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MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGA - Frustrated

On a really miserable weekend I had hoped to complete a project on a Twin Cam to replace all the brake lines. All has gone well until the last connection - the flex hose to the fixed pipe at the battery box.

The old hose came off with a bit of a fight, and fitting the new one was then impossible because the old hose has a coarse thread to the battery box fitting, the new one has a fine thread. I don't have a nut to fit the new hose....

So the question is : which hose has the correct thread? Has the car been bodged in the past or is the new hose out of spec (source Moss EU)?

I have ordered a new nut from Moss, in the (I trust not misplaced) hope that they are actually supplying matching nuts for their hoses.

Tomorrow's job is to refit the rear carb (had to remove it to get at the 4-way fitting from above)- the inner wing panel just didn't give enough access.

I hate working on Twin Cams! There's no space anywhere and that means it takes 2-3 times as long and twice as many cuts and grazes to get any job done compared to a pushrod car. it took two hours just to replace the valve cover gaskets.....

Dominic Clancy

Fine thread is what it should be!
If You need two hours to replace a cam cover gasket I'd think YOU have a problem.
Dirk
Dirk Van Ussel

The problem with the cam covers was having to remove the top coolant hose to get at the nuts, so first having to drain the coolant, then scraping the old bodged sealant and hardened gasket off the head and covers, avoiding getting cr*p in the engine, then gluing the new gaskets to the cleaned covers, waiting for the glue to dry, fitting the covers with new sealing washers, refitting then top hose and refilling the coolant. I am not at all unhappy with two hours for all of that and no leaks at the end.

If you have a well maintained car I can well imagine that this takes a lot less time, but on this example I am always confronted with the bodges of the previous 30 years of not-always professional maintenance.

From your information I am looking at another non-standard bodge.....
Dominic Clancy

“Drain coolant, remove top hose, to get at the nuts”?? On my Twin Cam Dominic there is only one of the front nuts (the one below the oil filler cap) which might be called slightly awkward re the top hose, but can be got at and definitely doesn’t need the hose and coolant removing, and then the cam covers can be simply taken off. Is my setup non-standard or is it yours?
Bruce.
B Mayo

Make gaskets in oil resistant rubber. A lot better.
Indeed taking off the top hose should not be necessary.
Twin cams are FUN!
Dirk
Dirk Van Ussel

This thread was discussed on 12/11/2017

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