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27 October 2006
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Curt worked throughout the day on Fred M's MGC, mostly on the gearbox and overdrive. We found an extra O ring in the oil pressure relief valve and a set of stripped gears for the speedometer drive. Casey worked on several bench jobs that arrived yesterday in the UPS, but both the clutch and brake master cylinders were too rusty (pitted bores) to rebuild. He moved a TD onto his hoist to fit the new rings and pistons, but there was still a problem with the ring end gap, so that's on hold until later on Friday. John finished the tune on a 1977 MGB and repaired the door latch. One of the screws had stripped out so he fitted a heli-coil to the weldnut -- then adjusted the outside door handle as well as the inside door handle so that the driver could more easily exit the vehicle! Then he finished the tune on a 1962 MGA which just received a cylinder head. The exhaust also needed attention as the rear muffler was rubbing a hole in the gasoline tank rolled edge! Later in the day he put a 1974 MGB onto the hoist to attend to the tune -- as the points had closed up.  Casey also spent a little time with a red Sunbeam Alpine, working through a slow starter problem; and our high school boys serviced the battery on a green Alpine. This is probably the first time we've had two Alpines in the shop at the same time.  John and Ken returned to John's house early in the day to retrieve John's 1962 Mark II Deluxe so that he could get the oil changed and get it prepared for a winter's storage. This picture is not from today -- it's far too green for that!
26 October 2006
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Wednesday Curt finished the last little things on an MGB engine, then worked with the MGC to remove the engine and gearbox. This is an extremely unwieldly and VERY HEAVY piece of machinery and it took quite some time to extract it from the vehicle. Once out, and the two large pieces separated, we found the problem with the clutch! The thrust plate had separated from the pressure plate.  
Casey worked along and got the white MGB running (the engine that Curt just built). Now that's over to John for the final tuning. John worked all morning on John W's 1974 MGB from Chicago, trying to get the HIF carbs to act correctly. Finally, after jets, needles, needles and seats, a vacuum unit, re-curving the distributor, and more, the car ran wonderfully well. John W drove it immediately from UML to a testing station in Chicago where is passed one test (CO) but failed the other (HC). Fortunately, the Chicagoland MG club has an O2 sensor and John W will be able to dial in the tune at home. Late in the day, John, conferred at some length with a customer whose MGA Twin Cam is just about ready to undergo a complete restoration. We'll be posting pictures of that project frequently. Tony H brought his TD from Nashville, TN, on a trailer. Since purchasing the car, it's never run correctly. We'll be able to sort that out! Our TUNING for SPEED class is coming up next weekend -- Nov 3-4-5. Give us a call if you want to know the secrets to power tuning. Remember, Carl will give you 10 HP for FREE just for coming.
24 October 2006
Monday, October 23, 2006
Curt spent the day today working on an MGB engine. By the time I saw it later in the day, it was ready for paint. Once painted, Casey will re-install it into the body. Casey worked along on an MGA, fitting the cylinder head. When he tried to start up the vehicle, we heard that distinctive POP and realized the timing was out by 90 or 180. Casey removed the distributor to find that it had been assembled 180 out; on Tuesday he'll remove the distributor drive gear from the engine and get that aligned correctly. Adding to all of this was the distributor clamping plate which was fitted upside down. John spent some time with a customer who had purchased her MGB new in 1977 -- and has just had the rust repaired and the mechanicals returned to excellent condition. Actually, her husband had purchased the car -- he died of a heart attack just three years ago. John later spent some time working with the TD from Alaska, tying down brake lines, aligning the drive shaft, repositioning the exhaust system, then working with the horns. John has a number of MG books and manuals on eBay this week (auction ending 10/29). If you're looking to increase the number of books in your MG library, here is a wonderful opportunity! Tuning for Speed, conducted by John Twist and Carl Heideman, is scheduled for November 3-4-5 at University Motors and Eclectic Motorworks. Learn the math, the tricks and hints for making your MG run better from these two experts!
21 October 2006
Workshop Manuals on eBay
I am selling off extra copies of MG books and manuals -- some factory, some aftermarket -- to make way for some new MG books. Find my listings under: UniversityMotorsLtd
Friday, October 20, 2006
 Today was another day of activitiy at University Motors! Curt worked away on a TF, fitting the front fenders, sorting out the messed up wiring, and fitting the lamps. Later in the day he began assembly of an MGB engine. Casey finished a 1977 MGB then performed an October Special on a TR6. At the end of the day he rolled an MGA 1600 mark II onto his hoist to begin to refit the cylinder head. John made about six test drives, sorted out the wiring on a TR3, re-installed an interior panel on a late model MGB, and performed an October Special on an XK140 Coupe. Herm Goldner stopped by to collect the very early MGB and return it to New Orleans.  Then, just to make life interesting, our credit card service called to tell us that we could no longer key in charge cards -- a gross violation of our contract. We hope to be up and running with a new service (our local bank) by Tuesday.
20 October 2006
Thursday, October 19, 2006
 Curt worked along all day re-assembling an MG TF which had been in an accident earlier in the season. We send the grille out for re-chroming which took about two months. It looks really great, as does the repair to the front fenders. These jobs are always tedious and filled with little problems (how does one tell the blue/white from the blue/red wiring when it's all now just an oily shade of black?).  Casey worked along all day on an MGB/LE into which we're fitting new rings and bearings. Then he worked, fitting new bushings into a rear sway bar on a late model MGB. He had to cut off each bolt -- everything was SO rusty. John finished a tune on a late model MGB, then reworked the trafficator tube on the inside of the steering column on a TR3. Matt, one of the high school boys, has been cleaning a Sunbeam Alpine for two days. It hasn't seen the road in at least a dozen years and was doubling as a rodent motel. We made he wasn't going to get sick!  Now, deep inside this Alpine was a treat we haven't seen in years! The oil was marked at five quarts for $5.35. The oil spout is our own -- although none of us could remember the last time we used it. I sure hope the fellow who invented the plastic, screw top oil quart containers is a millionaire!
13 October 2006
Thursday, October 12, 2006,
We've received an MGB with an overflowing carburetter. The gasoline filled the engine and I drained some two gallons of gasoline/oil mix from the sump. This isn't good for the bearings, but it sure cleans out the inside of the engine! Upon examining the car, I noted that the automatic choke, which relies on hot water from the cylinder head to operate, was not connected to the head at all, but to the heater return line! The only way this choke could come close to working was to have the heater on! Then, it would have had to have been a warm day, as the coolant loses much of its heat in the heater matrix. Well, gosh, I see I still cannot upload pictures. These shots will have to wait until I've got a little more time to figure out what I'm doing wrong, here. Give us a call, we're happy to receive your MG or other classic British sportscar for work!
11 October 2006
Tuesday, 10 October 2006
Our October Special postcards are in the mail, and we're receiving a number of MGs and other classic British cars in the shop for winter storage preparation. Our Technical Seminar flyers are in the mail, too! These advertise our upcoming Tuning for Speed, the first weekend in November, as well as our 24th year of Technical Seminars in February. I'm having great difficulty uploading pictures -- so I'll try again tomorrow!
05 October 2006
Wednesday, October 4, 2006
  
A day of action at University Motors!
Casey worked with Matt's MG TD, which, after all these years, still has standard pistons and standard bearings! His grandfather, who gave him the car, told me that the engine had never been apart! Casey is honing the cylinders which had gone a little out-of-round. Casey also performed several checkouts -- on an MG TF which we've had in the shop for several months, and on an 1970 MGB/GT whose owner's brother used to work for us. I tried to include a picture, but it won't upload.
Curt worked on the TR7 this morning, installing the brake MC servo which just came to us from Billy at Whitepost Restorations. We were missing a small piece of the pushrod so that project came to a halt. Billy is overnighting this critical piece to us. Curt then went onto Maury's MGB detailing the car, cleaning every little piece. This is a very early MGB and looks really SHARP! Still problems uploading pictures! John worked along in the morning on a very beautiful, restored Healey 3000, only to find that the gasoline tank had an internal leak allowing the fuel pump to draw air when the tank is less than full. That allows only a short range of driving! Our October Special postcards should be arriving in your mailbox today. Our Fall mailer, with all the details of our technical seminars will be in the mail around Monday. We would be pleased to work on your MG. Just give us a call!
04 October 2006
Tuesday, October 3, 2006
Another day of action at University Motors! Curt sorted out the turn signals, straightened the steering wheel, and replaced a gear lever bushing on an AH3000. He also finished another GOLDSTAR gearbox. Then, he began to replace the servo assembly in a TR7 which we just received from Whitepost. He also painted Tom's MG TF engine. Casey repaired the rear wheel seals on a TD. We had built up the rear axle for a customer and the customer installed it. Unfortunately, he left the castle nuts on the rear axle VERY loose, so the internal components slid out of place and the shoes got covered in rear axle hypoid gear oil. We got the shoes cleaned up in our industrial dish washer, fitted new seals, and Casey got those rear nuts REALLY tight. Casey also finished the clutch hydraulics on an MGB, only to find that the clutch, itself, was faulty, too. The customer will drive the car away, believing that it will cost less next spring when we're really busy. He also performed an October special on Rhonda's MGB and tried to work with the radio installation -- but he decided that we needed a new "cage" to fit into the dash to hold the modern radio/CD player -- so Rhonda will have to return on Thursday. John test drove a TR4, a 1970 MGB/GT, and a 1955 MG TF. He reworked a tune on a 1976 MG Midget 1500, working carefully with the automatic choke and the bi-metal spring within. He began to work with a pair of Strombergs from a Sunbeam Alpine. He assisted, Tom, the owner of the TF, in getting oil pressure and setting up the timing for the initial startup. We received Marty's Mini with a new engine for John to tune and right at the end of the day dispatched the Midget 1500. Trevor worked on the Goldstar distributors, Charley worked on Goldstar alternators and helped sort James' fasteners for the Twin Cam restoration. Matt cleaned up the shop and then performed several checkouts. All in all, it was a busy, productive day at University Motors!
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