Explain this

I am soon to replace the entire clutch hydraulic system on my B, I'm looking forward to it.

this evening I replaced the power steering pump on my daughter's Corolla - that's just a pain in the arse I have been putting off for as long as possible.

So why is working on the B fun and working on anything else just a pain?

well i think it is fun for us B lovers is cause most of us dont use them as daily drivers more of a hobby. I love working on my MG but it isnt the daily driver i use every day now the one i drive everyday i hate working on

Plus you can actually do the work without special tools or triple-jointed hands and eyes that come on antennae or can look through aluminum and steel.

Imagine taking the engine/transmission out of a modern car! Probably dozens of plugs. There must be miles of wiring harnesses in these new "cars", not to mention 50 or so computers!


peace, Kyle

Because the MG is a little more simple to work on?

Work = Something you have to do.

Hobby = Something you want to do.

On many modern cars, even those made after 1980, access for even routine maintenance is not usually as easy or as straightforward as it is on an MGB. Engine compartments and body work has often been reduced to just enough to accept the engine and it ancillaries with many sub systems crammed into the dead spaces (voids) in the fenders and elsewhere in the body. As said, all the plumbing and wiring, and even structural pieces that have to be removed (like braces to reinforce between the MacPherson strut towers, etc) can mean a much more involved process just to get to what we MGB owners consider routine items. I used to own a 1989 Honda Accord, and there was so much steel tube vacuum plumbing above the oil filter, that it was "easier" to do something very similar to what JDW shows in his photo to be able to get under the D*@% thing to get at the filter. Obviously, a lift was required in the minds of Honda engineers to do this task, and something that owners shouldn't have to trouble themselves with.

I guess that means that cars today are designed simply to be bought and driven, and maintenance is to be left to the dealerships or other service outfits. Makes one wonder if any of the engineering staff at these car companies are car nuts or not. They must have never done any of their own work. At least, that was my Dad's conclusion 50 yrs ago.

Like 8 hours to replace a slave cylinder on a 4 cylind Pontiac...

because around here they charge you $100 an hour for labor so the bill for that pontiac slave would be $850 or thereabouts, No wonder noone goes to the dealerships for repairs any more.

Peter - the quote was minimum of $1048, more if bearings were shot too..

2.5 hours to replace plugs and wires on a 2000 S-10...10 minutes for the same job on an MG.

MG: Gap plugs as needed. Pop the hood, with ratchet and plug socket, take out one wire and one plug, replace each. Repeat three more times. Done.

S10: Remove air intake box. Find someone with small hands to disconnect #1 wire. Remove other three wires. Grab ratchet, 10" extension, u-joint and plug socket, then snake the mess into the plug area and *hopefully* land it on a plug. Undo plugs and feel lucky if you get more than 2 out without dropping them into some dark recess. Jack up front end, remove front right wheel and rubber wheel tub liner to find the coil. Cut one end of each wire off, then snake them out of the plastic tube. Yank out plastic tube unceremoniously, mark new wires and slip them into the tube. Curse, throw tools and sacrifice small animals as necessary to get the tube and wires back into place. Connect wires back up (thankfully, coil towers are marked with cylinder numbers). Again, find aforementioned someone with small hands to start the threads on the new plugs. Get lucky, and you might land the socket on the plug; tighten up plugs and connect wires. Hopefully, the markers didn't fall off in the meantime. Reinstall air intake box. Put wheel tub liner and wheel back on. Lower vehicle; pray that you didn't cross up or miss a wire. Lather, rinse, repeat and curse if you did.

I look at it this way, my MG is like a child. When it is sick, I take care of it. My Cougar on the other hand, has no soul, and is just a machine that once in a while requires my attention, and causes me aggravation and more than once injury.

My wifes 1993 Dodge Spirit has some cooling system issues and more oil leaks than I care to count.. one being a leaky rear main..... but to change the rear main seal the eng/tranny HAS to come out... Crysler in their infanate wisdom...made it so the only way to remove the eng/trans is through the BOTTOM of the eng bay. That's right... you HAVE to drop the eng/trans to the ground, then lift the front of the car off, high enough to be able to tug the eng/trans out........

Although the body and interior of the car is in excellent cond.... I told the wife to drive it till it dies along the road... and I would come pick her up and bring the title for the car.......

That's right...(lol) sign the title.. leave it on the dash... and walk away..... then post an ad in Craigslist describing the location of the FREE car........lmao

Peter - the quote was minimum of $1048, more if bearings were shot too..

what bearings? geez i did one the other day for $300 its straight forward job no bearings to replace.......guess i live in the wrong part of the country our labor rate is only $45 an hour where i work i need to move and start my own shop

Hey Wiz - as long as you are replacing the clutch hydraulic system, see what you can do to improve that funky hard tube/ to flex tube connection.

If you can pull that off....... have a go at improving the Midget clutch system.

David, I have no intention whatsoever of trying to improve stuff on that car, I just unbolted one component and bolted on the new one!

And how I wish it was that simple! :D

jrp316 Wrote: