MG MGB and MGB GT Tech Talk
Starting to get some warm weather. Drove my 80B about 60 miles home (from an autocross event). The transmission tunnel got pretty damn warm to the touch. I could feel the heat on my right leg, like the heater was on (it wasn't)
Other than that, it is a blast to finally have some decent weather with the top down.
Is this normal, and is there a good/easy solution (insulation?type?) to this? I will be putting new carpet down one of these days.
Paul
Probably not unusual. Check to make sure you have insulation. My 78 is insulated and I can't feel a thing, except from the sun beating down on it. However, my 66 is pretty darn warm as well (my wife always complained about it). There was no insulation except for the carpet.
Since then I've added insulation and it helped tremendously. I used the kind with aluminum on either side (you can pick it up at various auto parts stores). I've been told water heater insulation from Home Depot works well too.
Another site mentioned something called "bitch" or "biltch" or something like that. It's a construction material used on the side of homes, but supposedly thin, easy to work with, and insulates well.
The carpet looks pretty old. No insulation (but carpet is backed though) to speak of. As long as there isn't a problem with the insulation being too thick for the new carpet, I'll probably do it.
I have seen some kinds of insulation in the Eastwood catalog, pretty pricy stuff. Guess I could try some stuff from home depot first.
Should I do the entire inside, or just the firewall/tunnel area?
I assume just put it down with spray adhesive, then the carpet over that.
Paul
I've wondered the the same thing. When I touch the gear shifter metal trim ring on my '74 it's on the verge of too hot to touch.
I used contact cement for the insulation, but good spray adhesive would probably work.
How much you do depends on you. When I did my 66, I did the entire inside. I also painted the floorboards with truck liner, then I ordered some sound insulation from, hmm, I can't remember! But it was a place that Kim recommended and I got two rolls of the stuff for about $25! (same material that Moss charges $$$$ for their floor sound deadening kit). But, you have to cut it into strips yourself (no biggy).
This really helped deaden the sound. Then I used the heat insulation material around the tunnel, and firewall (especially the driver's side). You'll also want some under the carpet since the exhaust pipe travels right under you.
I will say that I had to trim a lot from around the shifter area, since the added thickness caused the screws not to reach (also I have an AAMCO aftermarket consol that didn't help any).
I'm sure if Kim reads this she'll remember that place. Good, quick service as well. Sure beats the stuff that Moss sells for sound deadening!
Yep, that tranny tunnel sure does get hot! By all means, insulate it. I used the "space age" foil and felt insulation available from Moss. But JC Whitney carries the same stuff, and cheaper.
The sound deadening stuff Steve is referring to is from McMaster-Carr <http://www.mcmaster.com/> . Search for their Adhesive Back Damping Sheets. You want the polymer mastic sheet that's asphalt based. Replicates (and is better than) original sound deadener kit. This stuff gets put into the "wells" in the floor boards. (The low spots.)
Anyway, doing both does make a big difference. My cockpit is much quieter and cooler now. And it's kind of a fun project to do...
