LocostUSA.com

Oh, well that’s kind of a lot. Looks like your into new bushings too, that sucks. I think my front end was freshly rebuilt. Drawn up on the nut the king pins are tight. I was really worried about that reaming business. .005 is kind of a lot.

_________________
Steve

My build : http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtop ... 35&t=17160

MGB/GT V8 5.0L. viewtopic.php?f=36&t=20782

Chuck,
You could guide off the new lower bush with two cones that are drilled to accept the small reamer's shank, slotted to squeeze into the bush to eliminate the reamer shank clearance, hand ream, then reverse for the large reamer, but if it is that critical, it would be best to take it to a pro. Your time is worth a lot.

_________________
Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

OK, here is another update. I bought the two adjustable reams. But then, I chicken'd out. Our MG club owns the "proper" ream. So I reamed them using that proper tool. It was tough going. When I took them home and inserted the kingpin, they didn't go in. I think the ream was not cutting but just squeezing it's way in. At least that is what my non-machinist brain says. Fortunately I had not yet returned the adjustable reams. I measured the pin an adjusted the ream for slightly larger, maybe .001", diameter. They "clearly" cut their way thru. Both reams followed the previous reamed holes nicely. When done, the pins went into place with no real resistance and once inm there was no noticeable radial slop. I think I fell into that pretty nicely.

I am always amazed at how much time a "restoration" takes, no matter how many times I have done it. I have spent the last couple of weeks, several hours a day at getting the entire front suspension rebuilt. Derusted, cleaned, fit, adjusted and painted and then breased and reassembled. While I am not yet done, I am close. Everything except the crossmember itself. It is stripped down. I need to get the last bit of rust sanded down before I repaint it. Unfortunately, the final assembly will have to wait. The engineering geniuses at the MG design house decided that the front mounting of the crossmember to the frame required 2 of the bolts to be assembled thru the space where the springs need to be.

Along the way, in between waiting for the nightly painted parts to dry. I stripped down the steering rack and refurbished that. In the MG it uses oil in the rack for lubrication. Often the bellows fail and the oil leaves. I chose to go another path and lubed it with moly-grease. It will not leak out. This is the same way I lubed the rack in the Locost when I depowered and shortened the RX-7 rack. It worked there, Other manual racks today use grease, the MGB rack will not be any different.

At our Wednesday Night MG Car Club, work continues on a modified MGB with the same engine as mine but a T5 transmission. A very special build to be sure. In true roadster fashion, no door windows, or outside door handles either. Another club build is taking place on a '72 MGB-GT. Floors and sills are being replaced at the moment. If you are interested in MGs, I welcome you to follow it here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100067510801887 If you are ever in Chicago area on a Wednesday night, and want to see what's happening, drop me a line and I'll give you directions. If you just want a nice MGB with the same drivetrain, I can hook you up with a nice one too.

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Okay, Production continues. The front crossmember is cleaned up and painted. It still needs another coat, but I'm calling it done. for the purposes of this post.

I have moved on to the next step, renewing the differential. Beyond cleaning and paint, this is new spider gear shims (fiber and bronze), seals. I am also swapping from the MG 3.9 ring and pinion to an aftermarket set of 3.31. I am running into a small glitch. While the MG guys all rave about the gears, nobody has documented the process. The seller of these gear sets will just say " have a BMW, Mercedes or Lexus dealer install them, otherwise you will ruin them. They have specialized equipment for installing these Oerlikon-cut gears which are different from the MG profile." Well, I guess he never has visited LocostUSA where we are a bunch or DIY'ers.

I have never gotten this deep into differentials but think I understand the adjustments and methods to shim and check the final installation. The issue I'm having is the first step of shimming of the pinion gear. In the MGB the FSM says to use a factory tool which is a proxy for the pinion to take measurements and then choose the appropriate spacer to locate the fore/aft location of the gear. Well, I don't have that proxy tool, and even if I did, it probably doesn't apply to this new ring and pinion set. I have the ring installed which is a no-brainer. It looks like I have some research to do on this style of gears. Stay tuned.

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Chuck, I just got done doing all of this on my 8.8. That pinion without the tool will take you a couple tries. Start with what came out first, Then you need to set the shims on the gear set and print the pattern. From here its all about reading the gear print as to in and out on the pinion and side to side on the carrier. Tonight I'll try and find the video I watched, it was pretty helpful on what you're seeing with the marker. If the print is on the inner part of the ring add shims to get it in the middle, if the marks are on the heel, remove. Then the carrier is how deep the marks are on the ring as too side to side shims. The last time you shim add .005 to both sides and pound it in with a dead blow. I used my drill and socket on the pinion to run it and get marker on the gears faster. All of your marks need to be centered on the ring gear.

_________________
Steve

My build : http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtop ... 35&t=17160

MGB/GT V8 5.0L. viewtopic.php?f=36&t=20782

The greatest tolerance is from one housing to another, so reinstalling the same shims should get you in the ball park for smaller adjustment.

_________________
Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

Thanks for the advice guys. I have researched and learned a lot over the past few days. The OEM style gears are 5-cut gears. The modern replacements are 2-cut gears. 2-cut gears require slightly lower backlash. The printed gear interface pattern goals are the same but how you adjust them to get there are slightly different, not that it matters.

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Using a calculator I found on the web, I have found the backlash for there gears are supposed to be 0.005-0.007" so that is my target.


I've been spending time on this project almost daily lately. I took a week off to visit my son and family. Back to progress. I'm going to call the front end done now. New rotors, bushings, rebuilt calipers, renewed steering rack, as they always are when doing a resto. A few small bits still need to be purchased and installed but the hard work is done. Now it is just a matter of bolting a few things together. That will happen in a year or two during final assembly. I modified new crossmember mounting pads to fit as I think they should be done. And the new poly pads I bought were definitely too thick for the job as received. Somehow, there seems to be conflicting methods of how it is supposed to be assembled and the FSM doesn't address that.

I'm now getting serious on the differential rebuild. I now have a 80%+ confidence in setting up the 2-cut Oerlikon gears and will move forward with that. I purchased a bearing puller for removing the pinion bearing. One would think that by this time in my life, I would have all the tools I would ever need. But no-oo-oo! I continue to acquire tools that I never needed before. The crown wheel is installed. I blasted the brake drums and painted them with Rustoleum rust conversion paint. They measure PDC (pretty darn close) to 10" ID so there is room for turning if I can find a place that still does that economically and will do it on drums with no maximum markings on them. Purchased new pinion bearings and the GM12 inch differential shim pack.

I've got to clean up the ol' workbench before I work on the diff.

Now for the bad news. About 2 weeks ago I noticed that I have a vision defect. There is a small area in my right eye that is not right. Things disappear as if they weren't even there and the surrounding area fills in the missing information. No black areas, just out of focus in the center of my vision. The Ophthalmologist has diagnosed it as a Macular hole. I need surgery. It seems that every year, something puts a monkey wrench in my progress. It won't stop progress but it will delay it a bit. This getting old business is getting old!

Until next time.

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Sorry to hear about your Macular hole. A good friend of mine in Nor Cal just recently went thru that same problem. The surgery went well, but now (as the Dr had told him) he needs cataract surgery to finish it off. My friend said the tough part was not being able to lay down for awhile after the surgery.

Wishing you good luck!

_________________
Thom

Boy that brings back memories. I don't have enough fingers and toes to count the number of diffs I've rebuilt, from small car diffs to 5 ton 2 speed diffs. My mentor at the time taught me to feel the proper backlash and to feel the proper pinion bearing preload, no dial indicators or torque wrenches needed for either. It's a very relaxing job to set up a diff, you know you have to do it right the first time or you'll be doing it right the second time (that's what he told me),
You'll have no problem with this Chuck,

_________________
Perry

'If man built it, man can fix it'
"No one ever told me I couldn't do it."
"If you can't build it safe, don't build it."

Perry's Locost Super Che7enette Build
Perry's TBird Based 5.0L Super 7 L.S.O
Perry's S10 Super 7 The 3rd
Perry's 4th Build The Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Altered
Perry's 5th Build the Super Slant 6 Super 7
Perry's Final Build the 1929 Mercedes Gazelle

Chuck, you said (in part):

"It seems that every year, something puts a monkey wrench in my progress. It won't stop progress but it will delay it a bit. This getting old business is getting old!"

I can only offer sympathy and understanding. When I started my build in 2011 I could work at all the physical tasks (cutting, grinding, sanding, bending, lifting, welding) 8-10 hours a day without issue. Now I can't. It's very humbling. I've gotten to know my Physical Therapist very well over the last three years. Thank goodness she's a very personable and competent person who always manages to get me functional again [LOL].

Best of luck with your vision treatment plan.

_________________
Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886

Sorry to hear about that Chuck. I think they have to go in through the rectum to reach it but I could be wrong. I'm not a doctor.

Seriously though, I hope it is a simple a procedure as lasik.

_________________
Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

Laser repair/surgery?
My dad had a retinal tear a couple years ago, laser repair & follow up visits every 6 months. Had a couple touch ups, but overall a very easy procedure.

_________________
1975 MG Midget
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=24382
13B Powered Rotus Geauxkart
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=20899

thanks all,
Thom, yes. It seems that the gas they use to put pressure on the hole to get it to heal often causes cataracts. There are two gasses, they can use. The one he plans on using is the fastest to dissipate and has less chance of causing them. He said that the old thoughts were to sit and sleep with the head face down. Some say a couple of days, some say a week or two. More recent studies have discounted that. There is no discernable difference in success of outcome. He just cautioned to rotate the eyeball occasionally. I'll try to sleep face down. I can't guarantee that. He said just don't sleep on my back.

Perry, anytime you want to come by and give a training session, feel free. The workshop is open 24 hours a day. I can schedule you in anytime.

Lonnie, the last time I was released from PT, we made a bet as to when I would be back for something. He said 2 years. I said "No personal offense, but I hope it is never."

MV8, I don't think I can type "Dr. MV8", Oops. I guess I can.

Jamador, No easy laser for me. 3 ports in the eyeball for a light, tweezers to peel some of the ILM back and a needle to move things back where they belong. Std practice for this type of surgery.

For those interested, this is a picture of the ports used in the eyeball.

Let's move on toward Locost things. Okay?

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

I was thinking today about why so many MG people have problems with figuring out why new front springs do not give them the ride height changes they expect from the seller's descriptions. It got me wondering. It does not affect my coil selection as I am using the OEM 54 year old springs. It may affect the way I install them when that time comes.

I posted my query on the suspension section here. If you have any knowledge, please respond over there. Thanks.

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=24284

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766