5R Restorations         

 We worked on a car recently that was experiencing clutch problems. The customer expected the clutch to be replaced. However upon inspection it was discovered the clevis pins which hold the pedal to the master and the slave to the throw out yoke, were extremely worn as were the mating components. The combination of the wear on all surfaces meant the first half of the clutch pedal travel was only taking up slack in all the components. By replacing the worn parts the clutch proved to be serviceable and was put back on the road.

When inspecting for worn parts, keep in mind the holes that the retaining pins go through were never oblong. They were originally round. Also the pins should be straight, round, and shouldn’t have grooves where they have been pushing on their mated part.

Any questions or comments can be directed to Ron Redding at 281-346-2417 or e-mail ron@5RRestorations.com.

Restoring 30 year or older automotive parts can be challenging. Many times the parts are corroded from chemicals or rust. Removing the old finish can be a challenge but if you have a compressor and a sandblaster, you can usually remove the old finish without any problem.

I use a cabinet bead blaster for smaller parts. The glass bead will remove the old finish with good results though it isn’t as aggressive as sand. Carburetors and more delicate parts clean well in the cabinet. For larger items I use a gravity fed sandblast pressure pot. This forces the sand out at high velocity through a small opening which will remove most any finish in short order. This system is for outside use but works wonders on old wheels, rear axles, etc. Many people will try to reuse the sand by

capturing it, sifting it to remove impurities, then returning it to the pot. I have found this to be false economy and that’s why the area around my shop resembles the beach.

As with all tools you must protect yourself from injury. The blast cabinet is nice because it is ready to use, has a vacuum to remove glass dust particles, and requires no eye protection. The pressure pot is more dangerous and does require a minimum of a hood and a dust mask. Sand contains silica and in a dust form can be breathed into the lungs and do fatal damage. Most all manufacturers recommend an external air supply while blasting.

After the part is clean you need to be ready to prime & paint the part. If left unprotected many times you will come out the next day to a new coat of surface rust. When cleaned and painted properly, those old parts can look better than new.

Any questions or comments can be directed to ron@5RRestorations.com or call Ron at 281-346-2417.

   Many of our MGs have developed overheating problems as they have advanced in age. Keeping an engine running in the black isn’t always easy. Even now, when the weather is cooler, it’s not always easy to keep

the temperature down. First you need to determine the various components of the cooling system are operating correctly. The radiator should be clean and free flowing. If it needs cleaning the radiator can be                              removed and delivered to any of our area radiator shops. They can clean out the radiator and pressure test it to be sure there are no leaks. If the radiator needs to be recored, many times, it is cheaper to buy a new radiator than to repair the old one. Visually inspect the water pump to  be sure there are no leaks during operation. Check the fan belt to be sure it has the correct tension and isn’t worn or cracked. The thermostat for our area should be in the 160 degree range. It can be removed and heated in a pan of water on the stove. By using a candy thermometer you can determine the thermostat is opening at the correct temperture. The next test should be to determine if your temperature gauge is operating correctly. In order to perform this test you may have to search out a repair facility. Even though your gauge says your car is overheating, you need to determine the actual temperature of the water. Make sure your engine is in tune and your timing is correct. If you have a rubber bumper MGB, you need to determine that your cooling fans are operating as designed. Fill the radiator with a mix of anti-freeze and water but never put more anti-freeze than 50%. While anti-freeze will help lubricate, help stop corrosion, and keep water from freezing, it will reduce the cooling ability of water. There is a product available called Water Wetter which helps control overheating.

It is added to your radiator and will reduce the temperature up to 20 degrees.

I have been asked recently to explain some of the
differences in modern day paint. Of course the first
consideration should be color. Is the color you need
available in the paint you want to use? Many times you
may need to have the paint custom mixed to get a
specific color, especially if you are trying to keep
an original color on a 50 year old vehicle. This color
match can be done if an existing panel is available
that shows enough of the color.

Next we need to consider the type of paint to use.
There are many paint manufacturers making automotive
paint and most will carry the types of paint we will
be talking about. I would encourage you to stick with
name brand paint in order to get a quality finish on
your car. Many of our cars were originally painted
with lacquer paint. This paint was inexpensive, easy
to apply, and looked great. Over the years there have
been numerous improvements in paint and of course
lacquer paint is no longer available. Single stage
paint systems don’t require an additional covering to
make the paint shine. This would be similar to what
was originally used on our cars in that it was applied
and there wasn’t anything additional needed to make it
shine. The more recent innovation in paint would be
the base coat / clear coat system. This was originally
developed to make matching colors easier while doing
repairs. With this system the base coat is applied to
supply the color to the car. Then after the base has
dried a clear coat is applied and this supplies the
shine to the paint.

All these paints are produced in various qualities.
Some are inexpensive and some are very expensive. Some
paints can approach $1000 per gallon or more. As a
general rule you really do get what you pay for. If
you are having your car painted and you try to use a
cheaper paint you will probably have to buy more of
the paint in order to cover and you will have to pay
for the additional labor to apply it.

Low oil pressure is a curse that leads to the sometimes unnecessary rebuild of our engines. Oil pressure problems can come from several areas. Bad oil pump - main bearings - rod bearings - pressure relief valve - rocker shaft .

The easy check is the pressure relief valve. On MGA & MGB engines it is located on the left rear of the engine above the oil pan. It consists of a valve, a spring, and a cap. The purpose of the valve is to release excess oil pressire back into the pan. However if the spring gets weak, it will allow to much pressure to escape. Sometimes replacing a weak spring will fix the problem.

The bearings are susceptible to wear and thus the loss of oil pressure. The main & rod bearings are more difficult to access and if they are the problem would probably entail an engine rebuild. However the rocker shaft is very rebuildable without the total rebuild. Unbolt  the 8 bolts holding the shaft. With the shaft off check for wear by moving the rockers side to side

on the shaft. Excessive movement means the shaft should be replaced and the bearings in the rockers replaced & honed. With everything back together hopefully you won’t find a need to rebuild the complete engine.

There can be several causes but usually either the cooling system hasn’t been flushed and renewed lately

or possibly an aftermarket electrical device has been installed on the car and not grounded properly. Left

uncorrected this condition will cause leaks in your cooling system due to an ion exchange between the

cooling core and the engine coolant. The easiest corrective measure is to flush the cooling system on a

regular schedule and add fresh coolant.

Bench bleeding your new master cylinder will enable you to install it faster, and with a firmer pedal. The only additional items needed will be either one or two (according to if you have a single or double  line system) short looped brake lines with clear plastic tubing fit to the ends. These can be made from  old brake lines or you can order a new line (get one that has double male ends and cut it in half).

Before beginning be sure the system is ready for the installation of the master cylinder (wheel cylinders, calipers, brake hoses all installed). This will minimize the leeching of fluid after the master cylinder is bled. Place the master cylinder in a bench vise being sure it is level (this will facilitate the removal of all the trapped air). Attach the looped brake lines to the master cylinder. Position them so the fluid will travel in an upward motion and have the clear plastic lines end in the fluid reservoir (the tubes will need to be secured so they won’t come out of the reservoir). This way the master cylinder will re-feed itself. Fill the reservoir to the recommended level and using a wooden dowel, a  blunt metal rod, or a large Phillips screwdriver, compress the master cylinder plunger with slow, complete strokes.  You will see the fluid enter the tubes with many air bubbles. As you continue the bubbles will be fewer and fewer. When all bubbles disappear be sure the reservoir is at the correct level, then using a piece of plastic (sandwich bag plastic) between the cap and bowl, screw down the cap securely. The plastic will help prevent the bleed down of the fluid. Now you can remove the looped brake lines and install the master cylinder.

The system can now be bled as recommended from the wheel cylinders and calipers (be sure to remove the piece of plastic before attempting this). Any questions or suggestions can be directed to ron@5RRestorations.com or call 281-346-2417.        

Most of our classics came equipped with four speed transmissions. The earlier of these transmissions had a non-synchronized first gear.  In the 60’s they started offering electronic overdrive gearboxes. This was a huge improvement which was soon followed by full synchro transmissions. All these original transmissions were very reliable and only required general maintenance. Basically being sure the oil level stayed full was all that was required. The overdrive transmissions would even help remind you to keep them full. When the oil level would get low the first indication was the overdrive wouldn’t engage. Most of the original transmissions were good for 100,000 miles or more. Most internal parts are still available and the boxes can be rebuilt to like new condition.   Now there are several options available to upgrade our transmissions and make our cars more drivable. Kits are available to install more modern 5 speed transmissions into our cars. The first kits used the Datsun 5 speed transmission and they were installed into many Sprites and Midgets. Other kits were available but not as common. This transmission has become scarce so now the transmission of choice is the Ford Sierra 5 speed. The kit comes complete with a bell housing, clutch disk, transmission, rear transmission support and driveshaft. I have installed both of these transmissions on various cars and have had good results with every installation. The instructions are straight forward and anyone who is able to remove their engine and transmission from their car should be able to complete the conversion.   Any questions or comments can be directed to Ron at 281-433-8533 or e-mail ron @5RRestorations.com

Its been a topic in the past but I continue to receive questions on the subject. Motor oil formulations continue to change but not for the better when it comes to our classic cars. Manufacturers are being forced by the EPA to reduce the amount of zinc & phosphorus additives in oil because these additives cause the premature failure of catalytic converters. Sounds like a valid concern doesn’t it? The problem is  these additives make oil cling and coat moving parts. Newer vehicles have hydraulic lifters which keep a continual flow of oil around the lifters and camshaft.  Our classic cars have solid lifters which need the extra lubrication these additives give. The solution is to always use a zinc additive with every oil change. Usually 4 to 8 ounces are enough. Moss Motors carries an additive (220-805) or there are others on the market.

When it’s time to replace worn points and condensers in your distributor, there are options you should consider. Petronix makes an electronic ignition unit that replaces the old points and condenser and completely fits inside the distributor cap. Installation is easy but you will need to know the model # of your distributor and if your car is negative or positive ground. On negative ground cars you will need to disconnect the battery then remove the distributor cap. Make note of the position of the rotor. Loosen the distributor clamp nut and remove the distributor. At your bench remove the rotor, points, condenser and terminal & lead (this would normally attach to the side of the distributor and have a wire going to the coil negative side). Now install the mounting plate supplied with the Petronix. Next attach the electronic unit with the wires running out of the distributor at the previous location. Position the round magnetic unit in the kit in place on the distributor shaft. The shaft is basically square where the points would normally contact and the magnetic unit will need to be rotated as you push down to line it up.

When it’s in place the rotor will fit on top of it and snap in place. Once the electronic unit is in place with the rotor installed, the distributor can be reinstalled (pay attention to the position  of the rotor and turn it as it was before removal). Replace the cap and next hook up the wires. The red wire will go to the positive side of the coil along with a solid white wire from the ignition. The black wire will go to the negative side of the coil along with a white wire with a black stripe that goes to the tachometer. Positive ground cars are similar but the wiring will be different.  Disconnect all the wires from the coil. The Petronix black wire will connect to the ignition switch wire (this should have been on the negative side of the coil). The Petronix black/white wire connects to the negative side of the coil. You will need a short piece of wire to connect between the positive side of the coil and ground (any close bare metal surface will work. the coil mount bolts are usually a good location). Reconnect the battery and start the engine.  Set the timing as specified in the workshop manual and tighten the distributor clamp nut. Enjoy your dependable ignition system.

Questions or comments can be directed to Ron Redding at 281-346-2417 or e-mail ron@5RRestorations.com

Carburetor problems can many times be corrected without major rebuilds.  Many carburetor problems involve leaks.

When fuel leaks from the overflows either your floats aren’t floating or your needles are stuck. Using the handle end of a screw driver, tap on the side of the float bowl to dislodge a stuck needle. This could indicate contaminates in your fuel and you need to be sure you have a clean inline fuel filter. If this doesn’t correct the problem, remove the float bowl lid and determine if the float is defective. If there is fuel in the float, it must be replaced.

Leaks from under the float bowl will usually require the replacement of the bowl seal. Many times this can be accomplished without removal of the carburetor but it will be easier to repair with the carburetor removed.

Another place to check for leaks is from the jet. Many of the cars prior to the ‘60s had cork seals on the jets. When allowed to dry out, these seals usually leak. The carb should be removed to renew these seals.

After repairs are made be sure to balance the carburetors. Any questions or comments can be directed to Ron at 281-346-2417 or e-mail ron@5RRestorations.com.

Living in Texas allows many of us to enjoy our cars through the winter months. With year round driving there are certain seasonal changes that may need to be made.  Of most importance, make sure your choke is operating correctly. An inconvenience in the summer will turn into a non-starting engine in the winter without the choke.  A 160 degree thermostat that works great for the summer months may need to be replaced with a 180 degree model in order for your car to warm quicker and in order for your heater to blow hot air.  Antifreeze is always recommended but not always at the same mixture. For warmer months I prefer a ratio of 1 part antifreeze to 2 parts water (this mix will cool better than a 50/50). For winter months, especially in North Texas, you may want to go to the 50/50 mix. To be sure, you can have your antifreeze tested to determine to what temperature your engine will be protected.  Check your tire pressures because pressure can drop in colder temperatures. Be sure to check your spare and be sure your jack and lug wrench or knock off hammer are on board.  Enjoy your winter driving and as always you can call 281-433-8533 or e-mail ron@5RRestorations.com with any questions or comments.