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.
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Chuck.
“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman
Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log:
over HEREOr my Wankel powered Locost log :
over HEREAnd don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766