mgb wishbone bushes
Discussion
hi.i,m considering putting in new wishbone bushes and maybe wishbone arms if needed.
i will probably have to purchase a coil spring compressor as i don't fancy using a trolley jack under the spring pan.
has anyone recently replaced these bushes,and did you notice much difference at all.
phil
i will probably have to purchase a coil spring compressor as i don't fancy using a trolley jack under the spring pan.
has anyone recently replaced these bushes,and did you notice much difference at all.
phil
Jack under pan.
Undo 3 bolts and AR bar drop link. Grind out if necessary and replace.
Lower Jack.
Refit is reverse of above.
There is an alternative to drop the wishbones off the upright and lower the whole pan down but it's more work for no benefit.
You don't need a spring compressor and to be honest very few will even work on a B.
V8 or polybush the arms, don't mess around with the standard bushes.
As long as the end holes aren't elongated (oval) then the arms will be fine to reuse, grind the rust off, paint with chassis black. If any arms are ovaled at the end then replace them they are cheap.
Worth doing all the bushes while your in there and it's up to you whether to recon calipers, replace shocks etc. Only you will know the condition of the front suspension.
Undo 3 bolts and AR bar drop link. Grind out if necessary and replace.
Lower Jack.
Refit is reverse of above.
There is an alternative to drop the wishbones off the upright and lower the whole pan down but it's more work for no benefit.
You don't need a spring compressor and to be honest very few will even work on a B.
V8 or polybush the arms, don't mess around with the standard bushes.
As long as the end holes aren't elongated (oval) then the arms will be fine to reuse, grind the rust off, paint with chassis black. If any arms are ovaled at the end then replace them they are cheap.
Worth doing all the bushes while your in there and it's up to you whether to recon calipers, replace shocks etc. Only you will know the condition of the front suspension.
hi.wildoliver, thanks very much for the info,you saved me some money on the spring compressors,there about £27 ish from halfords.
now i wonder,another job on my list to do ,is a new timing chain/tensioner.mine is a simplex chain.
if you have replaced yours,did you encounter any problems.
does the pulley bolt come undone ok.( not been touched for donkeys years )
is there enough room to get everything out without undoing the steering rack,or jacking the engine up a bit etc.
do you need a set of pullers to remove the chainwheels?
how can you go wrong ,regarding the timing,if you put back the new items exactly the same as the old chain wheels were etc.
cheers phil
now i wonder,another job on my list to do ,is a new timing chain/tensioner.mine is a simplex chain.
if you have replaced yours,did you encounter any problems.
does the pulley bolt come undone ok.( not been touched for donkeys years )
is there enough room to get everything out without undoing the steering rack,or jacking the engine up a bit etc.
do you need a set of pullers to remove the chainwheels?
how can you go wrong ,regarding the timing,if you put back the new items exactly the same as the old chain wheels were etc.
cheers phil
Well firstly does it really need doing? Unless it's rattling like hell it's not worth touching, it isn't like a modern engine, I have replaced them on rebuilds but considering the quality of repro parts now if the condition is good I will reuse an old one. Chain wise I've never known a B series chain break simplex or duplex.
If you do have to do the job depending on the year of car you will have to remove the rad on an early and probably on a late car, from memory undo the front engine mounts and jack the engine up a bit. But I must emphasise it's 10 years since I had to take a front pulley off a B with the engine in the car.
The front bolts usually worryingly loose, even when tight it isn't like a modern car, car in gear and friend to stand on the brakes and it will undo easily.
To remove the pulleys simply a large nut with knock over washer and they slide off the shaft, may need a little persuasion but not a lot, it isn't a friction fit they have woodruff keys.
If you do have to do the job depending on the year of car you will have to remove the rad on an early and probably on a late car, from memory undo the front engine mounts and jack the engine up a bit. But I must emphasise it's 10 years since I had to take a front pulley off a B with the engine in the car.
The front bolts usually worryingly loose, even when tight it isn't like a modern car, car in gear and friend to stand on the brakes and it will undo easily.
To remove the pulleys simply a large nut with knock over washer and they slide off the shaft, may need a little persuasion but not a lot, it isn't a friction fit they have woodruff keys.
Bs are pretty robust cars. Assuming the upper bodywork is in good condition you would do the car the world of good by getting it up on stands wheels off and having a good poke round underneath and in the arches especially round the boot floor and castle rail/sill and front wheelarch area with a torch and screwdriver lifting loose rust/underseal, then scrub down with a wire brush and reseal, welding any holes you find, when washing the car make sure you get your hand up in to all the wheelarches especially the front and clean the top of the headlight bowl and trumpets. Good preventative maintenance is all you need to do along with an oil change every 3k and a decent service circa every 6.
When shocks become tired they can be easily topped up, I used to say don't bother topping them up because it only lasts a few weeks but now I'm finding the recon shocks are lasting about as long in some cases so top them up till they really do need replacing.
When shocks become tired they can be easily topped up, I used to say don't bother topping them up because it only lasts a few weeks but now I'm finding the recon shocks are lasting about as long in some cases so top them up till they really do need replacing.
Hi.I inherited my 73 b about 4 years ago.it has been in my family
For years.my dad used to take me out in it on a sunday
When I was a young man.
It has always been looked after well,but suffered a bit,from being left
Unused in my moms garage for 15years.
When I first got the car,a neibourgh told me to be carefull,as you can soon
Exceed the value of the car in doing it up.how right his words
Have proved to be.
Initially I used a proffessional car restorer in hill ridware to do a lot of jobs for me.
Excellent job done,but at a cost.
Suspension dampers replaced last year,made an amazing difference to handling.
We talked about stripping off the old underseal to see what lay underneath.he reckoned on about £1100 for this.
Anyway,to cut a long storey short,I now make a ditermined effort to do jobs on the car myself.I have had to buy a lot
Of the tools I once owned in the past,but I can now make progress in tackling a lot of jobs myself.
Latest purchase is a gunson colourtune to set up / check the carbs.I have left this to professional in the past,but now
Will do myself.
Anyway,thanks for info
Phil
For years.my dad used to take me out in it on a sunday
When I was a young man.
It has always been looked after well,but suffered a bit,from being left
Unused in my moms garage for 15years.
When I first got the car,a neibourgh told me to be carefull,as you can soon
Exceed the value of the car in doing it up.how right his words
Have proved to be.
Initially I used a proffessional car restorer in hill ridware to do a lot of jobs for me.
Excellent job done,but at a cost.
Suspension dampers replaced last year,made an amazing difference to handling.
We talked about stripping off the old underseal to see what lay underneath.he reckoned on about £1100 for this.
Anyway,to cut a long storey short,I now make a ditermined effort to do jobs on the car myself.I have had to buy a lot
Of the tools I once owned in the past,but I can now make progress in tackling a lot of jobs myself.
Latest purchase is a gunson colourtune to set up / check the carbs.I have left this to professional in the past,but now
Will do myself.
Anyway,thanks for info
Phil
Colourtune is a good bit of kit, will last a lifetime (good job given the cost), also you need some kind of carb balancer, I set mine up by ear now but it's taken a long time to get "my ear in", a carb balancer removes the guess work, also there is a specific way to set up a B engine (well any old engine) and especially the carbs, it is the easy way but most importantly the right way. If you want a bit of advice on setting the engine up just ask.
One more word of advice, while this won't I suspect apply to you check the needles in the carbs, Emma (my oh) has a B and it's always run well but not particularly nippily, had to change the carbs recently for another pair (long story as to why, nothing to do with needles) and overnight the car felt like a different car, much livelier and smoother running, the original carbs had the wrong needles in.
One more word of advice, while this won't I suspect apply to you check the needles in the carbs, Emma (my oh) has a B and it's always run well but not particularly nippily, had to change the carbs recently for another pair (long story as to why, nothing to do with needles) and overnight the car felt like a different car, much livelier and smoother running, the original carbs had the wrong needles in.
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