Beginning but with changes...

[katanaman]

  Hi.  Once again, as you can see, the MGB is throwing a wrench in the Lotus project.  Has to be done, though...  It is in the new garage for work -- Victoria British has a new sale on windshield/seal packages and clutch hydraulic packages.  Now the MGB needs both.  I will do the work when the parts get here, and hopefully that will be enough for the MG for a while.  Now.  For the real stuff...
  I am in conference with my friend, who still wants us to try the Mazda  twin rotary before we go on.  I am thinking that if we do, I can modernize the interior rather than restore it, which has to be cheaper.  Anyway...  I am thinking that if we do this, that front mounted radiator will have to go but only to the rear where the trunk goes.  I think that we can vacate the hot air out of the wire rear panel better than run the exhausted heat through still another radiator (the oil cooler the rotary needs) then the driver's side wheel well.  We'll see...
  And, most importantly, I want you to help make a call with me.  The last 2 pics today show what I feel is damage.  There -- you can see it -- it appears that someone squashed the lower A arms.  And those babies are expensive.  But... are they indeed damaged?  Because they appear so symmetric, I am unsure.  I thought that these components are from the Triumph Spitfire, and I have one side I bought used last year for a replacement lower, but it sure seems that both sides are affected.  So...    1) do you think that my plans of cleaning them up and powder coating or painting them is appropriate?  Or replace?  Or if it were yours, would you take the bends out?  Would you think that the "geometry" of the lowers would be affected by these dents?  And, are you wondering, like me, why the lowers are so much more expensive than the uppers?!  I am hoping someone here will tell me that these "dents" are normal, of course.  But I doubt it.  Help me out and give me your thoughts!  Thanks, guys!

[Nuk]

Sorry that I can't help you with technical comment, but from what I see, you should change them, I also own MGs, with an undamaged original, I still think it is a bit scary at 60+ mph. With those you showed.....
By the way, I am glad to see you owns both Europa and MGB like I do. Good luck

[jbcollier]

MGB clutch hydraulics can be very difficult to bleed properly.  Best to use a pressure bleeding system.  There are moderately inexpensive pressure bleeding systems available, or, you can just build your own using the cap from the old clutch master cylinder.

MGB scary over 60 mph?  Check your toe-in.  I had my '64 up to the red-line in fourth which was just under a 110 mph and she was rock steady.

Are the arms damaged?  Hard to say without disassembly.  There are detailed measurements in the factory manual.

[jbcollier]

Also, air does not flow out the rear grill, it flows back in.  Air exits out the openings in the engine compartment lid.  Air also flows in through the rear wheel wells.  Warm air recirculating (out the lid and back in the grill) is an issue.  Keep the rad up front.  An oil cooler should either be up front as well, or have its own NACA duct.  Remember, Mazda rotary engines produce incredible amounts of heat.

[BDA]

I would echo what John said. The lower A-arms have definitely been hit but the "flange" area is all that appears to be damaged. It deserves a good measurement. The suspension on the Eruopa (Elan, too) was designed to take any damage rather than transfer the loads from a crash to the frame. If they are only bent a little, you might be able to bend them back. Again, make sure they are back in spec before you use them.

I have my oil radiator in the back and it's able to keep up fine, but then I don't have a rotary engine. For no particular reason, I didn't want to have the long run of oil lines to the front of the car, but that is the best place for the cooler. Some have exhausted the air from the oil cooler into the other wheel well. You might be a bit careful there because that will bleed air from the water radiator. I don't KNOW that would be a problem but after all, if you keep the same setup, no matter what you do, you will reduce the amount of air to the water radiator. I have seen where a much bigger radiator mounted across the front and exhausted out the bonnet was used. It might be something to consider if the rotary engine generates that much heat.

I am surprised to hear that air comes in from the rear of the car. Interesting! That could actually be good for me because when I mounted the oil radiator in the rear, it was either behind the headers or over the exhaust. This means it's getting cooler air!

Pressure bleeding the MG clutch is best and pressure bleeders aren't that expensive. At the very least, you need to use the bottle & tube method (put a tube on the bleed nipple that goes below the level of brake fluid in a bottle and pump till no bubbles form at the tube). DO NOT try the method where you pump the master cylinder and open the bleed valve a little and then close it. I know for a fact that does not work!

Good luck!

[katanaman]

  Hi!  These ideas are just what I'm looking for!  The MGB handles just great at speed and I have a special suction type tool I use to bleed stuff for it, so it won't be an issue (I hope).  Also, Nuk, I don't know how many people noticed, but there's a guy with us who also has a Stanley Steamer!!!  Now, that's what I consider to be a really strange combination!!!  One of those came to the peninsula last year and blew up (well, kind of...) at our car show.  Looked like the world was coming to an end.  Lots of billowing then wispy white smoke.  Someone gave him a 1 mile or so ride to the HARDWARE store (how do you like that guys?!) and about 82 cents later he asked for a bunch of water and he was on his way!!!  My friend and I went and saw them at hotels that night -- there was a group of pre-1913 cars -- I think they were focused on cars without doors - gee, who would know that in a few years they'd be fiberglassing hinges in) and we saw the steamer guy blow off almost all of the residual steam (a really awesome sight -- it blew forward about 150 feet and looked like with a wand he could pressure wash anything!) to a point where he had enough left over to drive the car up a ramp and into its trailer for the night.
  Well, keep the ideas coming!  I appreciate them, and hope I can take the dents out.  The used lowers I have will definitely replace the original ones I have (I forgot which side they're for) and I'll try pressing the dent(s) out of the other then I'll measure.  We will all find out how this works eventually!                   Thanks, Dan

[ron parola]

I would suggest the dents on the arms are from someone strapping the car down TIGHTLY to a trailer; the upper dent is the mark from the chain and the lower from running into the sway bar, probably no big deal. I'd heat the affected area and straighten it, then check alignment. Normally you WOULDN'T heat a suspension part to red hot but these arms aren't heat treated from the factory and it's just mild steel. You can make new ones yourself out of mild steel tubing, just don't go too stiff on the metal because as noted you want to bend the arm rather than the chassis in case of damage. I made some for mine to allow the shock to go down between the lower arms to be able to use a longer shock. I made a jig that aligned with the mounting points of the stock arms, once the points are fixed you can bend new arms anyway you want. And yes the air flow through the engine bay is from bottom up exiting to the low pressure area behind the backlight, ever wonder why the engine compartment gets SO much road dirt, leaves etc? Cheers Ronp