MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGA - Air Hose to Carbs.

Looking at the parts list ref. by Barney gaylord i note there is a 4inch dia hose leading from the front of car to carbs . This is not fitted to my 1960 1600 ( but hoops are there on both sides and I always thought both were for heater hoses ..not needed here in OZ )......do I need to fit,does lack affect carb performance ??
n ferguson

These hoses are cold air inlets, very desirable in hot OZ. I learned from a web site somewhere that for every 2% rise in ambeient temp. an engine losses 1 HP.
Ducting outside air to the exhaust side of the engine also helps to push the very hot air that rises from the exhaust manifold [and hence to the carbs,] out through the vents.. Every little helps in hot weather. Sean
S Sherry

I've just installed both 4" air ducts on my Coupe restoration. On my first drive after installation I was amazed at how much fresh air came through the heater duct and inside the car. Prior to installing the duct I couldn't feel any fresh air at all. Therefore it should really help fresh air get to the carbs. You need to bend the new ducting quite a bit to get it to fit, but it bends fairly easily.

Andy
Andy Preston

The forward air pipes also close the holes in the body diaphragm to prevent hot air from recirculating back to front and reprocessing hot air through the radiator core.
Barney Gaylord

Barney..on that basis I need both hoses..the carb supply and the heater supply..or just blank the latter off!!
Neil
n ferguson

Neil,

Yes, if you do not have a heater the blanking plate must be used.

See item 6 in the Service Parts List image attached.


Mick


M F Anderson

Here's a picture showing how the hoses attach behind the grille.
David Breneman

And here's what it looks like when I actually ATTACH the picture... :-P


David Breneman

David,

nice wide-angle! I'm just about to fit my hoses, where did you bolt your clamps on?

Cheers,

Grant :-)
G Hudson

Hi, Grant -

If you look at the picture I've attached, the mounting holes are at 9:00 and 3:00 in the grille opening. (I hope the image that ends up on the BB is big enough to see that detail.) If not, or if you'd like me to email you a few pictures of the whole hose route, let me know.


David Breneman

David and Grant:

Do the open ended intake hoses look OK as viewed through the grill?, were they originally factory installed in this manner? Wonder if someone has come up with a way to 'finish' them for better appearance?

Matt
Matt Szechenyi

Matt, I would say the photo above, from David Breneman, shows how they looked from the factory.
Barry
BM Gannon

To smarten up their appearance I found some black rubber piping, slit it along its length and pushed on the end of the tubing.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Grant, this photo shows the brackets around the end of the duct hose and machine screws through the bottom panel.

Andy


Andy Preston

I did what Steve said with some rubber vacuum hose and it really helped the looks.

Jim


Jim Ferguson

I have always preferred the arrangement on the Australian built MGA. No heater or heater side air hose and a blanking plate as shown in the Service Parts List for non-heater cars.
The problem with the heater air hose is that it lines up with the exhaust pipe of the car in front. That is why cars after the MGA always had the air vent in front of the windscreen.
I guess you can turn off the heater air in traffic.


Mick
M F Anderson

I bought a 1600 with a crossflow cylinder head conversion. I would never put one of this on myself because swapping the manifold and carbs to the RH side makes much of the electrics inaccessible. It also means that the cold air ducting to the heater goes right across the carb airfilters. I need to swap the hose to the LH side of the car. I know that the twincam has a heater box the other way round. Does anyone know ehere I can get one or any other suggestion??
H L Davy

HL
You could also probably use a modified MGB one - the motor fits on the front of the MGB one, you would have to modify the lower part.

Alternatively just rotate the A one 180 degrees - the lower vent screws on if I remember correctly, and the motor and inlet can probably be swtched relatively easily, You just need new holes for the water inlet/outlet for the heat exchanger and some grommets to blank the original holes.
dominic clancy

You cannot just use a Twin Cam heater. The "mirror image" Twin Cam heater, with the air inlet on the other side, has to have the opening in the firewall shelf much further to the right (facing forwards).


Mick
M F Anderson

This thread was discussed between 11/04/2009 and 19/04/2009

MG MGA index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGA BBS is active now.