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MG Car Repair/Questions
| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
| MG Midget | 2/3/2012 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: Gentlemen, I inherited a1977 Midget that I am sorting out so that my wife can have some fun ... A: Larry, I was not doubting your reading of the number. I needed to see what the engine looked like as ... | ||
| Fuel Tank | 1/29/2012 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I am redoing a 64B and after having the fuel tank redone/painted I can't get it mounted. I can't ... A: Sometimes when using new rubber strip packing it will be tighter so just put a longer bolt in or you ... | ||
| fuel gauge stays at half full | 1/28/2012 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: When I start my MGB [1976], the gas gauge needle registers half. It never moves to show gas ... A: First test is to turn on the ignition key and have someone watch the fuel gauge. You go back to the ... | ||
| 1976 MGB Gauges | 1/27/2012 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: When charging my battery, the battery charge connector accidentally touched a bare wire on the car's ... A: When you have several failed circuits in an electrical system it is a waste of time to try to ... | ||
| vacuum/emission connections | 1/25/2012 | Barrie Jones |
| Q: I have a 1978 MG Midget, 1500 with a Zenith Stromberg 1504T and I am asking where may I find a ... A: Does this help? http://www.mossmotors.com/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=29286 Also, ... | ||
| mgb short | 1/23/2012 | Barrie Jones |
| Q: Barrie, thank you for answering my question so fast. I forgot to mention that the interior, ... A: Yes. All the items you listed are powered off the bottom fuse. Obviously, you should first check ... | ||
| Wiring Short in MGB loom | 1/23/2012 | Barrie Jones |
| Q: I have a 1978 mgb. I was installing a new alternator and forgot to unhook the battery. There was a ... A: I would start by unplugging the alternator. If that stops the battery from draining overnight then ... | ||
| mgb 1980 uk | 1/11/2012 | Barrie Jones |
| Q: i have a mgb 1980 which hasnt been used in 5 years,been up on axel stands for this time,decided to ... A: That all sounds good, Martin. If you remove the plugs from the engine for half an hour, that will ... | ||
| mgb 1980 uk | 1/7/2012 | Barrie Jones |
| Q: i have a mgb 1980 which hasnt been used in 5 years,been up on axel stands for this time,decided to ... A: Before you do anything else, you must confirm that you are getting a spark at the spark plugs. If ... | ||
| MGB Fasteners | 1/5/2012 | Barrie Jones |
| Q: Is there any detailed information about fasteners, where used and / or descriptions such that I can ... A: Just about every nut, bolt and washer that you are likely to need is listed on page 125 of the ... | ||
| MG TF 2002 rear brake components | 12/30/2011 | Barrie Jones |
| Q: I am having loads of problems with the rear brakes sticking and for ever taking them off to clean ... A: So long as you know the MG/Rover part number there should be no problem getting these parts. A ... | ||
| MINI Classic transmission gearbox | 12/30/2011 | Barrie Jones |
| Q: I hope you will not mind me posting a problem on my Classic MINI (1985). I cannot engage the reverse ... A: I do not claim to be an expert on the classic Mini. Reverse gear lockout is for remote type ... | ||
| Sending Unit | 12/30/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I am grateful that you are generous with your time. I have a 1970 MGB completely restored, but both ... A: The fuel gauge is powered by a wire from the voltage stabilizer (10v) and if it looses power from ... | ||
| MG TD TF Gearbox jumps out of gear | 12/27/2011 | Barrie Jones |
| Q: My MGTD jumps out of 2nd gear under acceleration. What could the reason be and what is the fix? ... A: There are several reasons why this can happen. Before you start stripping the gearbox, do a few ... | ||
| 77 MG Midget No Oil To Head | 12/19/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: my midget starts and runs fine but I have no oil coming up to the head. the PSI reaches almost 80 ... A: It does not hurt to spin the engine with the head off to look for oil at the oil galley hole. If you ... | ||
| 77 MG Midget No Oil To Head | 12/12/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: my midget starts and runs fine but I have no oil coming up to the head. the PSI reaches almost 80 ... A: First remove the rocker stands and pull all of the spark plugs and spin the engine with the starter ... | ||
| Coolant Leak into #2 cylinder on 1275 MG midget | 12/6/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: A while ago, you were advising someone on how to find and fix a coolant leak on their MGB. Youa ... A: I would lay your head gasket on the head and note if the metal ring around the cylinder is close to ... | ||
| MGB starter issues | 11/21/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I am working on a 1978 MGB. The ignition was changed to an Ignitor from the original. The wires to ... A: The original system used a low voltage coil (aprox 6v) The 12v system can not operate a 6v coil for ... | ||
| Continuation of MGB Fuel Regulator | 11/19/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: Howard, I could not ask a follow up question as we had reached the limit, so this is a continuation ... A: You sure have had a long road to travel with repairs. I can tell you how I check a car (an MG) that ... | ||
| MGB Fuel Pressure Regulator | 11/18/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: Can you recommend a make/model of a fuel pressure regulator suitable for my 1980 MGB? I thought ... A: It is unlikely a fuel supply problem. As for smoke, you need to look to see where it is coming from. ... | ||
| MGB Fuel Pressure Regulator | 11/17/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: Can you recommend a make/model of a fuel pressure regulator suitable for my 1980 MGB? I thought ... A: The SU pump normally pumps 1.5 to 3 PSI unless someone modified it. It operates by an electromagnet ... | ||
| MGB Shift Linkage | 11/14/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: We just bought a 76 MGB. First off, (no offense to all the women out there), but I am a woman and I ... A: Shift linkage is not just one component, but is a series of pieces and it is unlikely that all of ... | ||
| 77 MG midget brake pressure switch | 11/12/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: Howard, I read you prior advise and it helped. Now I'm wondering...what would be the issue if I ... A: The brake warning switch just warns you that there is a different pressure on the front verses the ... | ||
| Rocker Assembly Installation | 11/6/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I am in the middle of replacing the head gasket on my 1980 MGB. I had the head checked and they say ... A: The new one needs a screen on it so it don't pick up trash and put it in the fuel pump and cause a ... | ||
| Rocker Assembly Installation | 11/5/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I am in the middle of replacing the head gasket on my 1980 MGB. I had the head checked and they say ... A: It is standard procedure to loosen all of the valve adjusting screws when installing the rocker arm ... | ||
| 1979 MGB | 10/24/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I have just got a 79 MGB and had the weber carb rebuilt now The car will not start unless I hold ... A: First you must run a test. With a can of starter fluid spray into the intake and see if you can keep ... | ||
| 75 mg midget trans | 10/24/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I have had an oil leak since i purchased this 75 Midget, towards the back of the engine. I just ... A: You are right the Spitfire don't have a seal there. The TR-6 does. The Spitfire depends on an oil ... | ||
| 75 mg midget trans | 10/20/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I have had an oil leak since i purchased this 75 Midget, towards the back of the engine. I just ... A: There are no seals between the engine and transmission on a 75 MG Midget. There is a seal on the ... | ||
| Clutch hydraulics 74 MGB | 10/16/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: Q: how can I access these, I heard it can be done without getting under the car? Is there a web site ... A: I have worked in several MG dealerships when they were in the US and I started in 1960 and still ... | ||
| "Grounded Fuel Pump' | 10/13/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I have a 71' MGB. Bought last August as a fixer/upper. It did run and drive, but ran very rich. Put ... A: You need to leave the pump disconnected and spin the engine to see if you now have good ignition. If ... | ||
| MGA tramsmission | 10/10/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: I have a 1958 MGA 1500 roadster, that has been sitting for quite some time (almost two years). I had ... A: It is not uncommon for the clutch plate to stick to the flywheel and pressure plate when left for a ... | ||
| MGB Fasteners | 9/26/2011 | Barrie Jones |
| Q: Is there any detailed information about fasteners, where used and / or descriptions such that I can ... A: This is an incredibly complicated subject. I have a factory parts manual for the MGB, but it does ... | ||
| 1976 MGB emissions | 9/26/2011 | Barrie Jones |
| Q: MGB----2 door convertible------1.8l OHV 8v------Sept 1976 The SU fuel pump has been replaced with a ... A: To be honest, it would be much better to remove everything and fit twin SU carbs instead. This ... | ||
| 1976 MGB | 9/26/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: MGB----2 door convertible------1.8l OHV 8v------Sept 1976 The SU fuel pump has been replaced with a ... A: I learned early when working in MG dealerships that symptoms may lead you to a section but for the ... | ||
| 1976 MGB | 9/26/2011 | Barrie Jones |
| Q: MGB----2 door convertible------1.8l OHV 8v------Sept 1976 The SU fuel pump has been replaced with a ... A: I do have a few ideas: 1) Sounds like fuel starvation to me. Next time the engine dies, go to the ... | ||
| fuel pump voltage | 9/23/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: Have A 1980 MGB it was running for awhile and it got real hot, due to a stuck thermostat. I shut it ... A: When you know that you have a low voltage at any load you need to lay out your wiring diagram and ... | ||
| MGB core plug size | 9/23/2011 | Barrie Jones |
| Q: On my 1980 MGB how many core plugs (known here as frost plugs) are there and what size are they? I ... A: There are 4 core plugs on the 18V engine block. They are all Imperial size, 1 5/8 inches. There is ... | ||
| Sprite / Midget master cylinder adjustment | 9/19/2011 | Barrie Jones |
| Q: I have a 1965 Sprite with disk brakes in the front, drum in the back. I installed a new master ... A: Both of the adjuster rods should be adjusted so that there is a little bit of movement before they ... | ||
| clutch problem? | 9/14/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: 72 midget all stock setup. Basically, due to the gear box setup, I shift from neutral to second, ... A: It sounds like you have a clutch release problem with the hydraulics. Do this test, push the ... | ||
| Stuck Distributor | 9/13/2011 | Howard M. Fitzcharles III |
| Q: Howard You've helped several times and I hope there is still some water left in the well. I'm ... A: The distributor clamp is a separate piece and it is held to a third piece that is in the block. ... | ||
MG Car Repair
Answers by Expert:
Howard M. Fitzcharles III
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
MG from 1956 (USA versions only) up and Engine theory.
Experience
Dealership line mechanic on MG, Triumph, Jaguar for 15 years, Instructor in commercial mechanics school 2 yr. Product information manager for piston and valve manufacture, Instructor & hotline answer man for import car parts importer 15 yrs.
Organizations
Associate member SAE
EAA member
Publications
Import Car magazine
Education/Credentials
ASE Master Auto with L-1 certification up to 2000
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