Won't Start '79 MGB

First off I'd like to introduce myself as this is my first post to this community. I am from Oklahoma, I own a 1979 MG that has been sitting for the last 7 years. I also have a '97 S10 with a 355 sbc, and a 1935 Plymouth Coupe. My daily driver is a 2002 Silverado Crew Cab 1500 HD. Not the best daily as it gets around 12 mpg.

Anyways..


I've decided to get the MG running again. Here's what I've done so far.

Drained fuel tank
made sure of gas flow to carb
check spark at spark plug
cleaned rotor/cap
changed all hoses (needed due to sitting)
checked for sufficient power to turn engine over


What I plan to do in the morning.

Check voltage/amperage to the starter silenoid. (even though it's creating a good spark from the plug wires I want to double check)

Pull air intake check for fuel going into carb

attempt to start with starter fluid (ether)



Basically I'm running out of ideas.. It ran yeas ago and then just sat. I do remember that it never was "easy" to start. It never took 10 hours though, which is about how long I worked on it today.

If I can't get it running this weekend or next weekend. I'm likely to buy a GM 1.8l carb'd engine. My long term plans are to get my hands on a Oldsmobile Aluminum 215 V8 and complete that conversion. I don't want to lose all originality or completely screw my weight ratio. So I'm resisting dropping the 355 out of my S10 into it.

Also since this is somewhat an introductory post as well. The s10 I built is currently stripped completely down and is going through a frame up built. I am putting a Ls1/4l60E W/ AWD. So far the only part I am lacking is the 4wd frame that I need for the conversion.. I have the motor/tranny/transfer/rear-end and all other mechanical parts. So if any of you happen to have a 4wd S10 that is just sitting (1st or 2nd gen) I don't care about the body or if it runs. Shoot me a PM on that matter.


And thank you for your help in resolving my issues with the MG.

Change the fuel filter. Change the oil and filter. Pull the coil lead and crank the engine until you have oil pressure. The reconnect the coil lead and try to start it. Best of luck. Basil

Does it ever sound like it might start? A brief hint of a fire, then nothing? Or does it just crank over with no sign of a fire at all?

On any car sitting that long, I'd be tempted to replace all the ignition components as a matter of course - plugs, leads, coil, dizzy cap, rotor arm, points, condensor.

You say you are getting a spark, but it may not be strong enough or it may not be well timed. Re-set your points gap, and re-set your static timing (even if you don't replace the points).

After you have cranked for a bit, pull a plug out straight away and look at it - is it wet? If not, then fuel is not getting into the engine for one reason or another.

Is the engine turning over fast, or is the stater struggling to turn it? I'd imagine, with all that work yesterday, the battery must be pretty flat by now. I'd suggest using jump leads from a running car, even if the battery is fully charged, it should help the starter turn the engine faster.

It's possible your carb needs a rebuild. It is likely that a rebuild would benefit it, even if it's not essential to get it running. I don't know about the carbs on late US cars, I've got the twin SUs fitted to UK cars throughout production, but I imagine they should be pretty straightforward and cheap to rebuild, the SUs certainly are.

I was lucky with Sammy - when I got her she'd been off the road for 11 years, and hadn't been started for 2. She wouldn't start when I went to look at her. After I bought her, all she needed was a new battery, and she started straight up first turn of the key. Ran rough as hell though, wouldn't run well until I'd done all the above (new ignition components, re-build carbs), as well as obviously draining and replacing the oil and coolant.

Good luck, I feel your frustration, I hope you manage to get your car going again soon!

Richard & Sammy ('73 Black Tulip BGT)

Well, from what you are discribing it sounds like its ready to fire up. By chance did you try pulling the choke out. Its sounds like you covered all the bases besides the pulling of the choke. Good Luck. P.S. Mine sat for 6 years. A few taps on the fuel pump pulling out the choke and that baby fired right up. Adam

You need a fuel/air mix at the right ratio, spark at the right time, and compression to get it to run. Start by checking the timing with a timing light. As it cranks, you should see the light flash at around 10 to 15 deg BTDC. If that's working, pull the plugs and check compression on all cylinders, first dry, then with a shot of oil in each cylinder. If that too is OK, then, and only then, start thinking fuel. The Zenith is simple, but can be temperamental. Lots of posts here about what to check.

Where in Oklahoma are you? (I am in Broken Arrow).

I would get yourself a can of ether. If it's getting a spark, you will force it to fire. If it has sat for that long, you will need to take the carb off and pull the bowl. You might have a stuck float valve, or it might be gooed up.

So, if you are in the Tulsa area, I could drop by and show you a V8 MGB.

I think Vern has it. Timing is the only thing that I don't see in your list. I would include plug wire order in the timing category. Make sure number one is at TDC and verify the wires, then try to time with the light while turning it over. Electronic ignitions suck for static timing.

Yeah I forgot to mention it was in my plan to change the plugs today.

It is turning over just fine (I have jump wires on it) without any sign of firing. I tried choking it.

I'm going to go head back up there and try all the things you guys mentioned. I'll also try to get some pictures in so I can show you guys what I'm working with. The cars is actually in pretty decent condition for a restoration project.

I'm an IDIOT


Okay so I let the battery charge over night. Went up there and it was dead.. so I changed the battery. Well the battery I changed out had the post on opposite sides and I didn't check. Well I hooked the negative to positive/positive to negative and my alternator put off enough smoke for me to signal Canada.

After that it's no longer getting fire to to the spark plugs. So I went to my ignition coil. I checked it with a test light (I couldn't find the neg. wire to my multimeter) it is getting power, but I can tell you it's not 12v anymore. The lights very dim, I'm sure I could rig a system of oranges and lemons to put out more power. So. What did I screw up other than my alternator?

I'm not saying the ignition coil is bad, because I'm not even getting much juice to it to put out a spark.



On the positive side before I did that. I pulled my breathers and checked for gas flow. It's not getting any gas.. I poured some gas into the carbs and well it didn't start.. BUT I did for the first time get fire.

So I've narrowed it down to carb. issues. after I get spark back to my plugs I'll deal with that issue.


EDIT:

I just had an idea also.

I like Kill Switches anyways. So what if I bypassed the current wiring going to my ignition coil and ran my own wires through a kill switch to supply 12v to my ignition coil?

I've done this with my 355 in the S10.. Well it doesn't have a ignition coil, because it has an HEI Accel distributer. On the S10 I obviously had to run my own wiring harness, and I simply through a kill switch on the (-) going to the distributer. I would basically be doing the same set up, except with a ignition coil.

79 has a 6V coil, via a resistor wire in the harness. On START only, it gets 12V from a separate terminal at the starter. One of the W/LG wires at coil + is the 6V feed, the other is the 12V feed.
FRM

Thanks I'll test it while the starter is turning tommarow to see if it's getting the correct 12v. If it is, would you assume that it is the ignition coil that went bad?

No. It should have electronic ignition, which may not be pleased to have backwards juice through it.

Check the coil by hooking 12V to +, and a condenser (grounded) to -. Then scratch a ground lead from - to ground and a big ol' spark should jump out the coil HT lead.

If that works, it's probably the ignition amp, replace with Pertronix or Crane/Allison.

FRM

I have already got a new ignition coil, it acts the exact same. It wasn't money wasted in my eyes. It was money that I would have spent someday anyways. I'm going to test my ignition amplifier in a few hours. I slept probably 2-3 hours tonight, and it's time to get back to work.

I also may be able to get a hold of a 2bbl Weber this afternoon. I'll have to find an intake manifold, being as I currently have the dual 1bbl setup. I plan to get it running as soon as possible. After I get it running/reliable I will be tearing down the interior, which is where I'll begin the restoration inside the car.

I don't plan on completely restoring it to factory standards. I plan on completely restoring it to meet my standards.

Also while I'm sitting here. Can you refer me to a place that sells performance parts for the 1.8 MG motor? Such as cam, flat top pistons, head, and headers. Also I really don't know much about these motors. Or well 4 cylinders at all. I'm a small block chevy guy. I actually contemplated dropping my 355 in it this afternoon, but I resisted. So I was wondering what are typical horsepower ratings that can be gained from doing some of the mods I have mentioned. Let's say I put a mild performance cam/head/headers/pistons/crank all matched for the best performance. Would I don't know 200HP be a realistic number I could expect? Then if I turbo'd it I would really like to get somewhere close to 250HP. I understand that these motors are putting out around 78hp stock so my goals are pretty high, but if you don't have high standards you'll never gain anything.

Tommy,

Do you have a small black box under the coil? Or do you have a box on the side of the distributor? If you got the box on the side of the distributor then you probaby will have to replace the system with a pertronix. These units were so bad that they were replaced by the factory for free when they failed.

The replacement was the first type I mentioned, the black box under the coil. This was actually a 4-pin HEI unit. The hall effect sensor is located in the distributor, but the 4-pin module is in the black box. The problem with this design is that the hall effect trigger signal is poor due to EMF interference on the wires from the distributor to the module. Again, the pertronix works well as a replacement. The other option is to drill the rivets out of the black box and replace the 4-pin module inside.

You can go even further by adding an MSD or similar unit to a pertronix install, which might fit in with a V8 conversion in the long run.