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MG MGB Technical - new owner

Hello!
I’m a new MG owner and have many questions about what to do with my fancy new toy…

A family friend recently gave me her 70 MGB. The car looks great, has no exterior rust and only 34000 miles, but… sat for 10 years in storage, doesn’t run now, and has had a family of mice living in the trunk. Remarkably, it seams mice don’t like British wiring because (after I charged the battery) all the electrical systems seem to work fine. However, the fuel pump isn’t working (its an after market electrical pump- I don’t know what kind yet), the starter just whirs, and there’s surface rust in the engine and trunk compartments from where the mice left droppings. Also the trunk stinks of gas. I’ve used a bulb tester to show that power is getting to the fuel pump, but haven’t taken it apart yet to find out whats wrong.

A few questions:

I’ve heard horror stories about frozen pistons in cars that sit for long periods of time. Is there an easy way for me to rule out this possibility before I spend tons of time working in this thing? Am I just paranoid?

I’m assuming with a low mileage car that the starter is just not engaging the flywheel and not that the flywheel is worn. Sound right?

Is there anything I should be sure to check before I try to get the engine to turn over? ie is there anything that needs to be done to avoid future damage to the car?

Does anyone have any great advice for someone with good technical experience (in a machine shop) but little experience repairing old cars?

Thanks in advance for any helpful comments!
greg
GKS Scott

The archives are a great resource for this -- also this link is a very comprehensive list of to-do's.
http://theautoist.com/awakening_a_sleeping_b.htm
As for the engine being frozen -- pull the plugs and with the car out of gear you may be able to push and pull on the fan belt to rotate the engine. Some suggest a small dose of Marvel Mystery Oil into each cylinder to lube after sittingfor such a long time.
Good luck,
Dennis
D F Sexton

Check also the Tech Pages at www.mgaguru.com Barney has excellent information on starting a dormant engine.
My bet is that with some work you will get it running. I started a '57 MGA engine in 1992 that had sat since 1972, and it ran fine.
Good Luck
Ralph

Greg - The gas smell in the trunk may be coming from the fuel vapor recovery system located on the right just forward of the tail-light assembly. You may want to check the tank and hoses, along with assessing just how much of the system remains on the car, i.e., the charcoal canister in the engine compartment and assorted hoses. You may just decide to disarm the whole thing.

Take a look at it - fuel vapor accumulation is never a good thing.

Doug

Doug Fischer

You got yourself alot of future problems, let me help you to get ride of it, make your price i will come and tow it away...

Alf
alfredo

Greg,

The smell of fuel could also be from a rusty gas tank. Gas tanks that have sat for a long time half empty tend to collect water condensation from the inside top and eventually rust away. The rust at the top cannot be seen until you drop the tank.
Luis

hi everyone,
Thanks for the comments. I removed the spark plugs and was able to turn the engine with the fan belt, so I guess its not siezed. Now I'll begin the long slow process of bringing this thing back to life...
GKS Scott

If the starter whirrs and turns the engine then it isn't seized. If the starter whirrs and it *doesn't* turn the engine then the starter is faulty, and the engine may or may not be seized (although yours obviously isn't). First thing with a non-starter is to clip a timing light on to the coil lead and each plug lead and check you get a flash from each when cranking. If not check the ignition LT e.g. coil voltage and points operation, if so check the fuel. If after a period of cranking with no start you take out a plug and it is wet and stinks of fuel then fuel *is* getting through but you have flooded it. But you can usually smell this without removing a plug, and cranking with the choke closed and the throttle wide open will usually clear it. If the plug is bone dry and no fuel smell then no fuel is getting through. The plug should have a strongish fuel smell but not be wet. If dry remove a fuel pipe from the carb, direct it into a container, and turn on the ignition. It should deliver *at least* 1/2 pint per minute. If so then look to the float valves and jets in the carbs being gummed up. If not then make sure you have 12v at the pump when measured between the white terminal spade and the body of the pump. If so the pump is faulty, if not it is electrics.
Paul Hunt

This thread was discussed between 13/04/2005 and 15/04/2005

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