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MG MGB Technical - MGB drain tube

Hello,
I managed to damage the drain tube on my mgb but cannot source another one (moss no longer stock them, nor the MGB owners club, I've even tried andy jennings spares). Does anyone know where else I could try to get one of these?

Here are the details of the part I am looking for:

http://www.moss-europe.co.uk/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=231

AHC321 (item 66)

Many thanks
Alex Davies

Commonly known as Tom's knob. I think you will get one of these at MGB Hive as they have a yard full of B's which they are continually dismantling. Their tel number is 01945 700500.

Give them a ring.
Iain MacKintosh

FWIW some people recommend cutting the bulb off the end of the tube to prevent blockages, in which case you could just use plain hose, or indeed nothing at all. As I recall a very similar item was used on Metros, you may still find one in a scrapper.
PaulH Solihull

Alex
There are plenty about but you need to go and actually remove one youself, breakers are reluctant to say they have one because its a real ball ache to remove.
i phoned a few people and got loads of promises but eventually had to go and remove one myself.

Definately DONT use nothing at all!

Pete
PJ Thompson

If you have one along with a stupid sense of curiosity after removing the transmission, don't squeeze it --- you'll get 30 years of crud in your face and hair. You're in luck though, I know other cars have similar drains and decided to google it. The first item to come up was from MG Bits and Spares. They have an E-Bay store with 3 available, factory original, brand new ones for $17.95 USD plus shipping.
Rick Penland

"Definately DONT use nothing at all!"

I wouldn't, but why not?
PaulH Solihull

Wouldnt the plenum chamber fill up with crap?

Colin
Colin Parkinson

Paul
The metal drain tube that the toms knob pushes on to does not extend through the transmission tunnel and any water entering the air intake will not drain away thus rotting out the top of the tunnel and surrounding area.

Pete
PJ Thompson

Alex

If you can find a wrecker yard / scrap yard with Austin 1800s (Land Crabs we called them), there are two drain tubes in the engine bay. The only difference was they had an elbow joint at the top.

If the car has its bonnet closed, the rubber may be fine and all you need to do is cut the elbow off. I managed to get a tube of the correct length plus a spare from 1 wreck.

John
John Minchin

Pete - yes, I see that now. I have photos of the tube coming through the tunnel, and the access point for the clamp securing the hose in the right-hand footwell, but hadn't considered that the latter is several inches above the former, as indicated by the position of the heater footwell vents.
PaulH Solihull

Give Tony a ring at Mg Breakers St Albans.He has a large s/hand parts area. Maybe you could go to Stonleigh for the MG show in February. Plenty of trade stands two halls full of new and second hand rusty parts.Worth the journey i go every year.
DENNIS DAY

If you get desperate, try a length of bicycle inner-tube.
John Bilham

I recall someone on this site rocommending the top hose from a 1275 midget (GRH313, about £6) is an exact fit as far as o/d and i/d go. Although it obviously doesn't have the valve at the end at least there will be a path for most of the crud to escape to the outside of the bodywork. Let us know if it works because you won't be the last to need a replacement.
Richard Coombs

The reason I suggested a piece of bicycle inner-tube is because it will hopefully 'collapse' flat as it hangs down. A good length will be better.

This will help prevent any fumes entering the car, which is the purpose of the squashed ball-end. A solid length of hose is unlikely to do this.
John Bilham

I think a solid hose would work fine. On my old GT the ball end was cut off and I never had issues with fumes in the cabin. You do need the tube though as people mentioned otherwise the water will collect there at the bottom of that space and rust it out (which is what happens if your heater matrix leaks).

The biggest issues is you need to get the hose pushed on the nipple which is inside the bottom of the heater space. With everything in the car the only access is through the little air vent in the right hand footwell. So you need to push the hose up from under the car and somehow thread it though the hose clamp before you push it over the fitting in the bottom of the heater space. Tricky by yourself.

I know this from experience when I was clearing someones tube from above with a bit of coathanger and ended up pushing the whole damn thing off. I had to poke the tube halfway through from under the car and use blocks of wood to hold it. Then through the inside vent I could put the hose clamp over the end of the hose then finally try to push the whole thing up over the nipple. There should be an extra hole near the air vent with a plastic bung over it that is there to get a screwdriver through to do up the clamp.

Simon
Simon Jansen

"There should be an extra hole near the air vent with a plastic bung over it that is there to get a screwdriver through to do up the clamp."

Not sure if you mean "there should be but there isn't" seeing as how also say "the only access is through the little air vent in the right hand footwell", but my 73 and 75 do have just such an access point, see photo.


PaulH Solihull

Hi Paul, mine is the same as in your picture. I meant that you can only get access with your fingers through the vent. Even then it's tricky.
Simon Jansen

This thread was discussed between 21/01/2011 and 27/01/2011

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