Open - MG Club of St. Louis

The MG Club of St. Louis
Newsletter
www.stlouismgclub.com
February 2010
Volume 23, Issue 2
For Members in Good Standing With The MG Club Of St. Louis
Le a d S t o r y H e a d l i n e
Newsletter Highlights
HERE’S A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE NEWS IN THIS ISSUE.
MORE DETAILS ON THESE TOPICS BEGIN ON PAGE 2.
Party, Party. Two clubs two parties. Works for me. I guess we can thank the
British car industry for the various marquee’s. Kathy Kress fills us in startin
on page 3.
WHAT’S INSIDE
Chairman's Message 2
Party, Party
By Kathy Kresser
3
The Wisdom of MG
6
Our “T” registrar, Charlie Key, fills us in on how to avoid “oiling” the cars
behind you starting on page 8.
The “T” Register
8
Kathy Kresser interviews our persevering club member on his freshly remodeled MGB GT . To hear from Rich Berger start on page 11.
Berger B-GT
11
John Perkins not only gave a great tech session at John Mangles shop but
he submitted a great article packed with what we were all trying to remember. Look on page 13.
January Tech
Session
13
November Meeting
Minutes
16
General Account
Financial Report
19
Don Gatheman fills us in of the trial and weirdness of replacing one GT
wiper motor with a roadster motor on page 6.
COMING UP IN THE MARCH EDITION OF THE NEWSLETTER:

Tips on reading a wiring diagram.

A couple of articles from our MGB/MGC registrar, Simon Dix.

Remembering a wine tour in the fall.
Volume 23, Issue 2
The St. Louis Metro Gazette
C h a i r m a n ’ s M e ssa g e
Bob Bentzinger
I recently was asked by someone what the attraction for MG cars was all about.
What with the reliability problems, the “fiddly” nature of keeping them in tune, and of course the
never ending Lucas jokes, what could possibly make someone want an LBC (or more than one LBC!).
Certainly, when my 1974 MGB GT is “on song”, it is especially fun to drive.
My 1974 MGB Roadster was my only car for 10 years and was only towed twice in that span. With no
computer or fuel injection, the MGB is easy and relatively inexpensive to work on and parts are still
readily available (only an LBC nut would overlook the fact that needing lots of parts to stay on the road
could be a problem). None of these things distinguish an MG from more modern fun cars like a Mazda
Miata or a mid 1960’s Mustang which meet the same criteria.
I think a big part of it for me is the heritage. There is an unbroken line from Old Number One(1925)
right through to my 1974 MGB GT. And for a humble marque, MG cars have done some impressive
things and spawned some great careers. I recently read about the racing career of the great American
race driver, Phil Hill, who died in 2008. Mr. Hill is the only American born driver ever to win the Formula One World Drivers' Championship. I was pleased to read that early in his career, the first race he
ever won was in an MG TC. I read elsewhere that Carroll Shelby, the well-known racer and car designer, started his racing career in a 1949 MG TC. Mr. Shelby said that the MG “changed my life”. The
MG TC Shelby raced recently sold at auction for over $300,000.
MG history includes, among other things, class wins at LeMans, starting with a C-type in 1933, appearances in the famed Targa Florio, a class win at Sebring in 1968 with Paddy Hopkirk and Andrew
Hedges onboard the MGC GTS, land speed records at Bonneville with the likes of Sterling Moss and
Phil Hill at the wheel of the MGA twin cam powered “pumpkin seed” cars (I heard Don Hayter, chief
designer of the MGB (at MG 2006) say the MGB bonnet design came from these lakesters), the longest
race in Britain, the Guards 1000-mile, run in two 500-mile halves on different days at Brands Hatch in
1965, won by John Rhodes and Warwick Banks in an MGB and an overall victory in the grueling 84
hour Marathon De La Route race at the famed Nurburgring in 1966.
Locally, the St. Louis MG Club has its part to play in MG history. The St. Louis Centre of the MG Car
Club is one of the oldest MG Car Club Centres in the United States. When I first joined the St. Louis
MG Club in the 70’s, one of our members was Peter Thornley. His father, John Thornley, was the longtime manager of the MG factory in Abingdon. Peter has written an excellent book titled “Mr. MG”
about his father and his major role in MG history. My bookshelf has a number of very good books
about MG and I encourage you to dig a little deeper into the history of the MG marque to gain a
greater appreciation of our humble LBC’s. Here are a few suggestions for an interesting read:
“Mr. MG” by Peter Thornley
“MGB The Illustrated History” by Jonathan Wood and Lionel Burrell
“MG Past and Present” by Rivers Fletcher
“MG” by McComb
“MGB The Racing Story” by John Baggott ; and of course the internet!
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Volume 23, Issue 2
The St. Louis Metro Gazette
Triumphant Holiday Party
By Kathy Kresser
Another year flew past so fast that the Annual Triumph Club Holiday
Party was at hand. Craig Madsen, president of SLTOA, greeted seasoned members, new members and our guests from the MG and
Healey clubs. Each place setting included a battery master switch
compliments of Cliff
. Cliff was a previous member of the club
before moving to Chicago. He found his own way of participating in
the fun via long distance. In an effort to keep Cliff involved, the club
provided a free one year membership. Cliff, thank you from all of us
and have a fun holiday.
A new venue, the Feasting Fox, provided a lovely old style room with
elaborate furnishings, beautiful tall windows and a collection of tables
each set for six people. In its early days, I understand it was used as a
beer hall – very appropriate for this group. Everyone enjoyed the
feast including the decadent and festive chocolate torte with strawberry topping. The room was a bit chill as evidenced by several men
and women who donned their coats for the evening.
The Feasting Fox owner was cornered at the bar by Janel Demick encouraging him to join the MG
Club as he is the owner of two MGs. She never misses an opportunity to gather new members.
This annual affair includes the long anticipated Rob Your Neighbor Gift Exchange. It starts tamely
enough until the first robbing takes place with a response of applause as I stole the very nice Bath and
Body shower kit from Debbie Maneke. How could I not rob it, she was pleased with her selection and I
thought I would be too until Carol Mangles stole it from me! A chorus of ooohs and aaahs as the very
tall bottle of Riesling was unwrapped and stolen immediately.
Cheryl Swift made the gift selection a process as she carefully examined the packages and made her
choice trying to avoid a gag gift. Much to her delight, she unwrapped a bottle of Crown Royal bourbon
complete with the signature blue carrying bag. Cheryl excitedly proclaimed she and Bob had to leave
that minute. Guess they
didn’t leave quickly
enough because that bottle was stolen immediately and then again by
Mike Fishman. Mike, a
new school bus driver,
probably needs all the
help he can get!
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Volume 23, Issue 2
The St. Louis Metro Gazette
Cheers and hoots greeted Lee Fox as he unwrapped a snuggie. Many called for him to model
it. Jack David liked his Frog yard deco, but someone else coveted it more and took it while Jack was
away at the bar. Bob Bentzinger, an MG member,
felt he was wearing a sign on his back that evening, as every gift he selected, someone stole it.
Obviously the crowd loves the stealers!
Of course, there are clowns in the group, like Mel
Parentin, having fun with a magnetic pickup. You
had to be there at the end to understand.
A huge round of applause and big thanks to Craig
Madsen and Bonnie David for arranging and organizing a truly fun evening for all – thank you!!!!!
The Annual Holiday Party
By Kathy Kresser
Good food, good drink and a good time was had by all attending the Annual MG Holiday Party at
Bully‟s Smokehouse in Columbia, Illinois Everyone enjoyed a fine selection of barbeque, side dishes
and dessert.
The “Rob Your Neighbor”
gift exchange offered a
number of good laughs
such as “man bags” and
whether one could carry
nuts in a man bag, or the
turtle necklace that could
be fashioned into a Mr. T
starter kit. You make it
hard to be your friend when
you steal my gift.
A gift box on the table was
labeled “The Kresser Mileage Extender,” complete with a photo of Chris
Kresser. The Mileage Extender has a story behind it.
A person by the name of Chris Kresser tried running
his Triumph TR3 without gas. He claimed the gas
gauge was not working when it was reading empty.
Apparently the gas gauge was correct as the TR3
died on the side of the road. Some members of the
club just can‟t leave an incident alone.
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Volume 23, Issue 2
The St. Louis Metro Gazette
Bob and Darla Bridges packaged a siphon with the following ad:
Photo with a small group of people gathered around a table.
Caption: Satisfied customers celebrating the outstanding performance of the Kresser Mileage Extender.
Here are just a few of the many glowing testimonials Chris has received:
From a Brit Car Expert: “The best thing since tea and crumpets!”
“Who‟d have thought that something so simple could be so effective?”
“I‟ve gone hundreds of extra miles on just one fill-up using this device.”
“It was like Viagra for my gas tank. It helped me „get up and go‟ when the gas had „gotten up
and gone!‟”
“When I see „E‟ on the gas gauge, it no longer means empty – it means extender time.”
“Works in all 50 states, including Tennessee.”
“Driving from coast-to-coast has never been so economical.”
“Gives me extra smiles with every mile.”
In addition to the gift exchange, there were attendance prizes for all. Some walked away with department store gift cards, gas cards and the grand prize, a $100 master card.
In talking with the party-goers, I asked their opinion about the gathering:
Bob Horzmann offered, “Good companionship, good food.” Mr. “K” Ken Levin commented, “Very nice
evening. Has a turtle for sale, but may have it attached to the car.” Barb Berger said “Let‟s make a
deal” in response to the Rob your Neighbor gift exchange. Byron Golfin loved his floor mats. He said
“They will be outstanding in the garage.” Ranney Dohogne tried to sell me his earthenware and ceramic gifts. Mickey, a guest of Fred Houser, was having a great time and would love to come again.
Comments by Bruce Hamper: “Good selection of gifts. The MG clock is special because now I know
what time it is. Hope it is not a Lucas clock.”
This was another great evening organized by Janel Demick, events coordinator, and her team. Janel
told me it was much easier this year: she was more relaxed because she knew Bully‟s would provide
good food and service. She said, “It was a piece of cake compared to last year when I was a nervous
Nelly.” Janel thanked everyone for coming out and making it a fun party. From the MG club members
to Janel: Thank you for making the evening a success. See you next year!
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Volume 23, Issue 2
The St. Louis Metro Gazette
The Wisdom of - Don Gatheman - Opps, I Mean MG
As I was troubleshooting and replacing the motor for my windshield wipers, I was once again
astounded by the engineering ideas that come from carmakers. Ford, GM, MG- to me it doesn’t seem that any manufacturer has the patent on goofy ideas. I’m sure there are good reasons, but some of them certainly escape me.
If I’m working on my Chrysler truck, I can say
something like “what’s wrong with those goofballs
from Chrysler? I hope they fix this in the future. I
should send them an e-mail!” Of course, we can’t
do that with MG. It’s like being mad at a dead
family member- you can’t call them up and tell
them off. So here’s my new philosophy- from now
on I’m going to pretend MG did not shut it’s doors
in 1980 (I don’t count the “new MG as the same
company, and especially not the “new Chinese
MG”) and complain as if someone is there to listen.
Back to the subject at hand. The wipers stopped working (that’s windshield, not windscreen
wiper. We’ll see what the new editor does with this one!) so I first pulled the steering wheel to
take a look. Everything seemed in place, so I decided to check the power to the motor. Easy, I
thought- just pull the wiring harness and check the connections. But no- you have to remove
the motor first! Even though this isn’t my engineering complaint (that comes later), I thought
it a stupid idea, but off came the motor. After verifying power was going to the motor, it was
time to remove it. With a little instruction from John Mangles, the motor came out easily
(“don’t forget to take the wipers out before pulling out the cable”). I took the motor to my
workshop, and sure enough, it was binding somewhere. I removed the gear cover, and all
looked well. Then I removed the cover of the motor and took a look. The brushes seemed
good, so I cleaned up all the metal contacts and put it back together. It worked great- until I
tightened down the motor cover, at which time it bound up again. Upon closer inspection of
the inside, it appeared there was a burr at the end of the motor shaft. I sanded it smooth and
this time everything worked well. Back in the car it went.
About 2 weeks later, I accidentally hit the wiper stalk
and nothing happened. Nuts, my fix wasn’t permanent. I scoured for a new motor-thanks Chuck-and
with one removal and refitting under my belt, considered myself a semi-expert at the job. Out went the
old; in came the new- kinda felt like New Years. All
was well with the world.
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Volume 23, Issue 2
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So, you may ask, what’s my engineering beef? In performing the final check after the wipers
were re-installed, I remembered a funny windshield fact; GT wipers rest on the left and sweep
to the right. Roadster wipers rest on the right and sweep to the left. The new motor was from
a roadster! This resulted in the blade cleaning off the bonnet (not hood- that one’s for Simon)
rather than the windshield! Now I ask, who in the world had the bright idea to switch the direction of the wipers between the two models? Those goofballs in Abingdon must have been
smoking something back when they came up with this design!
Luckily I had a couple roadster blades (thanks again, Chuck) and put them on. No biggie, just another idiosyncrasy for my car. Then I noticed that, because of the roadster’s 3 blade setup, the sweep
on the driver’s side wasn’t far enough to clear the field of vision. Moving the park position of the
wiper 6 inches higher seems to solve that, but it looked too weird- even for me. After talking to
Robert Rushing the following Monday at work, he referred to John’s website- themgdoc.com- and
found great instructions on reversing the direction of the blades! Another removal, simple procedure, and all works well again.
I think I’ll e-mail Abingdon and suggest they fix this for the next model year.
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Volume 23, Issue 2
The St. Louis Metro Gazette
The “T” Register
By Charlie Key
Right now is the time for the working of your T car, to be refreshed while waiting for the
spring.
Let’s revisit the Moss oil seal kit. There were quite a few necessary changes that were put
forth by Moss Motors since the very bad failures of their first attempt. This good idea suffered setbacks, re; extreme leaking after installing the kit. Most of you know that I did extensive research to make this thing work, and found the seal was the biggest fault in the kit.
Moss changed this seal after they received my research however; they employed a lesser seal
at a lower cost. This seal was said to be rated the same as the expensive one I was using. I received one of these from Moss and showed it to everyone at the seminar I gave at the GOF
2003. I had success with several of these conversions using my expensive seal and these are
still working, however, this past summer while rebuilding my YB engine, my son Adam said I
should try the new seal kit, and I agreed. I ordered the new improved kit and this is what I
found. 1st , the kit was pretty much the same except that it had this new seal which was not
made of the high heat Viton I had used, still I wanted to give it a fair shake. 2 nd, as with all T
engines so many machined areas can be very different.
Adaptor in hand.
Filling the oversized gap, should be a great fit.
The first thing I found in this engine was that the seal mount was so far away from the crankshaft flange I would need an adaptor to reach the mounting area. Having done all the prescribed work listed in the Moss instructions, and adding all the readiness engineering feats I
came up with, we went on with the install.
In the next picture you will see the rear bearing cap installed, note here the large amount of
space that will need filling with some sealant. In my experience I do not like using sealant as
a filler in these large amounts but it is in fact what mounts the rear seal holder to the rear
bearing cap. I have never felt very comfortable with this method but have not developed another to date.
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Volume 23, Issue 2
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Now with this all aligned and
torqued it is time to add the sealant.
Big gap to fill.
This is the way it should look, oil can’t possibly get
out now, can it?
We put the engine back together with confidence that
it will work properly. Of course, the real test will be on
the road to the GOF this year.
At this point I must give credit to the unsung heroin’s that always know better than to test a
car on the road. So I listened to Paula, my better half, and decided to pull a trailer, just in
case. We took an MGB, the YB, a Land Rover and the trailer. The drive ensued and all was
well, but I did not dare to make note of how well the car was working, at least not so anyone
could hear. Adam and Kim were piloting the YB for some 30 or 40 miles when I saw they
were signaling to exit with a heavy oil spray behind the car. Of course, if you don’t like anyone driving too close behind on the interstate this oil spray will keep them at bay. I was so
glad that I had the trailer. We loaded the YB and continued on, had a great time at the GOF
and kept the galley topped up.
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After the trip and the catastrophic failure of the improved kit, it was time to see what failed.
Again, it was the oil seal that ran hot and chafed causing the failure. It actually lost the fine
sealing lip on the oil seal. This was caused by running too hot or at too high a speed for the
material, same problem as before. I did not report this to Moss as last time and will install the
seal I found that works. I am also going to investigate a Chevy seal kit. I haven’t heard anything bad about this way of doing the job, except that it can not be changed back to original.
But why would you want to change something that works?
All for now, keep those T’s on the road.
Safety Fast! Charlie Key
A little nod to the editor and a nice follow-up to last months KC Taxi article
Todd, again- a great newsletter.
To amplify the article on the London Cab, Ray is NOT
the only London cab driver in Missouri. I too have
driven a LONDON TAXI (2004 LTI Executive Sedan) for
almost 5 years. At first it was for Clayton on the Park,
and after that closed-for Sunrise Senior Living, which
also shut its door this past September. The London Cab
now sits shivering in the Parking "GAH-RAGE" next
door to 8025 Bonhomme. Along with the contents of the
building, the Mike with the London Cab, look’n good
London
Taxi included, is now the property of the Bank.
I also was the sales manager of 5 double Decker buses
from London that toured St. Louis about 5 years ago.
Word has it that those buses went south of the border.
Couple the hot St. Louis summers, when no one
wanted to ride outdoors on the upper level, and no A/
C in the lower level, plus the very high cost of fuel, the
owners "pulled out".
The Double Decker , I guess not everyone likes it hot
So, besides my roots to my MGB-there have been other
British Vehicles in my life...not as cool, but lots bigger.
Mike Fishman
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Volume 23, Issue 2
The St. Louis Metro Gazette
Stories About Those Little British Cars
By Kathy Kresser; Proofread by Anice Etz
I am continually amazed at the time and effort that goes into rebuilding a car, not to mention the cost.
When looking over the freshly remodeled MGB GT by Rich Berger, I had a few questions. Here are his
responses:
Rich, your MGB GT looks great, has several creature comforts and reports are it drives fast. When
and why did you purchase this car?
Well, first off thanks very much for the compliments concerning the GT. I purchased the car about five
years ago, just before Memorial Day. I don't know why, but I was killing a little time going through
Internet classifieds and found an interesting listing concerning a 1970 GT that had been completely
disassembled and sent to the media blasters. The
owner was moving very soon and needed to sell the
car quickly. This happened to be just a couple of
days before the Champaign car show, and as luck
would have it, the car was located in Illinois near
Champaign. Since I was already planning to attend
the show I made arrangements to stop and view the
car on my way to the show.
I had been doing some research on the GM V6 conversion kits and had begun to think it might be something I wanted to attempt. Long story short, I viewed
the car (in about 3,000 pieces) and saw that as far as
I could tell most of it was there. The owner and I
reached an agreement on price with the only caveat
being that it had to be removed within a week.
With the help of Drew Gilmer (who provided the trailer), John Mangles, and Mike Fishman, we set out
on a road trip the next Saturday to retrieve my new pride and joy. I remember we even stopped at a
big car show on the way home. The organizers of the show were a little skeptical when I told them I
wanted to enter my pile of parts.
I then went about moving all the parts into my garage and sorting out the many boxes and boxes of
parts. Since the car was already stripped to bare metal, it had to be kept inside so that it would not begin to rust again. I identified the parts that would not be needed for the conversion and was able to
sell them to recoup some of my purchase price.
I then began to formulate my plan to make this into a very
comfortable and quick road car to hopefully use on some
long MG trips. While I still have some things I want to incorporate into the car I have succeeded in installing a 3.4L
V6, fuel injection, air conditioning, five-speed transmission, sound system, and very comfortable, heated seats.
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Tell me about the agonizing process of restoring it.
I am not really very good at body work; previous experiences
have proven this fact. So I made arrangements for John Mangles to take over that aspect of the project. John was very nice
in letting me work on the disassembly and rough preparation
of the car. I took of all the suspension and began cleaning and
rebuilding everything. While I was working on that John got
the body prepared, primed, and painted. In addition, he
helped me install the engine and transmission while making a
few custom pieces for the A/C and alternator mountings.
When all of that was completed I towed the car back home,
with the help of Ken Biermann, and pushed it into my basement where it would reside for the next
year or so while I assembled everything I could. The most agonizing process was modifying the fuel
injection wiring harness from the donor Camaro to work with my custom made electrical system. I
kept putting off working on this because I was really afraid that I would ruin the harness and then have
to purchase a very expensive replacement. Bob Benzinger gave me some advice and I waded into the
process. In the end it all worked out very well.
What improvements have you enjoyed the most?
While I must admit I love the acceleration that the V6 provides, I think I most like the heated Fiero
seats that Barbara and I recovered. Working on the seats was a hard job but it was fun working together on them. In addition they make for a very, very comfortable ride.
What was the most challenging part of the restoration?
When you build a non-stock restoration you must take into account the interaction between all the
components. It is hard sometimes to figure out if certain things installed now will cause a problem
later when some other component is being fitted. Without a doubt, the problems I had when attempting to take the car on its maiden voyage to Breckenridge seemed to be the low point of the restoration.
Okay, tell me about the problems?
Well, Barb and I left early in the morning to begin our trip to the MG car show in Breckenridge, Colorado via mostly secondary roads. The weather was good and we were really enjoying our first long
drive in the GT. We got about an hour and a half from home when we ran into a construction delay.
They were repaving the two-lane highway that lead into Jeff City and were only allowing one-way traffic. The GT was running great and we enjoyed talking to the workers while we waited for our turn to
continue. Since it was such a long wait I turned off the GT with the comment that I sure hoped it would
restart. As luck would have it, when it was time to go the car would not start. I figured the starter must
have failed and got two workers to give me a push. The car started right up and we continued onward.
I was a little disappointed, but figured I could always keep going and change the starter when I got to
Denver. We progressed another five minutes or so when I noticed that the temp and fuel gauges had ceased to function.
This was really getting me worried.
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Just about then I felt that the car was losing power. I told Barb that we really had problems and I was
proven correct when the engine died. Luckily we were able to coast into a gravel driveway so I could
get the car off of the road. I tried checking things out but the new battery was very dead. At that time,
being completely discouraged I placed a call to AAA for a flatbed tow. At the same time I talked to
John Mangles and we theorized that the alternator had failed. With this possible diagnosis I decided I
would have the tow driver provide a jump start and if all was well I would continue into Jeff City and
replace the alternator. However, when the truck arrived the driver did not have any battery-starting
equipment.
Being a very nice guy, he offered to tow the car to a tractor repair facility just a few miles away where
we could try a jump start. They were more than happy to stop their normal work and hooked up a battery while my car was still firmly chained down to the flatbed. Low and behold, the car started right up
and the meter showed that the alternator was working properly. However, since nothing is ever easy
the car was now making a very, very pronounced knocking sound. This was so bad that I immediately
shut it off and declared that I was completely disgusted with the whole project and I wanted the car
towed home.
Upon arriving back in St. Louis I dropped the car off, we loaded all our stuff into my daily driver, and
headed off to Denver to visit our children and granddaughter. I was not a happy camper and decided
not to go to the car show at all since I did not want to attend without having my GT entered.
A postmortem of the problem revealed that the negative battery cable had come loose, causing the battery to die. The knocking noises must have been the exhaust system rattling against the flat bed since
the car was tied down so tightly.
Has your granddaughter Cayla been for a ride in the car?
Since she is only a little over one year old I have to wait until she is older so she can sit in her car seat
in the front passenger seat. It will be a few years.
Will she inherit this classic?
No way! If I can't take my cars with me I am not going!
Rich, your research, creativity and dedication to this challenging project is commendable. I do have
a bit of unfortunate news for you: You cannot take the car with you and you do not have the option
of staying here, so perhaps the Cayla will inherit the car. Thank you so much for entertaining us,
and enjoy the ride!
The January Tech Session
Converting Rear “B” Brakes to Disc
By John Perkins
I am building a V8 powered MGB-GT, which isn’t all that unusual. Since I travel a lot for business, I
have a lot of time to think about how I want the build to proceed and while considering the power and
speed available with a V8, I decided that stock brakes would not be up to the task and should be upgraded.
A few years ago, I saw a conversion for the rear brakes of an
MGB to disk brakes by a company called Scarebird. Their
original design included a Ford
front wheel caliper and a separate parking brake caliper.
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Looking at the Scarebird.com website in November 2009, I
found they’ve changed the design to use a Toyota rear caliper
that has an integral parking brake, which simplifies the design. The new kit from Scarebird includes the axle brackets
and special banjo bolts for the brake hoses and a list of parts
to acquire. The parts needed are: 2 rear rotors from a 1994
to 1998 Hyundai Sonata, 2 front hoses for a 1979 Cadillac
Seville, the right and left rear calipers from a 1984 to 1987
Toyota Corolla GTS with the caliper brackets (this is critical,
without the Toyota caliper brackets, the sliding caliper has
nothing to bolt to the Scarebird bracket with) and four
10mmx1.25mm thread bolts about 25mm long with lock
washers.
The installation of the brakes was performed under the
watchful eyes of several MG Club members at the first tech
session for 2010. The installation starts with removing the
rear drums and the rear hubs – the kit will work with either disk or wire wheels. Then, the brake line
is disconnected from the wheel cylinder, the clevis pin for the parking brake is removed and the four
bolts attaching the backing plate are removed so the backing plate assembly with the rear brakes intact
can be removed.
This would be a good time to replace the rear axle bearings and/or seals if you have any concerns.
The Scarebird bracket bolts onto the rear axle with the original bolts. The caliper is positioned at the
rear of the axle housing above the rear spring. Then the hub reinstalled (if you have a wire wheel car,
you must make sure the left side hub is on the left side of the car and vice versa) and the rotor is slid
over the studs. This fit is tight and will probably require a little persuasion with a dead blow hammer.
Don’t try to open the lug holes on the rotor since the studs are used to locate the rotor, not the center
of the hub.
Next the caliper is mounted. The Toyota calipers have an R and L cast into them for the
right and left sides of the axle. The threaded
holes on the Toyota Caliper Bracket are 10mm
by 1.25mm. I used 30mm long bolts but had
to shorten them about 5mm to prevent the
bolts from contacting the rotor. It is advisable
to use Locktite and torque the bolts to 30 ft-lb.
Finally, the hydraulic lines are connected. The
special banjo bolt in the kit is used with copper
crush washers and the Cadillac brake hose. It
is easier to install the brake hose with the caliper swiveled up for pad installation. Run the
banjo bolt down but don’t tighten it until after
running it under the axle to the bracket and clipping it in. When you have the brake hose run to your
liking, torque the banjo bolt to 35 ft-lb. Then you need to cut the bubble flare off of the brake line and
remove the flare nut. Place a flare nut for a 3/8x24 inverted (or double) flare on the line and make an
inverted flare on the brake line. You’ll need to reshape the end of the brake line to connect it to the
end of the brake hose you just installed. Since the MG brake line T uses a bubble flare and the Cadillac
Brake hose uses an inverted flare, John Mangels gave a demonstration of forming both types of flares
on brake lines as part of the Tech Session.
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Volume 23, Issue 2
The St. Louis Metro Gazette
Repeat this procedure on the other side of the car
and you have disk brakes on the rear of your MG!
Lastly, when you connect the parking brake cables
you’ll notice that the clevis pin hole on the lever on
the Toyota caliper is a little larger than the stock
MGB. You can either live with a little play or drill the
MGB cable clevis to fit a metric clevis pin. The parking brake function is built into the caliper, and is adjusted by operating the parking brake lever. The
parking brake must be adjusted before bleeding the
calipers. On the demo rear axle, with new pads and
rotors, the caliper was correctly adjusted with the
piston fully seated in caliper catsing.
The kit was very straightforward and installed perfectly on my MGC rear axle, but I couldn’t leave well
enough alone, so I took a pair of old MGC rear splined hubs and the rotors to a machine shop and had
them redrill the rotors for a 5x4.75” bolt pattern with 7/16” holes. They also machined the splines off
the MGC hubs and installed GM drum brake studs so I now have 5 lug hubs on my V8 rear axle with
disk brakes. During the tech session we did install a 4 lug MGB disk wheel hub on one side of the axle
so we could check the clearance with stock Rostyle wheels. Even though the Rotors have been drilled
for a 5 lug pattern the holes for the four lug pattern are still there, so it was an easy test to perform. I
am happy to report there is plenty of room even with the 14” wheels. Also, the Toyota calipers are a
sliding, single piston design with a small bore, so there should be no problem with a standard MG
Master Cylinder. While I did the conversion with the axle out of the car, it can be performed just as
easily with the axle in the car, just make sure you have the car properly supported on jack stands and
remember to bleed the brakes after the conversion.
So far so good, the kit is flexible for any MGB or
MGC and is available in both banjo rear axle and
tube rear axle versions. It would be a safe bet that
if you got the banjo rear axle kit you could fit it to
your MGA or Magnette by having the rotors redrilled for a 4x4.5” pattern with 7/16” holes to
match the stud size on an A or Magnette. The rotors and brake hoses are cheap pieces at your favorite parts store.
Now for the bad news: The calipers are hard to
come by. It seems that 1984 to 1987 Toyota Corolla GTS, also known as the Toyota Corolla AE86,
are much in demand by the import tuner crowd
for drift cars and there weren’t that many of them built to begin with. Also, the Cadillac brake hoses
appear to be about 2 to 3” too short so they are stretched a little more than I’d like on the bracket. Fortunately, Inline Tube will make these hoses up in braided stainless in any length you want, so I’ll be
replacing the brake hoses before I get the car operational.
Overall, if you can find the Toyota Brake calipers, this kit is a well engineered method of providing
your MG with rear disk brakes. Stay tuned, now that I have the rear axle completed, I have to get 5 lug
hubs and better brakes for the front of my BGT V8 along with completing the installation of a Hoyle
Engineering coil-over front suspension kit.
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Volume 23, Issue 2
The St. Louis Metro Gazette
St. Louis MG Club Meeting Minutes
January 11, 2010
Chairman Bob Bentzinger called the meeting to order at 7:32pm.
Officers present: Bob Bentzinger, Byron Golfin, Stefanie Barnes, Janel Demick
Members present: Mike Barnes, John & Carol Mangles, Chuck Demick, Bob Horzmann, John Rau,
Bruce Hamper, Chris Kresser, Robert Rushing, Ranney Dohogne, Fred House, Rich Griffin, Don
Gatheman, Rich Berger, Lee Fox, Todd Brown, Walt Murphy, Byron Golfin, Sterling Ellis, Floyd
Jochimsen, Bob Smith
Visitor present: Jason Hassebrock – looking to buy a chrome-bumper B in running condition.
Minutes from December meeting:
Motion to accept as submitted: Bob Horzmann
Second: Don Gatheman
Passed unanimously.
Treasury Report:
General fund: $2,623.38
Events fund: $4,4138.47
Projects:
John Rau: Shared a “fix” for a Triumph inside door handle – a copper fitting that had been epoxied in place.
Rich Berger: Victoria British has a remote keyless entry kit for sale and was wondering if anyone
had tried it.
Ranney Dohogne: Noted that Victoria British had recently mailed out a sale catalog. Much discussion followed about the quality of aftermarket parts.
Bob Horzmann: Reported on an article about oxygenated fuels in Moss's magazine, British Motoring. Discussion followed about water in fuel systems.
Bob Bentzinger: Installed a turn-signal buzzer using a specialty crimp terminal on the flasher
unit.
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Volume 23, Issue 2
The St. Louis Metro Gazette
Rich Berger: Also installed a turn-signal buzzer and reminded everyone to wire it correctly so it
will work.
Bob Bentzinger: Working on developing a warning to let drivers know when the overdrive is
engaged. Said Walt Murphy has a small LED in the steering wheel cowl that works well.
Mini-Tech Session:
John Mangles (with his lovely assistant Robert Rushing) brought in a steering column
and showed how to release the steering lock, should one lose their keys. Remove the cowl and,
using a metal punch, knock out the bolts on the lock. Remove the lock and remove the switch,
then a screwdriver can be used to start the car. (Was that a lesson in hotwiring???) Using the
same steering column, John demonstrated several ways to de-rust the steering wheel –
scotchbrite pad with WD40, or a small wire brush.
Old Business:
Chrismakkuh Party: Saturday, January 16, at Bully's Smokehouse in Columbia, Illinois. Cocktails at 5:00; dinner at 6:00. Rob-your-neighbor gift exchange and door prizes.
Holiday Lights Tour: Met in South City and toured the St. Louis Hills and Holly Hills areas;
about a dozen cars. Dinner afterward at Uncle Bill's Pancake House.
New Business:
January Tech Session: January 18, 7:00pm at All British Car Repair, 2618 Woodson Road.
Topic is a rear disc brake conversion on John Perkins’s car.
February Tech Session: February 15 at British Cars of America, 2338 N. Lindbergh Blvd.
Topic to be determined.
Polar Bear Run: Sponsored by the Triumph Club; February 14, with a potluck party at the end
of the drive. More details soon.
Pinewood Derby: Ranney will work out the details. Pinewood derby car kits can be found at
many local stores (Ace Hardware, etc.). March 7 at Gas House Grill.
Terry Fanning Rally: Bob Horzmann to set it up. Scheduled date: March 14. Details to follow.
Easter Car Show: April 4 in Forest Park. Those present voted to have a “club presence” at the
show.
Spring Fling: Janel asked for suggestions for trip ideas. Options for a long and short run would
be good.
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Volume 23, Issue 2
The St. Louis Metro Gazette
Saturday Morning Get-Togethers: Bob Horzmann reported that the Bentley dealership on
Arnage Drive has been holding weekly get-togethers on Saturdays from 9:00-11:30am. Free
coffee & food. Evora will be on display January 14-15.
Chicagoland MG Car Festival: September 12
Alternate Club Meeting Locations: Bob Bentzinger floated the idea of having another meeting at a local pub, rather than the library. Discussion followed regarding semantics, with the
consensus being that it would be a “club event” and no club business would be officially discussed among the membership.
June Picnic Meeting: Fred Houser will reserve Frontier Park for June 14. We need a volunteer
to cook hotdogs/brats/burgers.
Newsletter Article Deadline: Newsletter Editor Todd Brown reminded everyone that the
deadline for articles to be included in the newsletter is the 25th of the month prior to publication (January 25 for the February newsletter, etc.).
For Sale/Wanted:
Jason Hassebrock wants to buy a chrome bumper MGB in running condition.
Mike Fishman is selling his 1965 MGB.
Rich Berger is selling his 1980 MGB LE.
Attendance Prize Winners: John Mangles, Walt Murphy, Fred Houser
Motion to adjourn: Don Gatheman
Second: Mike Barnes
The meeting was adjourned at 8:40pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Stefanie Barnes
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Volume 23, Issue 2
The St. Louis Metro Gazette
THIS COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE, SERIOUSLY
http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=4826897
Fred Houser sent this link to a 20/20 report on old tires. This is good to watch even if you don’t drive
an old LBC.
FOR A FULL LISTING OF UPCOMING EVENTS, CLASSIFIED ADDS, AND
MUCH MORE GO BROWSE OUR EXCELENT WEB SITE AT:
http://www.stlouismgclub.com/
For Sale- MG TF 1954. New top & toneau cover. Good chrome. . Luggage rack. New seat covers. New door covers. Runs well. Aluminum side and valve covers. Disk brake kit for front
suspension (MGB parts). 4.2 rear axle installed, 3.9 available. Brass sleeves in wheel cylinders. Body wood and metal in good condition. Very new wire wheels. Spin-on oil filter.
Chrome driving lights. Garaged. Photos available. $16,000 321-267-5698 [email protected] .. (Titusville, Florida)
Wanted: Pre-1968 MGB roadster in very good original, recently restored, or older restored
condition. I'd like to find a car that is as unaltered from original spec as possible. Some wear
and tear is fine on a car that is correct. I am a long-time MG nut (since 1967). Please email
me at [email protected] or call me at 707 942 0546.
General Account Financial Report
MG Club of St. Louis
Statement of Income and Expense
General Account
Jan-10
By Byron Golfin
Treasurer
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Beginning cash
Income
Dues deposits
Other
Total Income
Expenses
Newsletter
Printing
Postage
Membership postage
Total expenses
$
Ending cash
$2,575.89
19
$2,609.34
$60
$60
$51.65
$25.96
$15.84
93.45
Volume 23, Issue 2
The St. Louis Metro Gazette
Club Officers & Support Roles
Name
Address
Phone
E-Mail
Bob Bentzinger
Chairman
1129 Hudson Road
St. Louis MO 63135-1424
(314) 524-6128
[email protected]
Byron Golfin
Treasurer
152 Seabrook Drive
Chesterfield MO 63017-3616
(314) 469-7146
[email protected]
Stef Barnes
Secretary
4657 Varrelmann Ave.
St. Louis MO 63116-2417
(314) 803-2113
[email protected]
Janel Demick
Events Chairperson
1028 Lexington Dr
Columbia IL 62236
(618) 401-5872
[email protected]
Fred Houser
Membership Coordinator
544 Winding Trail Drive
St. Louis MO 63131
(314) 965-9320 [email protected]
Todd Brown
Newsletter Editor
673 Augustine Rd.
Eureka, MO 63025
(314) 681-5597
[email protected]
Registrars
Name
Phone
E-Mail
Pre-war
Bob Horzmann
(636) 227-3449
[email protected]
T-Series
Charlie Key
(314) 428-9335
[email protected]
MGA/Magnette
John Mangles
(636) 939-9338
[email protected]
MGB/MGC
Simon Dix
(636) 240-6739
[email protected]
Spridget
Bruce Hamper
(314) 822-4831
[email protected]
Cars In Boxes
Stef Barnes
(314) 803-2113
[email protected]
Other Marques
Ranney Dohogne
(314) 878-7766
[email protected]
Historian
Bob Bentzinger
(314) 524-6128
[email protected]
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20
Road Trip?
The Wave - Arizona, USA
Spider Rock, Chelly Canyon - Arizona, USA
Perce Rock - Canada
Mushroom Rock - Kansas, USA
Geiser Black Rock Desert - Nevada, USA
Devils Tower - Wyoming, USA
"The St. Louis Metro Gazette (SLMG)" is a publication of the MG Club of St. Louis and remains the property of the club. It is published monthly and is provided free to
members in good standing and to officers of other British car clubs upon request. "SLMG" solicits articles from members and other sources. Opinions expressed here
are not necessarily those of the Club, Club Officers, or the staff of the newsletter. Technical information is believed accurate, however, any repairs or mechanical advise
is attempted at the readers own risk. The Club, Officers, or newsletter staff will not be responsible for any misinterpreted or incorrect technical information. If in doubt,
consult with a certified technician. Articles may be reprinted by other car clubs provided that credit is given to author and “SLMG”
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