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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - Hood (Bonnet) Clearence

I’m trying to finish my v6 conversion this winter but I can’t get everything to fit under the hood. I currently have a Holley 390 and have tried about 4 different types of low-profile air cleaners but they are all still too tall. I was thinking that maybe the Carter/Edelbrock carbs might be shorter. Does anybody have any measurements? I’m also considering cutting off the air horn. Lastly I found this picture: http://www.v6mgb.com/images/aircleaner.jpg
Does anybody know whose car this is or how they made the air cleaner?
Thanks Guys,
~Shawn
Shawn Kennedy

Shawn,

Somebody’s car looks very nice. I don’t know what parts he used, but I once had my eye on a similar part from a Chevrolet Cavalier with Throttle Body Injection. It was flatter and a bit more cylinder rather than dome shaped. The diameter was the same as the stock four-barrel Rochester carburetor that came with my Buick 215, but I changed to a different carburetor that it doesn’t fit. Depending what carburetor you use it may help.

George
George Champion

Shawn
I just finished my v-6 conversion and was unable to find anything that would fit. I used an edelbrock two piece manifold and the top was just to tall. I also used a holley 390 and have the choke tower milled off. I put a scoop on but do not care for it.
I am having a shorter top milled to allow me to fit it under the hood. I have spoken with edelbrock and we both feel that I will probably gain a little power at the bottom end but may loose a little at the top. Personally that is a trade off I could live with as I would like my power closer to the bottom 3/4 of the power range.
I should get the part in its finnished state in the next couple of days. I have tried the proto type in ABS and it fits perfect.
I will let you know how it works.
Garret
garret

I dont exactly remember the part number, but Holley makes a super low profile air filter now. You can see it here : http://britishv8.org/swaps/mgbracer.htm, it may not be for everybody, but i certainly find it to be quite attractive. Hope this Helps. By the way, this is obviously not my car. (I wish).

Alan.
Alan Raddatz

sorry, i put a comma in the links, its:

http://britishv8.org/swaps/mgbracer.htm

hope it works now
Alan Raddatz

OK guys, let me get this straight. There is a holley intake manifold. There is a piece that goes on top of this that is too tall (garrett are you modifying this part or making a complete new part). Also, Shawn, I see yet another spacer on top of the previously mentioned part on your website. Why is that there?
Tom Lang

Shawn, I've just finished a V6 conversion on a 73B and I made an air cleaner. It worked out real well, but was a good bit of work. I don't have any way to put photos on to internet, but I can take some and send them to you. I used the same manifold as you and used the Edelbrock carb. I just don't care for the Holleys, with the power valve and leaking problems. The Edelbrock is a real good carb, although may be a little large, depending on your engine size, cam etc. The worst case would be having to change the metering rods and not a bid deal. If you can e-mail me the height to the air cleaner flange and the overall height with the choke at it's highest position I can compare it to the Edelbrock and get back to you.

John
John Davis

Alan,

I’ve seen those, but they don’t look any lower than the other more conventional style air cleaner. That air cleaner does drop the filters low on the sides, but it doesn’t look like it drops it enough to account for the fact that the MGB hood/bonnet curves down on each side. Still, it fit on that MGB and may fit on a car that have more MGB to it.

George
George Champion

Tom
I am making a new part. The top and bottom mount the same but the total height is 1 1/2 inches. I am using a 10 inch air filter slightly modified.
I have looked at mine from all angles and with the srock edelbrock top I can see no way to keep it under the hood.
Bill Guzman of classic conversions is coming out with a filter he says allows a stock hood and it should be available around december I am told. I just couldn't wait and felt better making a new top.
Garret
garret

john,
you have been holding out on me! what is this design? I have been searching and can't find anything to get under the hood. Bill Guzman said he was working on something to fit. Check shawn's site for my most recent problem.. My starter was bad and now that that is fixed I get a backfire through the carb and thats it.
andy heston

Garrett,
I am very interested in your solution. I thought of modifying the top portion of the intake. Will the throttle linkage hit the valve covers if the carb height is lowered? Thanks for all the responses it seems there are a lot of people with this problem.
~Shawn
Shawn Kennedy

I will post some pictures of the inverted air cleaner next week.
Bill Guzman

Shawn - basic question - is your sump down tight on the crossmember ?
Roger

Shawn,I made my own air cleaner for my first conversion because of this problem. An air cleaner/filter is basically an element sandwhiched between 2 plates. I selected the thinest & oval shaped element I could find. It's from a Mazda 323, although I've seen others from Mitsubishi just as thin since.All the ready made ones have the inlet hole in the centre of the bottom plate. By placing the hole as close to one end of the perimeter as the element will allow & making this the front of the filter, the bulk of the filter now sits to the rear of the engine bay. I didn't have to move the bonnet/hood cross member with this setup. I can send a pix if you like. Kurt Schley has a similar setup on his car. Maybe you've seen that one.
Barrie Egerton

Barrie
How is the air cleaner clearance over the distributor?
I tried a drop base and hit the dist. How long is the oval? Does it go straight back or to one side. I will E-mail you my address for pictures if you don't mind.
Garret
garret

I'm not positive but the picture of the air filter/snorkel in the original post looks like an aftermarket set-up used on TBI Chevy engines. I was looking at a similar assembly for my '95 S-10 with a 4.3 Vortec. I found such an item on eBay http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1872588952 which might be adapted for Carb. applications.
Chris

FYI
http://www.ramairbox.com/
andy heston

Be careful about ramair. I ordered an airbox from them and I admit they told me that it probably would not fit under my hood. It did not and I attemted to return for credit. It got back to them in Canada at great expense but I never got credit against my card. I gave up after serveral e-nmails and telephone calls. Just a word to the wise my experience may be unique.
Dick Porter
Richard Porter

Chris, you have the right idea, but be aware that the unit you showed is probably every bit of 4+" tall. There are a bunch of companies ut there making "bonnets" for carb car using blowers or turbos. Westcoast fabrication comes to mind among others. I will ping my mustang buddies to see what I can dig up and post here. i have a old paxton bonnet I will be selling sometime soon. I just can't use it.
Larry Embrey

The picture in the original post is of my 1968 MGB. The picture was taken September 21,2002 at the Fox Lake all British Car Show in Titusville, Florida where it took first place. I don't know who took the picture or who posted it. About the car. This car is power by a 3.4L GM Crate Engine. It uses a stock height 2.8 Throttle body intake from an S10 and a Holley 400CFM Throttle Body. The Air Cleaner was fabricated from an MGB headlight bucket, a 2 1/2 to 2 1/4 Exhast Adapter, the lid off an old air cleaner from a 80's Celebrity and a modified air intake from a Honda Civic. First I inverted the old Lid on the TBI. Using Calipers I measured from the bottom of the lid to top of TBI. I trimmed the large lip from Headlight bucket to reveal 5 1/4 opening. Then transfered the first measurement to get the height and cut the cone off the bucket. I refit to TBI to check clearance. I then mittered the exhaust adapter to fit on the rear of the modified bucket. On the front of the modified bucket I had to make a relief for the fuel regulator on the TBI. I then took the modified bucket and inverted it on to the lid to trace it for cutting. All were tack welded refitted and then completly welded. I then installed this newly created piece on the TBI and got my measurement for the air intake. I put the filter on the elbow end of the intake. The last thing was gind and fill new piece and paint with black engine paint. Hope this clears things up. BTW I just sold this car for $15000.00.
Alan Jennings

Holy cow, Alan. My compliments on your fabrication ingenuity. Really looks great.

Wayne
Wayne Pearson

Great car! Alan, did you use a Bill Guzman kit? What transmission? What rear end and ratio? What was the performance like?

Tom
Tom Lang


This thread contains links to photos of some REALLY NICE MGB V6/V8 conversions...

Wouldn't it be cool if there were ONE place on the web we could find a whole bunch of MGB V6/V8 conversion photos? For a while the photo collection at
http://www.mgcars.org.uk/v8_conversions/
was growing nicely, but now it seems like a long time
since it's been updated.

I'm posting here now to promote the idea of a central photo library. Please, my friends, send in photos of your cars!

Curtis

Curtis,

There is a place on the web to post photos of V8/V6 conversions, at:

http://www.britishv8.org/swaps

I do keep it up to date, and I try to revise it about every two-three months. I'll be making an update in another week or so.
Dan Masters

Tom,

Yes, I used Bill Guzman's kit. The transmission is a T5 from a 94 3.4 Camaro. The rear end is stock MG with 3.90:1 ratio. Other high performance parts: MSD Ignition and plug wires, Crane 1.6 roller rockers, 57lb Injectors, Super Chips custom computer chip, 160 degree thermostat. The car has awsome performance. Smoked several 4.6 Mustangs and a BMW Z3 M version. I am looking forward to building another.

Alan
Alan Jennings

This thread was discussed between 12/11/2002 and 17/11/2002

MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical index

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