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MG MGA - 59 MGA - New Owner / Wire harness

I just purchased a 59 roadster from a family friend. The car has been sitting in his garage untouched for about 15 years. He is a very meticulous mechanic but got distracted with his other cars and did not properly store the car. Gas in the tank, not on blocks, etc.

He tells me the car needs a front wiring harness. I am NOT a mechanic but am interested in taking a shot at working on this car myself. I will have access to some help if I run into big trouble. How difficult will the harness be to install?

What other steps should I take to get this car running? Please - nothing is too obvious to me. Your help would be appreciated.

Thanks
JSB Jeff Bennett

Jeff;
First thing will be to remove and clean fuel tank followed by a complete carb cleaning with new gaskets and float valves.Do not forget to change flex fuel lines Then remove all brake cylinders along with the master and disassemble all checking for corrosion and pits. Some pits can be removed by honing. clutch slave is also ripe for rebuilding along with a new flex hose.. Replace all 3 flex brake lines as you check for rust oin the steel lines. They are available as a kit .Distributer should be cleaned and checked for wear on the shaft. New points and condensor are a must.It would be a good idea to replace cap-rotor and ignition wires at this time. Drain all oils and refill along with engine oil filter. The harness is not hard to replace but be certain that you follow a wiring diagram for your particular model. You will have trouble finding a front harness as they are sold normally as a complete unit. It consists of a main and three sub units. My thoughts would be to check out what you have now and go from there.
Feel free to contact me if you need help
Sandy
Sandy Sanders

I would also consider replacing the tires. They can become brittle and develop cracks if they have sat in the same position for 15 years. Check the radiator hoses, upper and lower, and the heater hoses, to ensure that they have not hardened. I would leave any changing of the ignition points, plugs, plug leads and condenser until after the first start up. Introducing too many variables at once can lead to confusion if it doesn't start.
These can be changed later.
Remove the spark plugs. Put a SMALL quantity of light oil down the spark plug holes. Remove the valve cover (rocker cover) and pour engine oil down the pushrods to oil the cams and tappets and turn the engine over by hand. If free, turn with the starter motor until you get oil pressure (with new oil).
As already mentioned you must drain the gas tank and refill with new gas.
Refill the SU dashpots with engine oil. Use the piston lifting pins to lift the pistons and ckeck that they drop with a "clunk".

Mick
Mick Anderson

When you first use the starter motor to turn over the engine with the lightly oiled cylinder bores, to get oil pressure, the spark plugs should be out. Also, the oil should be poured down the pushrods before turning the engine.

Mick
Mick Anderson

Thanks for the tips. This BBS is going to be a great resource!
JSB Jeff Bennett

Changing the wiring harness is straightforward.
Just disconnect/reconnect one component at a time and/or make lots of notes of wire colour and position and take lots of digital photos to refer to and you will be fine. A quality workshop manual is a must.

Enjoy! MG's are a great hobby.
Rich
Rich McKIe

This thread was discussed on 10/11/2007

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