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MG MGA - Weekend Melt Down!

Well, I thought I might share another MGA moment with you all.. Glorious 3 day holiday weekend here in the North East US. Driving thru the country side she stalls...Bummer...will not start..Double bummer. I tell my nervous wife "Noo problem, guys on the forum tell me I got vapor lock, we'll just wait till it cools". Run to the nearest stream with cans of water to pour on it. 2 hours later ..No start..Wife panicking...call every friend but there all away on holiday..Triple bummer..Finally got hold of someone who comes to retrieve us. Try one last time and it starts right up!!! Wife is elated (I'm gettin lucky). Call off my retrieving buddy, and drive to the nearest pub for a pint and laugh! Leave and hour later...NO START..Wife pissed off (Not Good) Try to jump..Nothing!! Lift the hood again and LOW & BEHOLD!!!! Look what I found (See Pic Below)...


WMR Bill

Never seen that before!

Adds to me theory that 90% of all 'fuel' problems are electrical.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Looks like your coil blew it's top!!!!! That's one hot coil. .....Don't shoot me for the bad jokes
JEFF BECKER

Years ago my MGA would run fine for a mile or so and then quit. If you waited a few minutes it would start and the process would repeat. Classic symptons of a fuel problem but it wasn't. The coil bracket had worn a hole in the coil and the oil ran out. When the coil got hot the car quit and when it cooled a bit it made spark and repeated the cycle. I have rubber between the coil and bracket on the car today.
Bill Haglan

That's hilarious. But in a not very funny way, of course. I love the new picture option on this BBS.
Mark J Michalak

Wow!

That's a new one on me too.

I'll bet next time she makes you look under the bonnet right away!

Cheers,
Rich
Rich McKIe

Bummer! To help the rest of us avoid the same problem (with car and spouse!) what brand coil is that and what was the source?
Steven B

Funny you should mention that Bill, I too was having those same symptoms and inquired on here about vapor lock. The car just got on the road about 6 weeks ago. It ran great until I turned off the engine. Then I would have to wait for it to cool befor starting it. I even went so far as to take it to a local MG mechanic to look it over. I was about to except the fact it was temperamental (kida like my wife!). The coil was purchased from Moss early in my 2 year restoration. It only has a few hundred miles on but I doubt I can expect any support from Moss since it exceeds there warranty policy. I ended up pulling one off my TR3 that I just started to restore to get it home. It is amazing how a good it now runs with a good coil. Runs faster, stronger and starts right up! I'm happy again! Picture below is the brand of coil from Moss.


WMR Bill

This must be a manufacturing defect - it can't have been properly crimped at the top.

I'd still contact Moss and see what they say. Intermotor is quite a big brand here in Europe.
dominic clancy

This thread was discussed between 04/09/2007 and 05/09/2007

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