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MG MGB Technical - I give up

"79 B with 72M miles. replaced the oil pump, lower bearings, all filters, rebuilt the carb (ZS), tuned the engine. still smell gas at the exhaust and in the oil (changed every month). car runs very rough - bounces between 3-10M rpms - tries to stall at idle, no low end power.

replaced the alternator - but ignition light comes on and brightens or dims depending on electrical load

Want to enjoy the car but can't risk long drive. been told to replace carb with weber.

any thoughts would be appreciated.

thanks,

ed
Ed

Ed,

No need to waste your money on a Weber. Use a methodical troubleshooting approach, starting with the timing, valve adjustment, plugs and wires, etc. THEN look at the carb. Check the choke first as the Z-S is notorious for choke failure. Check it out using a good book such as the Haynes or Bentley manuals. When you rebuilt the carb, did you replace the needle? A worn needle on a fresh diaphragm will run incredibly rich.
If all else fails, find an MG Club in your area, or Email me offline and I'll get you Barry Kindig's Email address. He's located in Cherry Hill. Since all of New Jersey is about the size of my county, he can't be far from you. Barry is very good with Z-S carbs.
Paul Konkle

ED, At the risk of sounding silly, I once rebuilt a 60something midget and had the same problems. A mechanic friend of mine suggested that I go back to basics.. as mentioned above, a logical troubleshooting of the problems. To make a long story short AFTER replacing, plugs, gasoline, distributor,and new wires, I still had the same problem. I started on the gas end of things, fuel pump was ok, then I started on the carbs, when I took off the air filters, the car just hummed. It seems this one had been stored in a barn on the coast and I had a filter(s) full of sand and dirt. All that work and time for an air filter! Good luck.

Steve

Steve
steve

When you check out the choke check your water line to the carb choke housing. The one on my 79 B was clogged shut with corrision. It runs so close to the catalytic converter the constant heat must boil away the coolant leaving residue. You also didn't say why you changed the pump and bearings. it could be if it was run low enough on oil to damage the bearings your cam can be wiped out.
Chuck

thanks for the advice - this weekend i plan on new fuel filter, plugs, wires, etc and will check the waterline to the autochoke. changed the oil pump and lower bearings cause the car - which had sat for 5 years - was pushing around 20-30 pressure - now its at 75.

car ran fine for the first few weeks i had it - now stall if i remove my foot from the accelerator - hope its just the fuel filter or water line.

ed
Ed

This thread was discussed between 22/10/2001 and 25/10/2001

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