carburetor Accelerator Pump Diaphragm:

Blue engine bay, blue roll bar, blue engine, blue hands, blue shirt... gee, no wonder we blew the engine.

Poor Queenie the Solar powered forever waving monarch fell off the MGB 50th Anniversary Cake and had a bit of a mash up - we didn't recognize the portent for what it was until too late.

"I Shall Forever Wave No More Forever"

Having fun while it lasted:

Now that's what I'm talking about!

 My bad, turn 1, ran out of talent:

The tire mark is only halfway up the MGB fender - what's the problem?

Scot's first stint - came in and reported the drivers side front suspension "wobbles" at high speed. We told him to keep his elbow INSIDE the window, but to appease him we checked it out anyway... sure enough, the bolt that sealed the oil in the shock / dampener had vibrated a bit loose and was leaking oil. Yes, MGBs have dipsticks on the shock absorbers. We filled it back up and out she went, ready to rumble:

"Knock yourself out, buttplug!"

Scot was just happy that, since it was indeed the dampener, he could return to hanging his elbow out the window:

She wobbles at high speed, just like the Queen!

At the end of day 1, the car seemed a bit underpowered but was running good enough as far as we cared to admit, so we offered Steve - who had just come down to pit crew and see what was up with endurance racing - some seat time.

Unbeknownst to Steve, he prepares for the worst.

Remember that whole "If someone offers you something for free it's probably worth every penny" parable? Yeah, that... Engine Grenade in 3...2....1.... I think he only got 4 laps or less!!! Sorry about that.

The old MGB cylinder 3"Bearing Blender" maneuver.

Hey! You can't park there Steve!    Wait... why aren't you out on the track!?!

Manly tractor engines can cry too, you know.

The full extent of damage in the blown engine may be found in this post: Engine Done Blowed Up Real Good!

The other four drivers - notice the correlation between the still-running engine before the race and the smiles - 100%!

The MG is thinking: "Uh huh - put your asses on ME will you?!!? I'll show you bastages in about 7 hours!!