This Week in Wheeler's Workshop

[Kevin Wood]

So we're going to use aftermarket to make it easy: RALLYDESIGN

Not Smiths Instruments? Am disappoint. 

There's a guy near me that makes very nice looking Smiths instruments that actually work have modern electronics behind them IIRC.

EDIT: Not sure if his firmware simulates that wobbly speedo needle when travelling at less then 20 MPH though.

Wobbly speedo needle?.........a sure sign you are at the wheel of a British classic.

If you get to the wobbly speedo phase, it's a good day.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

So we're going to use aftermarket to make it easy: RALLYDESIGN

Not Smiths Instruments? Am disappoint. 

There's a guy near me that makes very nice looking Smiths instruments that actually work have modern electronics behind them IIRC.

EDIT: Not sure if his firmware simulates that wobbly speedo needle when travelling at less then 20 MPH though.

Wobbly speedo needle?.........a sure sign you are at the wheel of a British classic.

If you get to the wobbly speedo phase, it's a good day.

The speedo on my Triumph 1500 would swing wildly between 40 and 110. So top speed was 110 MPH........

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

.......not long after the cable broke.

[Nick W]

Smiths have their own stepper driven range now - have done for a while AFAIK.. it's what I have in the Cobra. If I ever finish wiring the damn things in. So many wires, so little space.

that's what I bought for the Avenger, they're lovely.


Ian was stuck in the thinking of 25 years ago; a lashup of wiring, adapters and wishful thinking to produce a setup that sort of works, some of the time. Not to mention jumpy needles, inaccurate readings on inadequately marked dials.

[Kevin Wood]

This is the guy I was thinking of.. Not desperately cheap, but...

http://farringdoninstruments.com/index.html

[Nick W]

This is the guy I was thinking of.. Not desperately cheap, but...

http://farringdoninstruments.com/index.html

and I thought the Smiths were on the pricey side of acceptable! You can buy the whole set for just one of those.....

[Kevin Wood]

This is the guy I was thinking of.. Not desperately cheap, but...

http://farringdoninstruments.com/index.html

and I thought the Smiths were on the pricey side of acceptable! You can buy the whole set for just one of those.....

Indeed. I guess that's the price of paying an enthusiast in a business unit with rent to pay. No doubt, if you wanted a special kind of needle wobble to be implemented for your application, he'd be happy to do you a special firmware build, though.

[Nick W]

Ian's been cracking on with the MGB; he's sourced a gearlever, which almost fits through the original hole, mocked up the accessory drive(without the tensioner pulley, PAS pump and AC compressor), got a radiator and started thinking about the manifolds. We still need some muti-rams and AFM if anyone can help?


I've been sorting the Cathedral's set of handbells. The expensive bit of English bells(assuming they're not cracked) is the leather handles. Fortunately ours are good, but many of the clappers needed work. So I've made nylon washers(much better than the leather that's still used on new ones) to adjust where they screw into the bell, sorted a couple of loose pivots, tightened the spring rivets and straightened a couple of shafts.


As you can see, these are not complicated:








The clappers now align with the handles so they ring properly in both directions, and they're a lot less rattly. A good couple of hours work

[Doctor Gollum]

Got a MAF for 2.5/3.0 if that's any use?

[Nick W]

Got a MAF for 2.5/3.0 if that's any use?

Yes

[Doctor Gollum]

Pm your address and I will get it posted on Monday. 

[Nick W]

We've been discussing the next step in MGB project now the alternator is sorted:





Alternator is reverse mounted because of the shape of the chassis rails and inner wing; the direction the water pump turns is the reason for the bracket which contains the original idler pulley and a smooth Toyota one to retain enough belt wrap. New pulleys will be used, along with a 6pk1440 belt. The tube sticking out the bottom is part of the new radiator transfer tube as there's no room for the route of the old one. He's got multi rams coming, and a V8 radiator which gives a decent amount of space for them. We'll make a new lower for them IF necessary. It will require an aftermarket air filter alongside/in front of the radiator as required.


None of the stock V6 exhaust manifolds fit, so we have laser cut flanges and will order a load of 1 1/4" bends to make headers with the collectors in the inner wings V8-style. That's likely to be the worst bit of the whole job. I hate doing exhausts, but at least there's only 3 primaries to fit. Per side


Stock Omega gearlever needed the MGB hole to be widened, but the cover fits as does the gaiter. So it will look stock with the leather gear knob complete with the correct shift pattern. Which is a bonus.


next time the engine comes out we'll make a custom flexi-hose to plumb to the MGB clutch master cylinder. One of the advantages of hydraulic clutches in swaps is that making them work is easy plumbing.


With that lot done, we'll sort the fuel system(new tank and Range Rover in-tank pump) and then it will be onto why won't it start!

[Sir Tigger KC]

That will be an awesome MGB!     

[henryd]

That will be an awesome MGB!   

Certainly better than the asthmatic Buick/Rover donkey

[Nick W]

That will be an awesome MGB! 

Certainly better than the asthmatic Buick/Rover donkey

Fits better too. The fifties style of swept up and pinched in chassis rails to mount the crossmember cause most of the problems with vee engines. Rovers are both long, and wide across the exhausts for such a small capacity. I would have used a big four cylinder engine to avoid them, but it's not my car.