MOT Preparation
Nut Screws Washers and Bolts
Speedos
Terminology
Workshop Tools
What Year? MOT Preparation (applicable in the UK, other countries have their own tests, standards and limits) Added September 2010
"MOTs are a test- the tester may not adjust anything other than Headlamp aim during the test [if you suspect headlamp aim is off then drive to the test centre having removed the headlamp rings yourself, I suggest!]. Certain minor items -such as blown bulbs- can be replaced at the end of the test before the car is passed. Garages may well charge for fitting an item, especially if it is discounting the test [VERY silly to go for a test with blown bulbs ...]. (Currently £54 max but available for £39.95 etc) So it pays to avoid this if possible. Certain failure items must be retested for no fee. Partial re-tests may or may not incur a fee. Details are shown on a poster that MOT stations must display and on the VT30 fail certificate.
"All the usual caveats apply. Your investment can go down as well as up. Your home is at risk etc etc. This information is not governed by the Financial Services Authority......
"Hazard lights, (if fitted) must work , ignition on, ignition off
"Horn must work. Fuel cap must seal [visible rubber seal, not loose and rattling about, actually sealing is not checked]. Door mirrors to be secure. You must have a driver's door mirror and either a rear view or passenger side one [only one of interior, external offside, or external nearside mirror is required on passenger vehicles according to MOTUK]
"Wipers must work, with blades that clear the screen and are intact [clear an arc to give an 'adequate' view, not specified]. Washers +fluid. (push type washer is fine). Windscreen -chips bigger than 10mm in the area in front of the steering wheel will fail: as will bigger than 40mm in the rest of the area swept by the wiper blades.
"Indicators left & right. 60-120 flashes per minute is required.
"Side lights-front and back, dip beam, main beam, rear number plate lights. If fitted, rear fog light + tell-tale [if two are fitted the off-side lamp must work. If neither work but they are accessories added by an owner then you may get away with it!]. Brake lights. Indicate left then right and check stop/tail lights don't flash in time. (Reverse lights don't matter [not tested, although at one time if they were operated from a manual switch by the driver they must also have a tell-tale])
"Then put hazards on and all the above, (except indicators) to check that other lights are not "disco-ing" in time with the hazards.
"Seat belts must recoil (often slowly!), unless static type, and lock in place in the buckle. Belts must not be unduly frayed.
"Check the tyre tread depth -it needs to be 2mm (1.6mm is the legal min). Check the side walls for bulges or damage. You can't do much about the inside face without lying under the car!
"Handbrake-does the lever poke you in the eye when you pull it up? Turn the steering wheel-if it moves more than from 12 o'clock to 1 o'clock without turning the road wheels it will probably fail (depends on steering wheel diameter)
"Exhaust must be "supported"-waggle the tail pipe a bit (when cold...) - it shouldn't. Noise is subjective, as it is difficult to determine a "standard" car!
"Number plates -lots of regulations. Stick on ones on the bonnet should pass but don't always. 1/1/73 was the change year from metal black & silver to modern yellow/white. Take the V5C to prove date of first registration and/or ask first!
"Bits must not be obviously falling off!
"Play in bearings, suspension, or steering is beyond the scope of this. If you think headlamp aim may be wrong, remove the chrome bezel before the test to make adjustment easier. If you can see the front brake pads they must be a minimum 1.5mm thick (the thickness of a 5 pence piece).
"Corrosion within 300mm of a suspension mounting or seat belt anchorage or major structural item will fail
"Local classic car clubs/users can best advise on "sympathetic" MOT stations who understand older cars. High throughput / low price ones probably do not fall onto this category! If you are not sure about a particular thing , take the car in and ask BEFORE the test is due!
"If the car has no MOT you may legally drive it to a pre-booked MOT test-nowhere else. Insurance for this trip is a slightly murky area. [You can get insurance without having tax or an MOT. I'm pretty sure it is an offence to drive to an MOT station without insurance, regardless of whether it is a pre-booked test or not. It's not something you should ever put to the test, I suggest, or you may be personally liable for any damage or injury caused to third-parties as well as being prosecuted. Note that someone else may be able to drive your car on their insurance, Third-party cover only.]
"Should the car fail, you can drive it home or to a garage to have it fixed [The MOT station may encourage you not to drive the car away on safety grounds, i.e. have it fixed there and then or arrange for it to be towed/trailered somewhere else, but they cannot legally prevent you driving it away].
"Should you have some days "left" on your current MOT but the car fails the test, you still have an MOT, but you are driving an "un-roadworthy" vehicle. The current MOT Pass certificate shows the earliest date at which the vehicle can be presented for test - just under a month before the certificate expires. By having the car tested near this date, there should be ample time to fix items that fail. If the car passes, the new certificate is automatically dated for 12 months from the date of the expiry of the current certificate. However if it does fail, be aware that although you still have an MOT, you are driving an "unroadworthy vehicle" which restricts legal use. The penalties are pretty similar to not having an MOT and whilst technically covered by your insurance in legal terms, you are unlikely to have a claim settled.
"I've probably missed something, but it's a start! Good Luck!"
You can also check the brakes to make sure the pedal doesn't sink under sustained presssure, and if you have a servo 'empty' it by repeated operations of the brake pedal with the engine off until it stops wheezing, then with the pedal firmly pressed start the engine. While emptying the servo the pedal should get higher and harder, then when starting the engine it should sink a little.
See also MOTUK and Haynes. In addition I spend a few minutes each year under the car, at the annual service before the MOT, just looking around and waggling things, bending the brake hoses back looking for surface cracking etc.
November 2011:There are proposals to cease MOT testing of cars registered before 1st January 1960, as well as possibly make testing a bi-annual event for newer cars. One has to ask "Why?" One of the reasons seem to be that owners of 1960 and earlier cars are likely to be enthusiasts and so look after their cars better, but that doesn't follow at all. It's true that pre-1960 cars are 0.6% of the population, and contribute to 0.03" of road casualties and accidents, but that is down to the greater sense of self-preservation of people driving cars of this era. Many cars at the 'lower' end of the classic price scale are likely to be owned by younger and less well-off people, with other cars and families to support, who may well take short-cuts on their pride and joy if they are allowed to. They are equally liable to be owned by people who don't know as much about their cars as perhaps they ought to, as can be seen by some of the questions and comments in the various online communities. Another reason given is that many aspects of the current test are not relevant to older cars - which is true, but in that case they are not tested! It's difficult to see just what could be dropped from the MOT that isn't safety-related. I'm no lover of MOTs, it's taken me 20 years to lose the 'heart in the mouth' feeling on delivering my cars for their tests and getting the verdict. As a Michael Beswick has said, it will only take one child to be killed seriously injured by a classic car that had a defect that should have been picked up on an MOT, and we might find ourselves under a much stricter regime or maybe even restricted to trailering them to private circuits etc. Nigel Case, owner of the Classic Car Club, is quoted as saying "It’s nonsense. Older cars need more attention. You could buy a car which seems superficially fantastic, but it will be rotten underneath and a death trap."
Even less reason for reducing the frequency on cars less than 10 years old, with the first test being at four years. One of the biggest reasons for failure of modern cars is worn tyres, and you can see this in any supermarket car park. Manufacturers have progressively reduced the ownership experience to one of being completely passive, and most people only ever do things like servicing and replacements when someone tells them they have to. The failure rate is increasing - 35% in 2008, 37% in 2010, and 12% of tyres are illegal on replacement. In the current financial climate people are cutting down on servicing where things might get picked up, and the MOT will be the only time that they can be.
Despite the above, there are new advisories from 1st Jan 2012 which will be failures from 1st April 2012. That's the list of new and amended items, but before you groan about something like the steering lock on an MGB having to be working as I did (Vee's has never worked in my ownership) you might like to have a look at the full manual. This has new and amended paragraphs and sections denoted by a vertical bar to the left, and in the case of the steering lock it is only to be tested on cars first used from 1st January 2001. There are others, like the new main-beam tell-tale check is only on cars first used from 1st April 1986. One thing that applies to all vehicles is the battery condition and security check - all those who have fitted 'battery bins' or 12v batteries and not bothered to re-engineer the clamps take note!
On this site:
Torque Values
Translate between part numbers and description for many MGB fasteners
Links:
'Fastener Decoder Booklet' A reproduction of the document produced by BMC in 1964, kindly sent to me by Marc.
Hex Bolt Head Markings from Unified Engineering Inc.
MGB Bolt Sizes/Taps and Dies by Les Bengtson
MGB 18V Engine Bolt Sizes by Les Bengtson
Whitworth sizes and numbers from Samstag Sales.
British Tools and Fasteners, which says it all really (the original link was to The British Tool Company which has been out of business a couple of years.
Rask Cycle on bolt head markings and torque figures.
Uni-Thread, for taps, dies, reamers and much more.
Tracy Tools ditto (funnily enough also in Devon).
Abbey Power Tools, which has Whitworth and BA spanners as well as much else.
Precision Screw and Bolt, conversion charts for UNC and UNF decimals and diameters and Metric equivalents, e.g. UNF No.10 is 0.190" which is very close to 3/16" or 4.826mm, which equates to M5
Nuts and bolts can be assembled with dry, oiled or greased threads. From comparisons made with generic sources of information it seems that the figures in the MG Workshop Manual, at least, are probably for oiled threads. Greasing threads can make them liable to come loose. For example I read many years ago that wheel studs should be oiled, not greased.
Although there are a lot of figures here there are still a lot more where no torque figure is given. It is possible that those given here are 'non-standard' torque values and the rest should be tightened to the 'standard' values for the type, size and thread of the nut and bolt. A chart of these 'standard' values is given on this Geno's Garage web page, and another set from Alma Bolt Company & Prime Fasteners.
Also see this list of 'standard' values from the Rover V8 Engine Manual:
By Monte Morris.
Additions by Peter Scott.
MBG GT V8 Workshop Manual Supplement and Rover V8 Engine Manual.
Additions from Haynes.
| Application | Engine | Torque (ft-lb.) | Comments |
| Engine (4-cyl) | |||
| Main bearing nuts | All models | 70 | |
| Flywheel set screws | 18G/18GA | 40 | |
| Gudgeon pin clamp bolts | 18G/18GA | 25 | early models(CBB) |
| Big-end bolts | +35 to 40 | early models(CBB) | |
| Big-end bolts | 33 | later models (RBB) oiled thread | |
| Cylinder head nuts | 18G/18GA | 45 to 50 | |
| Rocker bracket nuts | All models | 25 | |
| Oil pump to crankcase | All models | 14 | |
| Sump to crankcase | All models | 6 | |
| Cylinder side cover screws | 18G/18GA | 2 | |
| Cylinder side cover screws deep cover | 18G/18GA | 5 | |
| Timing cover 1/4 inch screws | 18G/18GA | 6 | |
| Timing cover 5/16 inch screws | 18G/18GA | 14 | |
| Rear plate 5/16 inch screws | All models | 20 | |
| Rear plate 3/8 inch screws | All models | 30 | |
| Water pump to crankcase | 25 | early models(CBB) | |
| Water pump to crankcase | 17 | later models (RBB) | |
| Water outlet elbow nuts | 18G/18GA | 8 | |
| Rocker cover nuts | 18G/18GA | 4 | |
| Manifold nuts | All models | 15 to 16 | |
| Oil filter centre bolt | 18G/18GA | 15 | early models(CBB) |
| Clutch to flywheel | All models | 25 to 30 | |
| Carburettor stud nuts | 18G/18GA | 2 | |
| Carburettor stud nuts | All models | 15 | |
| Distributor clamp bolt (nut trapped) | 18G/18GA | 4 | |
| Distributor clamp bolt (bolt trapped) | 18G/18GA | 2 to 3 | |
| Fan blade fixing screws | 18G/18GA | 7 to 9 | |
| Crankshaft pulley nuts | All models | 70 | |
| Camshaft nut | All models | 60 to 70 | |
| Oil pipe banjo | All models | 37 max | |
| Front plate 5/16 inch screws | All models | 20 | |
| Rear engine mounting bolt | All models | 38 to 40 | |
| Oil pressure relief valve domed nut | All models | 43 | Pre-1978 |
| Oil pressure relief valve domed nut | All models | 40 | 1978 on |
| Rocker bracket nuts | All models | 25 | |
| Air pump mounting screws | 18 | ||
| Spark plugs | All models | 18 | |
| ENGINE (Factory V8) | |||
| Main bearing cap bolts: Nos. 1 to 4 | 53 | ||
| Rear | 68 | ||
| Connecting rod cap nuts | 33 | ||
| Cylinder head bolts | 68 | ||
| Rocker shaft to cylinder head bolts | 28 | ||
| Flywheel bolts | 55 | ||
| Oil pump cover bolts | 13 | WARNING! I got mine up to about 10 and they didn't seem to want to go higher. Bearing in mind they are going into the alloy front cover I stopped. If you look at the 'Other V8' figures there are two - 9ftlb and for Suffix B 3ftlb. 3 seems a bit low for oil under pressure even with Loctite, but 9 is definitely safer than 13. | |
| Oil pressure relief valve plug | 33 | ||
| Timing chain cover bolts | 23 | ||
| Crankshaft pulley bolt | 150 | ||
| Distributor drive gear to camshaft bolt | 43 | ||
| Exhaust manifold bolts | 13 | ||
| Induction manifold bolts | 28 | ||
| Induction manifold gasket clamp bolt | 13 | ||
| Carburettor adapter nuts | 18 | ||
| Water pump bolts: 1/4 U.N.C. | 7 | ||
| 5/16 U.N.C. | 17 | ||
| ENGINE (Other V8) | |||
| Crankshaft pulley bolt | All models | 199 | |
| Timing cover to cylinder block bolts ** | All models | 16 | |
| Camshaft gear bolt | All models | 37 | |
| Rocker cover bolts | All models | 6 | |
| Rocker shaft to cylinder head bolts | All models | 28 | |
| Cylinder head bolts * | Not suffix B | ||
| Outer row | Not suffix B | 51 | |
| Centre row | Not suffix B | 66 | |
| Inner row | Not suffix B | 66 | |
| Cylinder head bolts * | Suffix B | ||
| Stage 1 | Suffix B | 15 | |
| Stage 2 | Suffix B | Then 90° | |
| Stage 3 | Suffix B | Further 90° | |
| Lifting eye to cylinder head bolts | All models | 18 | |
| Connecting rod bolts | All models | 37 | |
| Main bearing cap bolts *** | All models | 52 | |
| Rear main bearing cap bolts *** | All models | 66 | |
| Flywheel bolts | All models | 59 | |
| Drive plate and ring gear assembly bolts | All models | 30 | |
| Drive plate adapter bolts | All models | 59 | |
| Oil sump drain plug | All models | 30 | |
| Oil sump bolts | All models | 17 | |
| Oil pressure relief plug | All models | 33 | |
| Oil pump cover to timing cover | All models | 9 | |
| Oil pump cover plate screws **** | Suffix B | 3 | |
| Oil strainer bolts | All models | 7 | |
| Distributor clamp bolt | All models | 15 | |
| Spark plug | All models | 11 | |
| Coolant pump/timing cover to cylinder block | All models | 16 | |
|
* Lightly oil threads prior to assembly. ** Coat first three threads with Loctite 242 prior to assembly. *** Coat threads with lubricant EXP16A (Marston Lubricants) prior to assembly. **** Coat threads with Loctite 222 prior to assembly. | |||
| Rear Axle | |||
| Differential bearing cap bolts | 4-cyl | 60 to 65 | three-quarter floating axle |
| Pinion bearing nut | 135 to 140 | three-quarter floating axle | |
| Crown wheel to differential carrier | 55 to 60 | three-quarter floating axle | |
| Bearing retaining nut | 180 | three-quarter floating axle | |
| Half-shaft nut | 150 | Semi floating axle tighten to align to next hole | |
| Differential bearing cap bolts | 50 to 55 | semi- floating axle | |
| Factory V8 | 53 | ||
| Crown wheel bolts | 4-cyl | 60 to 65 | |
| Factory V8 | 63 | ||
| Pinion nut new spacer only | 180 to 220 | ||
| Pinion nut oil seal change | Adjust to preload | see section Ha
Bentley and Leyland Workshop Manual | |
| Rear Suspension | |||
| Rear shock absorber bolts | 4-Cyl | 55 to 60 | |
| Shock absorber to side-member nut | Factory V8 | 58 | |
| Front Suspension | |||
| Front shock absorber bolts | All models | 43 to 45 | |
| Brake disc to hub | All models | 40 to 45 | |
| Brake caliper mounting | All models | 40 to 45 | |
| Brake caliper clamping bolts | All models | 35.5 to 37 | Spotted by Ed Woods in the main body of the manual: "Only split the caliper if it is unavoidable, then replace the fluid channel seal, bolts and lock plates. Only bolts supplied by BMC Service Ltd. may be used" |
| Bearing retaining nut | All models | 40 | tighten to next split-pin hole |
| Cross member to body | 4-cyl | 54 to 56 | |
| Cross member to side member nut: Top | Factory V8 | 55 | |
| Bottom | Factory V8 | 45 | |
| Shock absorber pinch bolt | All models | 28 | |
| Wishbone cross bolt | All models | 28 | |
| Bottom wishbone pivot to cross-member nut | Factory V8 | 45 | |
| Anti roll bar link | All models | 60 | |
| Spring pan nuts and screws | All models | 22 | |
| Stiff nut to crossmember mounting bolt | 44 to 46 | GHN4 GHD4 GHD5 GHN5 models | |
| King pin to wishbone - lower fulcrum | 45 | ||
| King pin to damper - upper fulcrum | 40 | ||
| King pin trunnion (nut on top of king pin) | 60 | then tighten to next split-pin hole | |
| Steering | |||
| Steering arm bolts | All models | 60 to 65 | |
| Steering rack fixings | 30 | ||
| Steering wheel nut | 4-cyl | 41 to 43 | |
| Steering wheel nut 9/16 in. UNF | 4-cyl | 27 to 29 | GHN4 GHD4 GHD5 GHN5 models |
| Steering wheel nut 11/16 in. UNF | 4-cyl | 41 to 43 | GHN4 GHD4 GHD5 GHN5 models |
| Steering wheel nut | 4-cyl | 36 to 38 | GHN4 GHD4 GHD5 GHN5 some local models |
| Steering wheel nut | Factory V8 | 28 | |
| Steering column universal joint bolts | All models | 20 to 22 | |
| Steering rack and pinion bearing nut | All models | 40 | |
| Steering tie-rod lock nut | All models | 33 to 38 | |
| Steering lever balljoint nut | All models | 34 to 35 | |
| Swivel pin nut | All models | 60 | tighten to align to next hole |
| Steering column top fixing bolts | All models | 12 to 17 | |
| Column clamp bolt | Factory V8 | 7 | Note this is given in the manual as "85 lbf inches" |
| Road wheel nuts | 4-cyl | 60 to 65 | |
| Road wheel nuts | Factory V8 | 60 | |
| Transmission/Gearbox | |||
| Mounting to gearbox case | 15 to 20 | manual transmission | |
| Drive flange nut without overdrive | 150 | manual transmission | |
| Drive flange nut overdrive Type D | 100 to 130 | manual transmission | |
| Drive flange nut overdrive Type LH | 55 to 60 | manual transmission | |
| Front brake band adj. screw locknut | 15 to 20 | automatic transmission | |
| Rear brake band adj. screw locknut | 25 to 30 | automatic transmission | |
| Filler tube to transmission case | 20 to 30 | automatic transmission | |
| Filler tube to connector sleeve nut | 17 to 18 | automatic transmission | |
| Drive flange nut | 55 to 60 | automatic transmission | |
| Center support bolts | 10 to 18 | automatic transmission | |
| Converter to drive plate bolts | 25 to 30 | automatic transmission | |
| Transmission case to converter housing | 8 to 13 | automatic transmission | |
| Extension housing to transmission case | 8 to 13 | automatic transmission | |
| Oil pan to gearbox | 8 to 13 | automatic transmission | |
| Front servo bolts | 8 to 13 | automatic transmission | |
| Rear servo bolts | 13 to 27 | automatic transmission | |
| Pump adaptor to housing screw | 2 to 3 | automatic transmission | |
| Pump adaptor to housing bolts | 17 to 32 | automatic transmission | |
| Pump adaptor to transmission case | 8 to 18 | automatic transmission | |
| Manual shaft locknut | 7 to 9 | automatic transmission | |
| Pressure adaptor plug | 4 to 5 | automatic transmission | |
| Drain plug | 8 to 10 | automatic transmission | |
| Upper valve body to lower valve body scr | 20 to 30 | automatic transmission | |
| Lower valve body to upper valve body scr | 20 to 30 | automatic transmission | |
| Oil tube and end plate to valve body | 20 to 30 | automatic transmission | |
| Valve bodies to transmission case bolts | 5 to 9 | automatic transmission | |
| Cam bracket screws | 20 to 40 | automatic transmission | |
| Governor to counterweight screws | 4 to 5 | automatic transmission | |
| Governor to cover plate screws | 20 to 48 | automatic transmission | |
| Front servo adjusting screw locknut | 15 to 20 | automatic transmission | |
| Rear servo adjusting screw locknut | 25 to 30 | automatic transmission | |
| Starter inhibitor switch locknut | 4 to 6 | automatic transmission | |
| Downshift cable adaptor bolts | 8 to 9 | automatic transmission | |
| Filler tube connector to transmission | 20 to 30 | automatic transmission | |
| Stone guard screws | 17 to 19 | automatic transmission | |
| Driving flange nut | 55 to 60 | automatic transmission | |
| Propeller shaft flange nuts | All models | 30 to 35 | |
| General | |||
| Hydraulic brake pipe connection 3/8 UNF | 5 to 7 | ||
| Hydraulic brake pipe connect 7/16 UNF | 7 to 10 | ||
| Master cylinder port adaptors | 33 | later models (RBB) | |
| Master cylinder reservoir fixing bolts | All models | 5 | |
| Brake pressure failure switch (nylon) | 15 | ||
| Brake pressure failure switch end plug | All models | 200 | |
| Brake caliper securing bolts | All models | 40 to 45 | |
| Brake front servo bolts | All models | 8 to 13 | |
| Brake rear servo bolts | All models | 13 to 27 | |
| Brake stone guard screws | All models | 17 to 19 | |
| Pressure differential switch end plug | 17 | later models (RBB) | |
| Alternator shaft nut | All models | 25 to 30 | |
| Alternator mounting bolt | All models | 20 | |
| Alternator pulley nut | All models | 25 | |
| Starter motor mounting bolts | All models | 30 | |
| Gearbox remote control cover to tunnel | All models | 44 to 46 | |
| Interior mirror special screw | All models | 5 | |
I am indebted to Ian John of Caerbont Automotive Instruments for supplying me with a list of TPMs for these speedos.
Note that speedos not in the list with the exact reference number, even though they have the correct TPM figure, may have different speedo cable fitments or night-time illumination or fitting arrangements, making fitting them in an MGB difficult.
| Speedometer Reference Numbers | ||||||||||
| Chassis No. | ||||||||||
| Market | Date | Body | From | To | Gearbox | Part No. | Serial No. | TPM | Comments | |
| All markets except Germany | 1962-Oct67 | 101 | 138400 | Standard | MPH | BHA4478 | SN6125/04, SN6125/04A, SN6144/00 | 1060* 1040? 1040* | Jaeger Note 1 Smiths Note 13 Smiths | |
| KPH | BHA4479 | SN6125/05, SN6125/05A, SN6144/01 | 660* 660! 660* | Jaeger Smiths Smiths | ||||||
| Overdrive | MPH | BHA4480 | SN6125/06, SN6125/06A, SN6144/02 | 1040* 1020! 1020* | Jaeger
Note 1 Smiths Smiths | |||||
| KPH | BHA4481 | SN6125/07, SN6125/07A, SN6144/03 | 640! 640! 640! | Jaeger Smiths Smiths | ||||||
| Germany | 1962-Oct67 | 101 | 138400 | Standard? | MPH | BHA4574 | SN6144/05 | 1040 | 560-14 tyres | |
| Standard? | KPH | BHA4636 | SN6144/15 | 660 | 560-14 tyres | |||||
| Standard? | KPH | BHA4637 | SN6144/13 | 660 | 155-14 tyres | |||||
| OD? | KPH | BHA4638 | SN6144/14 | 640 | 165-14 tyres | |||||
| not Canada, USA, Sweden, Germany, or V8 | Nov67-Nov73 | Roadster GT | 138401 138401 | 332925 332394 | Standard | MPH | BHA4707 | SN6144/20 | 1280* | Note 12 |
| KPH | BHA4709 | SN6144/21 | 800! | Note 12 use BHA5280 | ||||||
| Overdrive | MPH | BHA4812 | SN6144/23A | 1280* | Note 12 use BHA5281 | |||||
| KPH | BHA4813 | SN6144/24 | 800! | Note 12 | ||||||
| Nov67-Sep68 | 138401 | 158230 | Automatic | MPH | BHA4707 | SN6144/20 | 1280* | Note 12 | ||
| KPH | BHA4709 | SN6144/21 | 800! | Note 12 | ||||||
| Nov68-Aug73 | 158231 | 328800 | Automatic | MPH | BHA4868 | SN6144/28 | 1216 | Note 11 | ||
| KPH | BHA4869 | SN6144/29 | 760 | Note 11 | ||||||
| Nov73-Sep74 | Roadster GT | 332926 332395 | 360300 361000 | Standard | MPH | BHA5279 | SN6144/20BS | 1280! | Note 12 | |
| KPH | BHA5280 | SN6144/21BS | 800! | Note 12 | ||||||
| Overdrive | MPH | BHA5281 | SN6144/23BS | 1280* | Note 12 | |||||
| KPH | BHA5282 | SN6144/24BS | 800! | Note 12 | ||||||
| Sep74-Jun76 | 360301 | 410350 | Both | MPH | BHA5339 | SN5230/13 | 1000* | Note 12, 80mm | ||
| Both | KPH | BHA5340 | SN5230/14 | 620! | Note 12, 80mm | |||||
| Canada | Nov67-Jul68 | 138401 | 153877 | Standard | MPH | BHA4707 | SN6144/20 | 1280* | Note 12 | |
| KPH | BHA4709 | SN6144/21 | 800! | Note 12 use BHA5280 | ||||||
| Overdrive | MPH | BHA4812 | SN6144/23A | 1280* | Note 12 use BHA5281 | |||||
| KPH | BHA4813 | SN6144/24 | 800! | Note 12 | ||||||
| Aug68-Jul71 | 153878 | 258000 | Standard | MPH | 37H 3766 | SN5226/03, SN5226/05, SN5227/07 | 1280! 1280! 1280! | 80mm | ||
| Overdrive | MPH | 37H 3768 | SN5226/08, SN5227/12 | 1280! 1280! | 80mm | |||||
| Automatic | MPH | 37H 4180 | SN5227/16 | 1216 | 80mm | |||||
| Aug71-Apr72 | 258001 | 282419 | Standard | MPH | BHA5084 | SN5231/00 | 1280! | |||
| Overdrive | MPH | BHA5086 | SN5231/04 | 1280! | ||||||
| May72-Sep74 | 282420 | 360300 | Standard | MPH | BHA5161 | SN5230/06S | 1280! | |||
| Overdrive | MPH | BHA5163 | SN5230/08S | 1280! | ||||||
| Sep74-Jun76 | 360301 | 410000 | Both | MPH | BHA5339 | SN5230/13 | 1000* | |||
| Jun76-1978 | 410001 | ? | Both | MPH | AAU 3027 | SN5373/00 | 1000! | |||
| Canada & Japan | 1978-1979 | ? | ? | Both | KPH | ? | ? | 620? | Note 2 | |
| Canada & Japan | 1980 | ? | on | Both | KPH | ? | ? | 620? | Note 2 | |
| USA, USA for Germany | Nov67-Jul71 | 138401 | 258000 | Standard | MPH | 37H 3766 | SN5226/03, SN5226/05, SN5227/07 | 1280! 1280! 1280! | 80mm | |
| Overdrive | MPH | 37H 3768 | SN5226/08, SN5227/12 | 1280! 1280! | 80mm | |||||
| Automatic | MPH | 37H 4180 | SN5227/16 | 1216! | 80mm | |||||
| Aug71-Apr72 | 258001 | 282419 | Standard | MPH | BHA5084 | SN5231/00 | 1280! | Note 10 | ||
| Overdrive | MPH | BHA5086 | SN5231/04 | 1280! | Note 10 | |||||
| May72-Sep74 | 282420 | 360300 | Standard | MPH | BHA5161 | SN5230/06S | 1280! | |||
| Overdrive | MPH | BHA5163 | SN5230/08S | 1280! | ||||||
| Sep74-Jun76 | 360301 | 410000 | Both | MPH | BHA5339 | SN5230/13 | 1000* | |||
| USA | Jun76-Jun79 | 410001 | 498440 (Cal) 503520 (Fed) | Both | MPH | AAU
3027 | SN5373/00 | 1000! | Note 3 | |
| Jun79-Oct80 | 498441 (Cal) 503521 (Fed) | on | Both | MPH | ? | SRM6006/00 | 1000! | Note 4 | ||
| Sweden, Germany | Sep69-Jul71 | 187211 | 258000 | Standard | KPH | BHA4924 | SN5227/20 | 800! | Note
10 | |
| Overdrive | KPH | BHA4925 | SN5227/22 | 800! | Note 10 | |||||
| Automatic | KPH | BHA4926 | SN5227/24 | 740 | Note 10 | |||||
| Aug71-Apr72 | 258001 | 282419 | Overdrive | KPH | BHA5087 | SN5231/08 | 800! | Note 10 | ||
| May72-Sep74 | 282420 | 360300 | Overdrive | KPH | BHA5164 | SN5230/09S | 800! | Note 5 | ||
| Sep74-Jun76 | 360301 | 410000 | Both | KPH | ? | ? | 620? | Note 6 | ||
| RHD (not Police) | Jun76-Oct78 | Roadster GT | 410001 410001 | 480296 481115 | Overdrive | MPH | AAU
3035 | SN5234/00 | 1000* | Note 7 |
| RHD (not Police) | Oct78-Oct80 | Roadster GT | 480297 481116 | on on | Overdrive | MPH | SN5234/02 | 1000* | Note 8 | |
| RHD (Police) | Jun76-Oct80 | 410001 | on | Overdrive | MPH | AAU 3036 | Z 65465 | 1040! | ||
| V8 (not Police) | Dec72-Jul76 | 101 | 2903 | Overdrive | MPH | BHA5210 | SN5230/11S | 960* | 80mm,
140mph | |
| V8 (Police) | Dec72-Jul76 | 101 | 2903 | Overdrive | MPH | BHA5317 | Z 63973 | 980! | Note 9 | |
| Notes: | A * after the TPM indicates that I have confirmed the figure on an actual example of the speedo and the number has been confirmed by a manufacturer and repairer of the instruments. A ! after the TPM indicates the number has been confirmed by a repairer of the instruments. | |||||||||
| 1 | The Parts Catalogue shows these serial numbers as having the same part number but actual instruments and manufacturers data show different TPMs. | |||||||||
| 2 | Clausager shows Canada and Japan having KPH speedos from 1978, and Canada and Japan 1980 models having 6-digit odometer, but these changes are not shown in the Parts Catalogue. | |||||||||
| 3 | North American spec including Japan had 4 speedos for 1977 on, probably plastic 'glass' with protruding trip reset button. | |||||||||
| 4 | 85mph speedos with 6-digit odometer, not in Parts Catalogue. | |||||||||
| 5 | Parts List shows this type continuing till Jun76 | |||||||||
| 6 | Clausager states 80mm from Sep74 LHD roadsters only made for North American market after Jun76 | |||||||||
| 7 | Reads to 120mph, additional kph markings. Figures outside markings, numbers go 10/20/30. | |||||||||
| 8 | Reads to 120mph, additional kph markings. Figures inside markings, numbers go 10/30/50. | |||||||||
| 9 | XA5(XAS?),175x14 tyres, 80mm, 140mph | |||||||||
| 10 | Use with right-angle drive | |||||||||
| 11 | Axle ratio changed and hence speedo | |||||||||
| 12 | KPH 620 turns per kilometer have the same gearing as MPH 1000 turns per mile speedos, similarly KPH 800 and MPH 1280. | |||||||||
| 13 | In Parts Catalogue as SN6124/04A. | |||||||||
Updated August 2010: Note that 1280 tpm overdrives were used on chrome bumper cars and had a black Laycock label, whereas 1000 tpm ODs were used on rubber bumper cars and had a blue label.
Added March 2008
And now for the question of speedo gear ratios! Whereas for the 3-synch cars the speedo tpms varied between non-OD and OD cars (but by less than 2%) the speedos for 4-synch cars quote the same tpms (1280 for chrome bumper cars and 1000 for rubber bumper) but there are still different part and reference numbers for the speedos according to whether the car was non-OD or OD. This continued up to September 76 and the 77 model year, when suddenly there is only one speedo (different again for the 'new' plastic dash) for LHD and one for RHD, still at 1000tpm as for previous rubber bumper cars, but no corresponding change in gearboxes or ODs.
Looking at the parts lists there always were different speedo drive gears and pinions, with different ratios, between non-OD and OD. But whereas the ratio difference is nearly 3% for the 3-synch gearboxes, it is only 1% for the chrome bumper 4-synch (I don't have all the ratio information for the rubber bumper cars). 1% is insignificant (given that speedos in the UK are allowed to over-read by up to 10% but not under-read) so having the same tpms for both is reasonable, but why the different speedo part and reference number if everything else is the same? Even 3% difference for the 3-synch is not that significant in the grand scheme of things, but the speedo tpms for non-OD and OD cars did take this into account. Although even that isn't straight-forward, as the information I have is that Jaeger instruments were 1060 for non-OD and 1040 for OD, whereas the later (1964) Smiths were 1040 for non-OD and 1020 for OD! Whilst the change from crossply tyres to radial may have required a change in gearing, radials weren't available until 1965, and crossplys remained standard on UK cars until 1972.
The bottom line is that while changing a non-OD gearbox to an OD gearbox will introduce an error of nearly 3%, on a 4-synch car changing from a non-OD to an OD gearbox of the same era will only introduce a 1% error and can be ignored. the important thing to remember on 4-synch cars is that if you put a rubber bumper OD gearbox in a chrome bumper car or vice-versa, and don't change the speedo, you will introduce an error of around 20% which is very significant.
And to finally beat this subject to death the table below lists the various gearboxes and what speedo drive gears and pinions were used in each:
| Era | Chassis No. | Engine No. | Gearbox | Gear | Starts | Pinion | Teeth | Ratio |
| Chrome | 101 to 138360 (roadster) 137795 (GT) | 18G, GA, GB | 3-synch non-OD (dipstick level/filler) | 1H3369 | 9 | 11G3264 or 22H1420L (NLA) | 28 | 1:3.111 |
| Chrome | 101 to 138360 (roadster) 137795 (GT) | 18G, GA, GB | 3-synch OD D-type (dipstick level/filler) | 7H8294 | 5 | 17H8021 | 16 | 1:3.2 |
| Chrome | 138401 (roadster) 139471 (GT) to 359169 (roadster) 360069 (GT) | 18GF-GK, 18V581-779 | 4-synch non-OD (dipstick level/filler) | 22B468 (metal) or 22B649 (plastic) | 10 | 22B654 | 26 | 1:2.6 |
| Chrome | 138401 (roadster) 139471 (GT) to 359169 (roadster) 360069 (GT) | 18GF-GK, 18V581-779 | 4-synch OD LH-type (black label) (dipstick level/filler) | 37H3464 (blue) | 8 | 37H3463 (white) | 21 | 1:2.625 |
| Rubber | 360301 (roadster) 361001 (GT) to 523001 (roadster) 523002 (GT) | 18V797-893 | 4-synch non-OD (side-plug level/filler) | DAM686 (black) | 9 | DAM687 (NLA) | see Note | see Note |
| Rubber | 360301 (roadster) 361001 (GT) to 523001 (roadster) 523002 (GT) | 18V797-893 | 4-synch OD LH-type (blue label) (side-plug level/filler) | 37H8844 (red) | 6 | 37H8845 (red) | 20 | 1:3.333 |
Added March 2010: Did I say final? Speedo cables used were as follows:
| Chassis No. | Gearbox | Cable | Length | Notes | |
| 101-9402 101-138400 | RHD LHD | non-OD | GSD103 | 1143mm (3' 9) | It seems highly unlikely, if not impossible, for RHD and LHD cables to be the same length |
| 101-10611 | RHD | OD | GSD116 | 1422mm(4' 8) | |
| 101-138400 10612-138400 | LHD RHD | OD | GSD117 | 1542mm(5' 0) | It seems highly unlikely, if not impossible, for RHD and LHD cables to be the same length |
| 9402-138400 | RHD | non-OD | GSD111 | 1219mm(4' 0) | |
| 138401-410000 | RHD | non-OD | GSD249 | 991mm(3' 3) | |
| 138401-410000 | RHD | OD | GSD116 | 1422mm(4' 8) | |
| 138401-153877 (Canada) 138401-187210 (roadster) 138401-187840 (GT) | LHD | non-OD | BHA4596 | 1270mm(4' 2) | not USA, Sweden, Germany |
| 138401-153877 (Canada) 138401-187210 (roadster) 138401-187840 (GT) | LHD | OD | GSD151 | 1829mm(6' 0) | not USA, Sweden, Germany |
| 138401-282419 (USA) 153878-282419 (Canada) | LHD | non-OD | GSD104 | 1373mm(4' 6) | North America, Sweden, Germany, without service indicator |
| 138401-410000 (USA) 153878-410000 (Canada) | LHD | OD | GSD151 | 1829mm(6' 0) | North America, Sweden, Germany, without service indicator |
| 187211-328800 | RHD | Auto | GSD103 | 1143mm (3' 9) | |
| 187211-328800 | LHD | Auto | GSD116 | 1422mm(4' 8) | not USA, Sweden, Germany |
| 187211-328800 | LHD | Auto | GSD117 | 1542mm(5' 0) | North America, Sweden, Germany, without service indicator |
| 282420-410000 | LHD | non-OD | GSD145 | North America, Sweden, Germany, without service indicator | |
| 360301-386600 (Canada) 360301-422791 | LHD | non-OD | BHA5351 | North America, Sweden, Germany, gearbox to service indicator | |
| 360301-386600 (Canada) 360301-422791 | LHD | OD | BHA5360 | 1016mm(3' 4") | North America, Sweden, Germany, gearbox to service indicator |
| 360301-386600 (Canada) 360301-422791 | LHD | all | BHA5359 | 584mm(1' 11") | North America, Sweden, Germany, service indicator to speedo |
| 410001 on | RHD (all) | OD | GSD315 | 1450mm(4' 9) | |
| 410001 on | LHD | non-OD | AAU3868 | 1200mm(3' 11) | without service indicator |
| 410001 on | LHD | OD | AAU3870 | 1700mm(5' 7) | without service indicator |
| All V8 | RHD | OD | GSD116 | 1422mm(4' 8") |
There is also the question of right-angle drives.
The Parts Catalogues show all cars as having one at the gearbox end (13H 2567) to allow the cable to run alongside the gearbox as it travels forwards. However neither of my cars has one, the cable making a neat enough turn through 90 degrees here, however this may need a slightly longer cable to avoid a tight turn.
The big issue is whether LHD cars had an additional one at the speedo head or not. Again the Parts Catalogues indicate one was always used (BHA 4794 up to 76, the same 13H 2567 as for the gearbox for 77 on), because the cable came up through the same hole in the bulkhead (above the clutch foot rest) as in RHD cars then across the car behind the dash. This would have resulted in too tight a turn behind the speedo in the limited space available, hence the second unit. However some people have indicated their cable goes through the bulkhead in front of the driver, then goes across and down via some unspecified route, which renders a right-angle drive uneccessary, including 3-synch cars using the large hole under the hinge slot. Clausager appears to show a 74 car routed in this manner, but using a smaller hole further above and towards the centre of the car than the large hole (which contains the heat control cable?).
Speedo cable entry in the foot-well of a RHD.
Often the question comes up regarding "What year is my MG?" with the early cars. Cars built in 1951 or even 1950 are titled as "1952" TD's for example. Early MGB's built in 1962 or 3 may be listed as 1963 or 1964s. Owners of early cars are especially urged to know their VIN numbers in order to get the correct original equipment. Why?
My understanding of the situation is that the "model year" was an American primarily GM invention. In the 1930's GM's chairman Alfred Sloan began the practice to showcase annual styling changes. Soon every other US manufacturer followed suit and the concept of a "model year" starting in the fall of the year started.
This system was alien to most European manufacturers including MG. VW even used their rather stable product plan to their advantage with the Beetle's advertising in the States. The European manufacturers basically updated their cars when required for competitive reasons and only loosely followed a "model year" concept. MG up until the late sixties was like this hence the issue with when was it built when was it sold what year is it anyway what do I put on the title? Early cars had model years "designated" by the dealer. It was a world where model years were ingrained into American paperwork registration and titles (after all who couldn't tell the difference between a '59 Chevy and a '60?) but with imports from Europe well it was a different story. The dealer typically filled out the paperwork so that a car sold in the model year (October to October) was of that model year regardless of date of manufacture.
What changed that "system" was the safety and emissions regulations which phased in requirements by model years for cars sold in the US. Once that occurred all the European manufacturers had to follow US procedures for VINs and linking US-destined cars to specific model years and levels of safety and emissions equipment. Of course old habits are hard to break and while I'm sure MG put in all legally required equipment I've heard how sometimes earlier parts sometimes ended up in the next model year's cars on occasion.
So- it's not unusual for cars exported to the States sold prior to 1967 (I think that's when the first safety/emissions laws became effective) to have wildly different dates of manufacture vs. model year on their title and why after that a system was imposed on the VIN designation. Later cars therefore will have their model year "baked into" the VIN regardless of the date for manufacture. It's easy to imagine how MG would have had to have been building the next year's model in late spring or early summer in order to be in showrooms in the U.S. by the fall.
© John H. Zajac
reproduction permitted by author
provided authorship & copyright acknowledged
Clausager refers to 'model years' from 1969 on which started production in November 1968. Thereafter the new model year could start production at any time from May 1978 (for the 1979 model year) to December 1974 (for the 1975 model year) but was typically August or September. 1974 saw another main change-point in September for the '1974 1/2' model year cars and the full rubber bumpers. Small changes appeared constantly throughout production however. The changeover points listed by chassis/serial number could be a little chaotic as 'old' parts were used up before 'new' parts were used. Therefore it was common for a car with a chassis/serial number before the change point to have some parts that should only have appeared after the change point and vice-versa. The only thing that could be said for sure is that as far as is known matched items were fitted i.e. you wouldn't get a car with one 1976 headlight and one 1977!
Dating your car by its windows - based on the original compiled by Neil Cairns. Updated October 2008
Note that it dates the GLASS, so is only an indication of the cars age, assuming the glass is original.
If you are not quite sure of the year of your car, but the decade is known, just look for dots above and below the TRIPLEX TOUGHENED or LAMINATED logo on the glass. Unfortunately it is complicated by the code system changing in January 1969.
Before January 1969 one dot above T, R, E or X gives the quarter of the year the glass was manufactured:
T = Jan, Feb, March
R = April, May, June
E = July, Aug, Sept
X = Oct, Nov, Dec
From January 1969 the code indicated the month not the quarter, and although the same four letters were used there could be one, two or three dots used:
. : .
Jan TRIPLEX (dot over the T) Jul TRIPLEX
. : .
Feb TRIPLEX (dot over the R) Aug TRIPLEX
. . :
Mar TRIPLEX Sep TRIPLEX
. . :
Apr TRIPLEX Oct TRIPLEX
: .:
May TRIPLEX (double dot over T) Nov TRIPLEX
:. :
Jun TRIPLEX Dec TRIPLEX
But which year? Nine letters make the word TOUGHENED, one dot below a letter gives the year of the decade:
Say your car is a 1950's MG, then TRiplEX TOUGHENED, with one dot over the 'R' in Triplex, and the other under the last 'E' in Toughened, indicates 'April/May/June 1958'.
My 75 GT has Sicursive side glass but a Triplex heated back-light with a dot over the E and one under the G, indicating March 74. The car has a build date of May 1975, so you can see that glass (and quite probably other components) could be hanging round for some time before being used - no Just In Time then!
My thanks to Pierre De Rijck of Belgium for questioning this information when he found multiple dots on his windows, as originally the information from Neil only indicated one dot. The additional info came from these Spitfire and Mini sites. However it should be noted that these two differ for 1969 and later for the months of March and April. The former shows the dots over the I and P of TRIPLEX whereas the latter shows then over the E and X as previously. As both sites show only the E and X letters being used in all other cases, I'm tempted to think the Triumph site is in error and have assumed such. Pierre also mentioned his two side windows had different codes. This could have been due to breakage in the past, but in his case the two codes seem to be consecutive months in the same year and so are more likely to be from two production batches rather than one. If LHS and RHS glasses are made, packed and shipped separately rather than as pairs this is more then likely, especially given the apparent gap between manufacture and fitting. Less so if the glasses were shipped as pairs, but still possible if one were damaged or a defect found during the build of the car.
All of this miscellaneous information -while miscellaneous- is all important in its own way. While you may not need to know all the various part names etc before you make a car donation, having it all here in one big resource is still pretty helpful!
The following sites carry information on a variety of topics:
| So good it deserves a line of its own right at the top - a set of 'How to' videos from John Twist and University Motors |
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| from Paul Kile |
| Paul Lewis |
| and Norm Nock all of the Sacremento Valley MG Car Club |
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Barney Gaylord's 'The MGA with an attitude' - mainly MGA but some details and much general information will be applicable to the MGB. |
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MGA and MGB technical information from British Automotive |
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Scions of Lucas (SOL). Technical info for MG and other marques much of the 'other marques' info will also apply to MG to some extent. |
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Skye Poier's 'The MGB Experience' site |
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Rich Mason's 'Helpzone' |
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Tech Tips from the NAMGBR |
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Robert Epstein's 'MGB Tech Tips' |
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John and Elaine Hubbard's 'MGB-GT' pages |
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Chicagoland MG Club - Tech tips |
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for a variety of marques and MG models from Moss Motors (now only available by logging-in) |
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Parts sources from (Bob?) Lundgren |
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Automobile Repair manuals Online (not) |
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Robert Bentley manuals |
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MGB Parts List available online from Moss USA. Other MG models and marques available. |
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Miscellaneous MGB info from AutoChart Inc. |
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Classic car restoration courses at UK Further Education Colleges from Restored Classics |
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Recalls and Technical Service Bulletins from Alldata |
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Fuel Additives Lubricants and Coolant reference information from Stephen Ringlee's Volvo Maintenance FAQ |
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UK MOT info from MOTUK (geddit?) |
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UK MOT info from Haynes |
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Using a vacuum gauge for fault diagnosis. |
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Speedo and tach serial numbers through the years from Anon |
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More speedo info from Autochart |
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Yet more speedo info from Paul Tegler |
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Speedo repairs from Anthony Rhodes or as a downloadable PDF |
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Speedo repairers and suppliers Speedograph Richfield successors to Smiths Industries |
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Bespoke and replacement instruments from Caerbont Automotive Instruments |
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Another on-line Parts Catalogue from Brown and Gammons in the UK |
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Handy Reference Information from Pegasus Auto Racing - Decimal inch equivalents copper electrical wire specs and more. |
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Smiths and Jaeger speedo repairs from Tigers United |
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John Twist's Tech Tips hosted by NAMGBR, on a variety of topics. |
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Bodywork from John Elwood. |
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Paint Codes from Paul Tegler's 'Teglerizer' site |
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British car keys cut in the USA by Pete Groh. |
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Roadster screen from Lee Daniels (updated link) |
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MGB Chrome Bumper Conversion sites from Google |
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Body Rotisserie from Bob Beaupre |
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Body Rotator from Skye Poier |
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'The Instillation (sic) of Sills & Rockers' from Classic Auto Restoration Services. A commercial site but includes 'How to' and FAQs. |
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Hood/top fitting from Washington DC Centre MG Car Club |
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Remanufactured bodies from British Motor Heritage |
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Brief information on fitting a child seat in the back of a GT. The lap and diagonal static belt from Securon can be found here. NOTE: Check the legality of these in the UK following the change in UK law from 18th September 2006, although it seems that systems with an older BS approval marking will remain legal until May 2008. Other than that it is legal to have an unrestrained child (or two) in the back of a GT, but illegal to have them restrained with an unapproved system. |
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Brake fluid from Veteran Triumph Register |
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Servo overhaul on a TR6 from Buckeye Triumphs. |
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Low brake fluid level warning - note the remote servo can suffer seal failure which causes all the fluid to be sucked out of the master! |
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'Advanced Cooling System Basics' (sic) from Stewart Components |
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Smartscreen intermittent wiper control. So good I have them on both my MGBs. |
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Lamp/bulb and fuse info from 'Automotive Lite Bulbs' |
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More lamp/bulb info from Daniel Stern Lighting including FAQs, Tech info and 'How To'. Note that headlamp aiming shows LHD, reverse the images for RHD. |
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Lots of electrics info on the 'The T*****h TR6 Web' much of which is also relevant to MGs. |
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Alternator conversions from Bob Muenchausen. |
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Converting 4-cylinder tachs to V8 from the Britsh V8 Forum. |
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Tach calibration and repair from Mark Olsen's Sunbeam Tiger pages. Includes the circuit diagram of the inductive circuit. |
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Rebuilding a tach with modern electronics from Theo Smit's Tiger pages includes a link to a description of how to modify the inductive tach to work with electronic ignition. |
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Tip from Crane (may work with other manufacturers products) if your inductive tach (64 to 72) doesn't work with your new electronic ignition. |
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Enlargeable coloured wiring diagrams in PDF format from Advance Auto-wire. These differ from the Workshop Manual Haynes Bentley in that associated components are placed together so reducing the amount of wiring snaking about and hence making them easier to follow. |
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Lucas relay info on CRC's TVR site. |
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Lucas Technical catalogues for bulbs, switches etc. |
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Racemettle geared starters, contains useful info on the number of pinion teeth used by each model. |
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V8 power for the MGB from Dan Masters |
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MG V8 conversions from Mike Barnes |
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V8 conversion from Glenn somebody or other |
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More V8 conversion from commercial site V8 Developments |
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'MGB V8 Conversions by Roger Parker' - a noted authority |
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A Buick V8 conversion by Leon Zak |
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MG Engines from the TA to the MGF by Neil Cairns |
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BMC engine numbers from 1952 to 1990 also by Neil Cairns. However the section on Gold Seal numbers doesn't include those for the MGB, for which see here. |
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More info from Neil Cairns, this time on the differences between the 18V engine as used in the MGB and that used in the Marina. |
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Got an 18V engine with a funny number? These were used in the Sherpa van. (Note March 2007: Not currently available but I'll leave this link here for a while in case it comes back.) |
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Rover V8 engine number ranges from Capri Racing. Doesn't actually include the factory V8 MGB (or the RV8 as far as I know) but may be helpful if you get hold of an engine for a conversion. |
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Oil filter study from Russ W. Knize. |
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Engine oil bible from 'The Speed-Trap Bible' by Chris Longhurst. Also see the sections on Snakeoils and Additives. |
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'More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About Motor Oil ' from The Vintage Triumph Register. Biased towards the makes and grades available in the USA. |
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Another oil filter study from SHOClub |
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More oil info, this time from a British biker, but mostly applicable to cars. Explanations of viscosity, detergency, relationship between gear and engine oil viscosity ratings, synthetics and additives ("Don't!" in this last case). |
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Another oil filter study. Two words of warning though - this relates to very high output close-tolerance Ford engines, and to me at least the detailed data conflicts with the conclusions. |
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Compression Tests - from Puma Racing |
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Engine weights for many marques by Dave Williams, passed to me by Bob Howard. MG 4-cylinders under 'BL', V8 and V6 under 'Rover'. Some engine dimensions, only for the V8 in the case of MG, also some gearbox weights. See here for Workshop manual info. |
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Cylinder-head casting numbers - a frequent source of questions - from British Automotive |
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MGB cylinder head identification from Sean Brown's Flowspeed.com, mainly for North American spec engines. |
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A little more MGB cylinder head identification info this time from Paul Walbran Motors in New Zealand. |
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Carburettor Models by Year from Paul Tegler's 'Teglerizer' site | ||
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Polishing SU dashpot covers by Paul Tegler |
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'Living with Unleaded' from Rick Astley |
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SU Carburettors by Scott Fisher and Roger Garnett |
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Tech info from ZTherapy |
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THE S.U. VARIABLE CHOKE CARBURETTOR by Malcolm Land - what it is and how it works. |
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SU Carburettor Tips by Jim Taylor from the Jaguar Clubs of North America, including piston 'drop test' specs |
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Unleaded Fuel - a technical guide from Puma Racing. |
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Detailed pictures of the HIF6 carb linkage pieces on the factory V8 from British Auto. |
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SU Fuel Pumps description, rebuilding and modification by Dave Dubois. |
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RON MON and PON (American) octane ratings explained from Wikipedia and compared by Mad Mole. |
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Zenith/Stromberg water choke by Rick Jaskowiak. And for a picture of a manual choke conversion click here. |
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SU/Butec carb data from Peter & Rita Forbes' Engine Webpages. |
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SU carb and fuel pump parts from SU Burlen. Includes spec data on things like piston springs. |
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The Hitachi-SU Tech Pages from Julian Serles |
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'Minty Lamb SU Needle Compare-o-rama'. Shades of Wallace and Gromit, but it is an on-line SU needle comparison and selection program. |
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Alternatively a downloadable comparison and selection program from Scott A. Beavis. |
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A gearbox testing tool from Kai Radicke |
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Adding overdrive to a non-overdrive gearbox by Octarine Services |
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Theoretical Top Speed calculator from mySportsCar. |
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Modifying the rear crossmember to give improved access to the gearbox mount bolts. NB: Not sure if this is strictly necessary if you attach the crossmember to the gearbox before you raise the cross-member up to the chassis rails. |
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| Heater Valve Improvements for BMC B-Series Engines from Bob Muenchausen's 'Muenchausen's Garage' |
| MGB Heater Rebuild and Upgrade from Chicagoland MG Club |
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High Energy Ignition systems from the Veteran Triumph Register. |
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Coil ballast systems from the Veteran Triumph Register. |
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Distributor curves from Paul Tegler's 'Teglerizer' site |
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Electronic Ignition Systems from Autocar Electrical Equipment Co Ltd |
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More distributor info from Doug Jackson's 'British Automotive'. |
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Even more distributor info from TDC Engineering many Lucas serial numbers not just MG. |
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Yet more distributor info from AutoChart Inc. |
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Tuning (as opposed to 'setting-up') Lucas distributors also from TDC Engineering. |
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A problem and solution when installing electronic ignition systems. |
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Product information for the 123 electronic distributor. For installation and technical data see here. |
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Transpo supply the electronic module for the 45DM4 distributor. Select 'Ignition Modules', 'Delco', and it is the DM1906. |
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Original-spec advance springs, yes advance springs, from Distributor Doctor, although unfortunately only for 25D and not 45D. Other springs available if you can quote dimensions, also all other distributor parts and a rebuilding service. |
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Points, condensers, rotors and caps reputedly of better quality than those from the usual suspects, as well as electronic ignition conversions. |
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Driveline alignment - problems and solutions from Drivetrain Specialists of Las Vegas |
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Wheel hub and rotor/disc measurement points from Wheel Vintiques |
Steering and Suspension Links:
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Tube shock conversion from Paul Tegler's 'Teglerizer' site |
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Suspension bible from 'The Speed-Trap Bible' by Chris Longhurst |
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Make your own steering column/rack shaft alignment tool. Original link replaced by a section on these pages as more information has come to light, click on the globe then 'Column/Rack Alignment'. |
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Tyre sizes and axle ratios from Skye Poier's 'The MGB Experience' site |
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Tyre sizes and axle ratios from Scott Galaba's BMW M Coupe and Z3 Coupe site. |
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Wheels and tyres bible from 'The Speed-Trap Bible' by Chris Longhurst |
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Tyre sizing sidewall info construction etc from Dunlop |
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Tyre Size Comparisons from Club DSM |
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Wheel and Tyre Sizing from AGP Motorsports |
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Tire/Wheel Combination Calculator from Rick Tolan |
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Lots of stuff on wheels and tyres from the All Morgan site |
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Solent Wheels, who apparently make a good job of refurbing V8 wheels where the chrome is peeling. They powder-coat the whole wheel silver, then top-coat the alloy with satin black, and polish the areas round the cut-outs, all for £50. I understand they split the centre from the rim and re-rivet in the process. |
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My local wire-wheel rebuilder - Phillips & Son, Unit 3, Seven Stars Road, Oldbury, West Midlands, 0121 544 9060, just a couple of minutes from J2 of the M5. The map (click the globe) has the green arrow close to where they actually are between the canal bridge and the A457, even though that is shown as Park Lane and not Seven Stars Road. |
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Central Wheel Components. They can make stainless spokes to fit MGB wheels for you to fit but do not work on the wheels themselves, only motorbike wheels. Highly polished they are close to chrome, but are said to resist breakage better. |
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Weights of many wheels, probably all after-market. |
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British Wire Wheel - based in the USA despite the name. Sell both Dunlop and Dayton so a useful price comparison. |
If you know of any sites containing technical information that you would like to see listed here (including your own of course) please mail me with the URL.