Project Swamp

[alect]

Rob, changing the cam belt with engine mount out is a doddle, the four bolts holding it to the rear subframe come out easy from the top using a long or a combination of extensions, with the big bolts undone already the mount will come out through the wheel arch with a bit of wiggling, I also spend another couple of mins removing the alloy engine mount from the side of the engine, with these out of the way changing the cam belt is a pleasure rather than a bloody struggle, I have done it twice on my VVC and wouldnt attempt it any other way.

[alect]

I have a thread running on Pistonheads where I detailed my cam belt change if anyone is interested,
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/top ... 58762&i=40,
you can jump to page 3 to cut out all the rest of the waffle about my car

[Charless]

But if you have the time the 'waffle' is well worth it!

[Rob Bell]

Thanks Alect - you took out the whole alloy support bar! Wow! I'll have a read of the whole thread later...

[RobboMC]

Awesome story Alec.

A car that would otherwise have ended up in the scrap heap.
And I thought I've done a lot of work on my car, Wow!

In the end did you wish you had just removed the engine from the car?

[alect]

Hi Robbo

If I had removed the engine I would then have spent a year taking everything off the subframe and refurbing the lot to new, so no, I was not nessessary the access is OK for what I had to do from the top and bottom, however had the clutch been stuck or had a gearbox problem then I would have pulled it out, but then it would still be in the garage rather than out enjoying the sunshine today!

[RobboMC]

I have long wondered how I should end my Project Swamp story, well here it is. This is at Cape Byron, Australia’s most easterly point.

The trip, 750 km , from Sydney made in a morning, this was a late lunch stop after setting off in the wee small hours of the morning.
Pre breakfast 415 km, @ 7.3 l/ 100 km
Cool morning air, mostly empty motorways
Then 411 km , @ 5.8 l/100 km ( lots of 80 km/h limit )
However I don’t think the tank was initially fully to the top at the start.
The return trip a few days later was equally excellent, a round trip total of 1,600 km all at expressway speeds and I put in nothing but fuel.
Pre lunch - 205 km @ 7.7 l/100 km ( roof down)
Afternoon- 525 km on one tank

The Pacific Highway is now freeway for over 600 km but for one big town, with the GPS at 111 km/h ( mostly 110 speed limit) I was indicating more like 120 on the car’s speedometer for many hours.

An absolutely magnificent run in an awesome car to drive.

[Rob Bell]

Sounds amazing!

IMO these MGs make fantastic GT cars, ideal for these kind of road adventures

[RobboMC]

So just as I declare my project to be over I now face the final frontier - Hydragas replacement

So I spend my annual bonus on an FCC spring conversion kit and launch into removing the old suspension parts.
This turns out to be a nightmare. As the saying goes, the only way to get experience is to make mistakes!

Firstly it was out with the old

and in with the new

Not as easy as it looks, 2 afternoons work to complete just one side. I am getting old and slow but this kit needs to go together in just the right sequence or it doesn't fit in! The FCC kit does look the goods though, very nicely put together and good quality parts.

Only 3 corners to go!

Sorry about the photo orientation, I need an in service course on uploading.

[mowog73]

I'm sure the next three corners will go faster...I hope.

If our experience with two installs is anything to go by, the effort will be worth it.

[Rob Bell]

I've stockpiled a complete set of Hydragas units! If I had the time, money and space, I would have bought up a load of cheap MGFs and stuck them in a barn somewhere

[RobboMC]

Next the project was affected by the factor of 'scope creep'. Now that the whole front end is apart it seems silly to put it all together with the old ball joints, so out with the lower arm as well and to the bench drill to remove the rivets from the lower joint; then to the grinding wheel with a 46 mm socket to remove the chamfer to get a grip on the 4 mm deep hexagon of the upper joint. My dad's small home workshop is still intact and he seems happy to be able to contribute tools and advice even though his advanced years mean he can't do any work himself. Armed with the correct tools and a new drill bit I successfully rebuild the entire suspension system.

[Rob Bell]

The lower ball joint is such a pain, but in the UK the lower arm usually rots out before the ball joint fails!

Potentially you can slot the holes in the lower arm to give you camber adjustment - which would be something I would consider...

[mowog73]

The FCCKit has camber adjustment built into it at the upper ball joint.

I ended up with a bit of scope creep as well when I did the install.

[Rob Bell]

The FCCKit has camber adjustment built into it at the upper ball joint.

I ended up with a bit of scope creep as well when I did the install.

How does the camber adjuster work - and can it be fitted to Hydragas cars?

[mowog73]

It's built into the replacement upper arm. There is a square 'top hat' for the upper ball joint that goes in a slot in the upper control arm that allows for the camber adjustment. There is also a another plate that goes on top that the ball joint's nut screws down on, along with tangs and bolts to hold it in place once the camber is adjusted. I'll have to search around the see if I can find a picture of the arrangement.

[Rob Bell]

Thanks Mark - I'd be interested to see. It probably isn't something that can be fitted to Hydragas cars?

[RobboMC]

The replacement upper arm used in the FCC kit is totally different to the standard arm. Due to the inherent high forces that Hydragas can impart on the arm, the connection point is quite close to the pivot. To allow a coil over shock to work properly the attachment point is moved further outwards towards the wheel to increase the leverage. So the short answer is no. I've still got the rear arms on the table, I"ll post a pic soon.

[mowog73]

Here's a picture of the upper control arm, showing a slotted portion where the ball joint gets connected that is used for camber adjustment. There is a special top hat for the ball joint.

[Rob Bell]

Really helpful, thanks Mark and Rob