Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009
Forget Atkins-Carbs are good, even SU's
A couple of weeks ago, Dad & I went to MacKay's to rebuild 2 sets of SU (HIF) carbs. My cousin gave me them, and I figured, It would be a good project to tackle. Our Red MGB needed new carbs at the end of last august, and we put off dealing with them until now. The plan was to rebuild these 2 sets, on the bench (so to speak) then replace the one's we're running on the convertible and GT, with these newly rebuilt carbs. THEN (are you still following me) rebuild the old sets and either keep them as spares, or sell them. The rebuild kits are about $100 for a pair of SU's, all new gaskets, jets, needles & butterflies. I figure rebuilding 4 sets would be about $400, and if we sell 2 sets of rebuilt ones for $200 a piece, we'll still be ahead of the game, breaking even cost wise, and now having 2 new sets of rebuilt carbs on our MG's.
Tearing them down wasn't that hard. There's not alot to them, but being gentle is always a good idea. Cleaning is the next priority. We used a wire wheel to clean up alot of the hard, caked on stuff, as well as alot of brake fluid cleaner. Rebuilding is pretty easy. The hardest problem was resetting the floats. The first set was pretty easy overall. The second set however, was more interesting. Opening up the bowls, the smell was horrible, it reminded me of an old wood shop, and the insides were caked with varnish, which was a bear to get off the surfaces. We finished 1 of the second set before Mackay closed his shop on Saturday afternoon. The second set wasn't as nice as the first set, but I think they'll do. A dremel with a wire wheel would have been nice to get into some of the more intricate areas of the casting.
A few days later we installed them on the red MGB. They went on easily. In prep for our Canada trip, we did some valve adjustments, and put a new rotor in (by advance distributors). The carbs set up nicely, and within a couple of minutes, the car was running real smooth. It's idling alot lower (around 900 rpm) and alot smoother. As I'm finding out it's never just changing or adjusting one component on these cars, it's always adjusting 3 or 4 of them that really makes the difference. The car ran really well to and from Canada. They run like junk while cold, but when they get up to operating temp, they smooth out.
The Carbs that came off of the Red car seem a bit better than the second set we rebuilt. I figure we'll rebuild them, and put those on Dad's GT. The "varnished" ones, when finally completed, will probably find a home on my Blue MGB at some point in the near future.
Tearing them down wasn't that hard. There's not alot to them, but being gentle is always a good idea. Cleaning is the next priority. We used a wire wheel to clean up alot of the hard, caked on stuff, as well as alot of brake fluid cleaner. Rebuilding is pretty easy. The hardest problem was resetting the floats. The first set was pretty easy overall. The second set however, was more interesting. Opening up the bowls, the smell was horrible, it reminded me of an old wood shop, and the insides were caked with varnish, which was a bear to get off the surfaces. We finished 1 of the second set before Mackay closed his shop on Saturday afternoon. The second set wasn't as nice as the first set, but I think they'll do. A dremel with a wire wheel would have been nice to get into some of the more intricate areas of the casting.
A few days later we installed them on the red MGB. They went on easily. In prep for our Canada trip, we did some valve adjustments, and put a new rotor in (by advance distributors). The carbs set up nicely, and within a couple of minutes, the car was running real smooth. It's idling alot lower (around 900 rpm) and alot smoother. As I'm finding out it's never just changing or adjusting one component on these cars, it's always adjusting 3 or 4 of them that really makes the difference. The car ran really well to and from Canada. They run like junk while cold, but when they get up to operating temp, they smooth out.
The Carbs that came off of the Red car seem a bit better than the second set we rebuilt. I figure we'll rebuild them, and put those on Dad's GT. The "varnished" ones, when finally completed, will probably find a home on my Blue MGB at some point in the near future.
Monday, August 3, 2009
PEI, Car shows, and what have you..
Well here's the 2009 PEI trip report, and then some.
On Thursday morning I headed over to my Dad's around 9:00 or so. I had to stop off at the bank to withdraw some money, and After hitting some traffic on 128 (suprise) I hit more traffic when I decided that back roads would be better (great minds think alike).We packed up the car, checked everything out, and hit the road. Dad had to drop off his work truck for some repairs, and after that we were off.
Pit stop #1: Brits Bits in Rye, NH. always some cool eye candy up there. It looks like they've straightened up a bit in the back area, as things don't tend to seem as strewn about, as they have in past trips up there. The bad economy is hitting them hard too, lots of things marked down, and Sam said that they were really tight, offering 10 cents on the dollar on any used part. After picking up 2 oil filters for Dad's 1970 MGB GT, we were on the road again.
Pit stop #2: Freeport, Maine. We stopped off at the LL Bean store for some possible shopping, Alas they did not have the shirts Dad likes,they're more of a Fall Item. after a quick bite, we were back on the highway. The sun came out after Freeport and we made our way up the ever exciting (sense the sarcasm?) Maine Turnpike. We really pushed it, gas wise, getting off at rt 6 to refill, when we had 280 miles on the trip odometer. From there on it was RT6 to Vanceboro. The road to Vanceboro gets really crappy about 20 miles from the border, all patched in, and small hills. If it was paved, it might be fun, but the filled in Pot holes and the cracked pavement keep that from happening. We crossed the border, and passed through Mcadam, over to the town of Harvey, New Brunswick. We were staying at Dad's friend's Trailer up at Lake Oromocto. we headed into town to get some grub, the one place in town was closing (it was 8:00 after all!) so we went to the town pub for some chow. Dad's friend, Bob, gave a less than stellar report of the Pub's food, so we decided, that how can you screw up a burger and some fries? it wasn't bad, and fairly cheap. After we ate we headed back to the trailer. the sun was starting to set, and it was now 9:00. after not being able to figure out how to hook up the trailer's power, we gave up and settled into bed. The trailer was a bit musty, and some mosquitoes snuck in, most met their demise by my hand, one leaving a dime sized splotch of blood on my t shirt. The next day we got up, brushed our teeth with some water we had in our cooler, and grabbed some breakfast in town. These trips always remind me of how a big breakfast makes a big difference. Scrambled eggs, hash browns, toast, sausage, coffee and juice really fills you up. We hit the road and made a run for the Island. New Brunswick is kind of dull (no offense, I'm sure there's lots to do, it's just rt 2 and 15 of the trans canadian highway doesn't seem to run through any of the cool stuff that would be there, or it's just out of sight of the
highway).
We crossed the bridge, and headed to Charloettetown, checking into our hotel. The Econo lodge is pretty good place. Right outside the city, gas station/store across the street, Tim Hortons near by, and on a nice easy road that goes into town. After cleaning ourselves up a bit, We headed to check out the site of the car show, and it was pretty busy with people setting up the tent and a few other things. Carl Jay gave us a call and we met up with him and his wife. we headed out of town, dealing with the busy stop and go traffic of Charloettetown's Friday evening commute. This was my 4th trip to the island, and I remember most of the roads, from the route numbers, and land marks. (an intersection with a house that has a big stone at the end of the drive way, a house with a tractor wheel on the lawn with a flower bed, you get the idea) We made it to The Bentley's farm just on my memory. OK, I missed the driveway by 10 feet, heading to another house, but I've only been here 4 times, give me a break..
We were pretty early pulling in, Carl Got excited seeing all the cars pull in. they get more cars at the Friday night meet and greet, than we do at some car shows down here! The rain really picked up by now, and as I got out of the car I stated rather loudly: "I wanted a British car show, not British weather!"
The rain didn't Dampen (pun intended) our spirits, as we chatted with some old friends and some new ones. Around 8:00 we were soaked, and we headed back to the hotel. Even in the good weather, we usually depart the meet and greet around 8:30 or so.
It rained all night, and the next morning we awoke to drizzle. The contentintal breakfast at the hotel must have been for a small contitent, as it was pretty weak. We cleaned out the inside of the car, as the great almighty gave us plenty of water to wash the PEI mud off of our tires. after grabbing a cup of real coffee, at Tim Hortons (which I have to say is my fave cup of coffee), We pulled into the show field (which was getting muddy by now), and found a slot right next to Carl. It was wet, but the weather report stated that it was supposed to get better as the day went on. It did thankfully.
This year it was no longer "British car days across the bridge", it had now changed to the "PEI international motoring festival". It encouraged cars of all shapes, sizes and marques. i'd say that the British cars held onto 90% of the attendees, and most of the other 10% were interesting enough to keep the attention of the spectators. Porsche, some old Caddy's, and a couple of well done mustangs really got some attention. we chatted all day, making several rounds and again, catching up with old friends and making some new ones along the way. The Canadian Military had a couple of vehicles there, and everyone was really willing and interested in talking shop, from tanks and jeeps to planes, and all sorts of war stories. The rain stopped around 11:00, and everyone was out with chamois, and detailing spray, a few even dropped their tops. by 2:00 the sun was coming out, and it definetely brought up everyone's spirits. the rain and overcast-ness of the early morning brought alot of foot traffic down to the park, since it was certainly not a beach day. OverallI'd say the had over 200 cars there.
We stayed for the $30 steak dinner (good but not worth $30, in my opinion) and the Beatles tribute band "Abbey Road" (they had the sound, and the look of the beatles for the most part, even without some of the really authentic touches, such as Vox amps, and Rickenbacker and Gretsch guitars. the sun was still up at 8:00 (thanks to PEI's higher Latitude) and we decided to hit some of the roads for a ride. the rain really cooled things off, and with the sun setting, it got cold fast. so we headed back to the hotel. the next day it was bright and shiny, we went over to Sherwood to check out the diner that we went to last year, only to find that it was razed for a drug store and a Tim Hortons that was being built. (PEI really needs another Tim Hortons) we checked out of the hotel, as we didn't know if we were going to stay another night on the island, or just head home.we went back to the field, and reclaimed our old spot, right next to Carl. Some new cars showed up, a rat rod, and a Cobra Kit car, among others. they began an awards ceremony, which was kind of a mess, as they wanted the winners to drive their car up to the awards area.We left around 2:00 and went for a drive up the middle of the island, through Cymbria, Rustico, and Cavendish.After heading back to Charloettetown we grabbed some chow at Hunters ale house (I highly suggest their beerbattered fish and chips) and then headed to the bridge. we did some souvineur shopping, and then crossed the bridge around 4:00 or so. I took a wrong turn, and ended up heading straight through Moncton, but it seemed to only be a small detour.The ride back was fine until 7:00 when the rain started (Again) and we hit a mess of fog and rain just outside of St. John (I declined another night at the trailer) we crossed over the bridge at St Stevens and ended upat a motel that would have made Alfred Hitchock proud. we hit the bed, and slept like babies. the next AM we grabbed some chow at a road house on RT9. Around Bangor, the sun decided to come out, so we dropped the top, and sped home.we pulled into Woburn around 4:00, and after unpacking the car, I hopped in the Honda, and drove Dad over to pick up his work truck. I was home by 5:00, and was greeted at the Door by Kelly.
overall the trip was cool, I think the weather killed alot of the enthusiam for the whole weekend. The show has the potential to be a fun event, it just needs a little tweaking. I missed the Sunday afternoon ride and Lunch. Usually that was really fun driving all over the island, and with that missing, and the weather being 50% crappy, I felt we missed out on alot of the coolness of the trip, bombing around on those roads, through the farmland.
But all in all, a good trip. Heck a bad trip is better than a good day at work!
One plus side to the PEI car show tho. If you go to a British car show down around here (Boston area) the MGA guys sometimes look down on the MGB owners. The MG people don't talk to the Triumph people, The new cars get dissed, and the old ones get praised. It's all very clique-ey, and kind of "you're not in the cool club" type thing..it's even worse when you go to a Cruise night, and we're the only British car. The hot rodders, and rat rods say "what the hell you'd bring that thing here". Up in PEI, everyone's just happy to be there..We all use the same gas, we all love our cars, and we all hate rain and rust. There are exceptions to the rude owners too, one guy that had a 46 ford, gave me a tip on how to free up a seized engine: pour brake fluid into the spark plug holes for a week or so, then drain it all out, refill it with oil, and put a bit of mystery oil into each cylinder. replace the plugs, and crank the engine over my hand, it should free up any stuck cylinders..the old hot rodders know every trick in the book.
This Sunday, Kelly & I went to The Italian Car day at Larz Anderson park. When we were first dating, we really didn't have alot of money to spare, and I suggested, hey lets go down to the car show, it'll be cheap entertainment for a lil bit, and it's a fun ride down there. We took our empty bottles and cans, cashed them in, grabbed a quick lunch at the Border cafe, and then headed to the show. We had about $5 a piece on us. I forgot that they raised the prices to $10 a piece. The guy actually let us in for the kid's price-$5 a piece. It was a fun day to just walk around in the summer weather.
we've went back this year, and it was just as fun, and kind of interesting to see some cars that you don't see every day, but seeing 20 Ferrari's lined up kind of desentised me. but the 250 Lusso was really nice..
all in all, I always have a good time at a car show, regardless of the cars. I always see something new, and it makes me think, wow how cool would it be to have one of those..
On Thursday morning I headed over to my Dad's around 9:00 or so. I had to stop off at the bank to withdraw some money, and After hitting some traffic on 128 (suprise) I hit more traffic when I decided that back roads would be better (great minds think alike).We packed up the car, checked everything out, and hit the road. Dad had to drop off his work truck for some repairs, and after that we were off.
Pit stop #1: Brits Bits in Rye, NH. always some cool eye candy up there. It looks like they've straightened up a bit in the back area, as things don't tend to seem as strewn about, as they have in past trips up there. The bad economy is hitting them hard too, lots of things marked down, and Sam said that they were really tight, offering 10 cents on the dollar on any used part. After picking up 2 oil filters for Dad's 1970 MGB GT, we were on the road again.
Pit stop #2: Freeport, Maine. We stopped off at the LL Bean store for some possible shopping, Alas they did not have the shirts Dad likes,they're more of a Fall Item. after a quick bite, we were back on the highway. The sun came out after Freeport and we made our way up the ever exciting (sense the sarcasm?) Maine Turnpike. We really pushed it, gas wise, getting off at rt 6 to refill, when we had 280 miles on the trip odometer. From there on it was RT6 to Vanceboro. The road to Vanceboro gets really crappy about 20 miles from the border, all patched in, and small hills. If it was paved, it might be fun, but the filled in Pot holes and the cracked pavement keep that from happening. We crossed the border, and passed through Mcadam, over to the town of Harvey, New Brunswick. We were staying at Dad's friend's Trailer up at Lake Oromocto. we headed into town to get some grub, the one place in town was closing (it was 8:00 after all!) so we went to the town pub for some chow. Dad's friend, Bob, gave a less than stellar report of the Pub's food, so we decided, that how can you screw up a burger and some fries? it wasn't bad, and fairly cheap. After we ate we headed back to the trailer. the sun was starting to set, and it was now 9:00. after not being able to figure out how to hook up the trailer's power, we gave up and settled into bed. The trailer was a bit musty, and some mosquitoes snuck in, most met their demise by my hand, one leaving a dime sized splotch of blood on my t shirt. The next day we got up, brushed our teeth with some water we had in our cooler, and grabbed some breakfast in town. These trips always remind me of how a big breakfast makes a big difference. Scrambled eggs, hash browns, toast, sausage, coffee and juice really fills you up. We hit the road and made a run for the Island. New Brunswick is kind of dull (no offense, I'm sure there's lots to do, it's just rt 2 and 15 of the trans canadian highway doesn't seem to run through any of the cool stuff that would be there, or it's just out of sight of the
highway).
We crossed the bridge, and headed to Charloettetown, checking into our hotel. The Econo lodge is pretty good place. Right outside the city, gas station/store across the street, Tim Hortons near by, and on a nice easy road that goes into town. After cleaning ourselves up a bit, We headed to check out the site of the car show, and it was pretty busy with people setting up the tent and a few other things. Carl Jay gave us a call and we met up with him and his wife. we headed out of town, dealing with the busy stop and go traffic of Charloettetown's Friday evening commute. This was my 4th trip to the island, and I remember most of the roads, from the route numbers, and land marks. (an intersection with a house that has a big stone at the end of the drive way, a house with a tractor wheel on the lawn with a flower bed, you get the idea) We made it to The Bentley's farm just on my memory. OK, I missed the driveway by 10 feet, heading to another house, but I've only been here 4 times, give me a break..
We were pretty early pulling in, Carl Got excited seeing all the cars pull in. they get more cars at the Friday night meet and greet, than we do at some car shows down here! The rain really picked up by now, and as I got out of the car I stated rather loudly: "I wanted a British car show, not British weather!"
The rain didn't Dampen (pun intended) our spirits, as we chatted with some old friends and some new ones. Around 8:00 we were soaked, and we headed back to the hotel. Even in the good weather, we usually depart the meet and greet around 8:30 or so.
It rained all night, and the next morning we awoke to drizzle. The contentintal breakfast at the hotel must have been for a small contitent, as it was pretty weak. We cleaned out the inside of the car, as the great almighty gave us plenty of water to wash the PEI mud off of our tires. after grabbing a cup of real coffee, at Tim Hortons (which I have to say is my fave cup of coffee), We pulled into the show field (which was getting muddy by now), and found a slot right next to Carl. It was wet, but the weather report stated that it was supposed to get better as the day went on. It did thankfully.
This year it was no longer "British car days across the bridge", it had now changed to the "PEI international motoring festival". It encouraged cars of all shapes, sizes and marques. i'd say that the British cars held onto 90% of the attendees, and most of the other 10% were interesting enough to keep the attention of the spectators. Porsche, some old Caddy's, and a couple of well done mustangs really got some attention. we chatted all day, making several rounds and again, catching up with old friends and making some new ones along the way. The Canadian Military had a couple of vehicles there, and everyone was really willing and interested in talking shop, from tanks and jeeps to planes, and all sorts of war stories. The rain stopped around 11:00, and everyone was out with chamois, and detailing spray, a few even dropped their tops. by 2:00 the sun was coming out, and it definetely brought up everyone's spirits. the rain and overcast-ness of the early morning brought alot of foot traffic down to the park, since it was certainly not a beach day. OverallI'd say the had over 200 cars there.
We stayed for the $30 steak dinner (good but not worth $30, in my opinion) and the Beatles tribute band "Abbey Road" (they had the sound, and the look of the beatles for the most part, even without some of the really authentic touches, such as Vox amps, and Rickenbacker and Gretsch guitars. the sun was still up at 8:00 (thanks to PEI's higher Latitude) and we decided to hit some of the roads for a ride. the rain really cooled things off, and with the sun setting, it got cold fast. so we headed back to the hotel. the next day it was bright and shiny, we went over to Sherwood to check out the diner that we went to last year, only to find that it was razed for a drug store and a Tim Hortons that was being built. (PEI really needs another Tim Hortons) we checked out of the hotel, as we didn't know if we were going to stay another night on the island, or just head home.we went back to the field, and reclaimed our old spot, right next to Carl. Some new cars showed up, a rat rod, and a Cobra Kit car, among others. they began an awards ceremony, which was kind of a mess, as they wanted the winners to drive their car up to the awards area.We left around 2:00 and went for a drive up the middle of the island, through Cymbria, Rustico, and Cavendish.After heading back to Charloettetown we grabbed some chow at Hunters ale house (I highly suggest their beerbattered fish and chips) and then headed to the bridge. we did some souvineur shopping, and then crossed the bridge around 4:00 or so. I took a wrong turn, and ended up heading straight through Moncton, but it seemed to only be a small detour.The ride back was fine until 7:00 when the rain started (Again) and we hit a mess of fog and rain just outside of St. John (I declined another night at the trailer) we crossed over the bridge at St Stevens and ended upat a motel that would have made Alfred Hitchock proud. we hit the bed, and slept like babies. the next AM we grabbed some chow at a road house on RT9. Around Bangor, the sun decided to come out, so we dropped the top, and sped home.we pulled into Woburn around 4:00, and after unpacking the car, I hopped in the Honda, and drove Dad over to pick up his work truck. I was home by 5:00, and was greeted at the Door by Kelly.
overall the trip was cool, I think the weather killed alot of the enthusiam for the whole weekend. The show has the potential to be a fun event, it just needs a little tweaking. I missed the Sunday afternoon ride and Lunch. Usually that was really fun driving all over the island, and with that missing, and the weather being 50% crappy, I felt we missed out on alot of the coolness of the trip, bombing around on those roads, through the farmland.
But all in all, a good trip. Heck a bad trip is better than a good day at work!
One plus side to the PEI car show tho. If you go to a British car show down around here (Boston area) the MGA guys sometimes look down on the MGB owners. The MG people don't talk to the Triumph people, The new cars get dissed, and the old ones get praised. It's all very clique-ey, and kind of "you're not in the cool club" type thing..it's even worse when you go to a Cruise night, and we're the only British car. The hot rodders, and rat rods say "what the hell you'd bring that thing here". Up in PEI, everyone's just happy to be there..We all use the same gas, we all love our cars, and we all hate rain and rust. There are exceptions to the rude owners too, one guy that had a 46 ford, gave me a tip on how to free up a seized engine: pour brake fluid into the spark plug holes for a week or so, then drain it all out, refill it with oil, and put a bit of mystery oil into each cylinder. replace the plugs, and crank the engine over my hand, it should free up any stuck cylinders..the old hot rodders know every trick in the book.
This Sunday, Kelly & I went to The Italian Car day at Larz Anderson park. When we were first dating, we really didn't have alot of money to spare, and I suggested, hey lets go down to the car show, it'll be cheap entertainment for a lil bit, and it's a fun ride down there. We took our empty bottles and cans, cashed them in, grabbed a quick lunch at the Border cafe, and then headed to the show. We had about $5 a piece on us. I forgot that they raised the prices to $10 a piece. The guy actually let us in for the kid's price-$5 a piece. It was a fun day to just walk around in the summer weather.
we've went back this year, and it was just as fun, and kind of interesting to see some cars that you don't see every day, but seeing 20 Ferrari's lined up kind of desentised me. but the 250 Lusso was really nice..
all in all, I always have a good time at a car show, regardless of the cars. I always see something new, and it makes me think, wow how cool would it be to have one of those..
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