MG MGB and MGB GT Tech Talk
Does anyone know if a jack for a 1968 will fit a 1976. I am only familiar with the '68.
(from Ebay Question)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MGB-Crank-Jack-Spanner-and-Tonneau-Cover-Support_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6763QQihZ019QQitemZ290165992669QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW
Welcome Will . I'm pretty sure that it will fit, I don't think the factory fooled around with the jack point diameter through the years. Others may chime in with a better answer.
There were several different versions of the jack - I think all are compatible. All are junk - some are more junky than others. I got a brand new jack from the dealer back in 1973. It worked exactly once. The bevel gears are made of aluminum or pot metal. They strip out immediately. Many people have had bad experiences where they damaged the side of their car. I would get a scissor jack.
Man I hate to hear that. About Junk jacks. I've only had my car for a few months, but I've used my jack several times. Its worked fine. So a scissor jack is what everybody is going to? I guess I better start looking for one too.
Mick M.
mick-susan mgb74.5 Wrote:
I've had no problems with my factory jack. It's held up thru the years. Of course you should not get under the car using the fact. jack (That goes for any brand factory jack) but works great when you have a flat. As far as damaging the bodywork, you have to watch what you're doing with it, get the proper angle. Starting point for the jack is tucked in under the car a little so when it raises the car it becomes more vertical and still away from the door. Once you're used to it there should be no problem with damaging the bodywork. I've been using that style jack for a very long time. I think when people have had it damage their car it's a case of operating a tool with no clue how to use it. It also helps to put some grease on the worm gears.
Two big problems with the OE jack..
size... it takes up a lot of room in the trunk.
car's jack point... 40 years of weather and rust may have weakened that area!
Most carmakers now included a lightweight scissors jack that collapses flat into a very small shape. I like late model Ford Mustang jacks, but any similar will do.
Expect to pay $5-$10 at the local pick-a-part-yard for the jack and its handle.
You'll still need a lug wrench.
Dont get under the car with this one either... and when jacking a rear wheel, be sure to put a rock, brick or other chock under the opposite side front tire, so the car doesnt just roll off the jack (dont ask me how I know).
While you're at the boneyard... look for a late model "donut" spare to fit your car, and increase your usable trunk space!
I have used the MG style jack on several BRit Cars for probably about 10 years (yes all my early cars were Brit cars - Minis, Austin 1800, Morris 1100 and A Marina - and never had any problems with that style of jack. Some uses where in the worst of possible conditions - dusty or muddy roads during a stage rally.
I have never understood why some people do..
I have had at least two brand new OEM scissors jacks fail on me. ONe of which left me pinned under a Volvo - just enough weight to prevent me from getting out. NO I no longer use or trust scissor jacks. I'd rather trust a bottle jack.
There's a guy on this board with a beautiful yellow gt that was freshly restored when the factory jack failed and mangled his rocker and door skin. He had the pics to prove it! He's from Michigan, anyone else remember who it was?
I bought a small floor type jack and threw it in my trunk. Takes up some space, but then I have a GT, so the situation is different from what roadster folks have to face. I have used scissors jacks for years and so have many of my friends.
The thing with scissors jacks is that as long as they carry the load vertically and are not tilted, either along their screw axis or side to side, they are not a bad tool. But MOST are not that substantial nor that stable (the foot is too small) and most that you can scavenge out of other cars in the boneyard fall into this category. They are better than a bumper jack (THE worst type IMO) but not by much. I have no more scissors jacks altho I must say that a truly hefty one with gear reduction cranking I bought from Sears ages ago was truly the best ~ big foot, stout arms, hardened screw and gears ~ and served me well for probably 25 yrs before I simply gave up on it in favor of a decent garage floor jack.
There are some small aluminum floor jacks I have seen in the stores, and it is possible that one of those might be a lighter choice than what I have put in my trunk. I would check them out carefully and check out their specs before trusting them as units made overseas could simply be copycats of the truly good ones.
Of course you could alway put out for what the pro rally teams use. An inflatable jack..sort of like a large bladder that uses the gas coming out of the exhaust to operate a pump that then inflates the bladder with clean air..
The work in conditions where any normal jack just sinks and are almost unable to damage any car..
Or install a hydraulic jack to the car on each side (pushes down from the undercarriage) like the old Citroen DS Pallas sedans used to have. As I recall it had its own little electric pump to make it work. We thought they were pretty spiffy when I was in Europe ages ago.
bobmunch Wrote: