MG Sports Cars

Hey guys,

Well, I bought the '77 B with the Buick 215 from the guy in Ft. Worth. (Thanks again to Wayne Kube for going to look at it for me.)

We agreed on a price, and the whole deal was going great...money went into escrow today, and the truck is scheduled to pick her up tomorrow and bring her here to me in DC.

The seller just called. He was putting in a new set of plugs, and he spun # 4. Stripped out.

He needs time to repair it. He says he just got back from the parts store with a repair kit, which seems to be good quality steel, but he lacks the right size drill bit to prepare the whole thing in time for the truck tomorrow. So we have to re-schedule.

Over and above the issue of losing my transport deposit, which he and I are going to work out, I'm worried about galvanic corrosion. Isn't this steel heli-coil (or heli-coil knock off, whatever it is) going to react with the aluminum head?

What is your opinion, guys?

Thanks,
James

Depending on the type of steel used in the heli coil, which should be more of a low alloy or regular carbon steel, it should be ok. Standard steel has a rating of 0.85 V on the Anodic Index (a measurement of galvanic compatability) whereas aluminum has ratings between 0.90 and 0.95. In a humid, higher than average heat, or high salt content (coastal areas, such as DC being close to the Bay) or otherwise "outdoor" environment the difference between metals should only be between 0.15 V of each other before severe galvanic corrosion starts. So in theroy you should be ok till your B gets to DC. I would still say fix it properly when you get it though, which I'm sure you would. Hope this helps :-)

Tell him to take $100 off the price of the car and fix it yourself when you get it. you could take it to a machine shop for $75-100 bucks and get it helicoiled yourself and that way you don't lose your deposit.

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Tell him to take $100 off the price of the car and fix it yourself when you get it. you could take it to a machine shop for $75-100 bucks and get it helicoiled yourself and that way you don't lose your deposit.

That's the approach I'd recommend too. Cross-threaded or stripped spark plug threads aren't all that uncommon on the Buick 215... lots of people have Heli-coiled them with no problems. Don't ever remove/reinstall spark plugs when the heads are hot! (The Rover heads have a thicker cross-section at the spark plug holes, and are less likely to have a problem.)

The corrosion issue is basically no different than a steel spark plug in an aluminum hole. Anyhow, the connection is tight and dry...

Do you have a mechanic you can trust? There are lots of good shops in your area. One of our BritishV8 advertisers - John Lyster at JBL - is located out by Dulles airport, and although he mostly does bodywork, he's a great mechanic and fabricator too. He was on the Group 44 racing team, and has been around these cars/engines a long time. You'll have a LOT of fun meeting a fellow enthusiast and looking at his MGA LS1 project... and this whole used-car-buying experience will turn out just fine.





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/15/2010 01:03PM by Moderator.

Thanks for the input and suggestions. What a great group.

Anyway, the whole thing blew over. He was able to do the repair in time, the deposit was not lost, and I can always look it over at my leisure when the car arrives. Hurrah!

James, congratulations!

Call me if you need any help.

Jim Stuart.

James, I just saw your thread but can offer a suggestion. This whole thread stripping problem is very common on certain Ford engines (I have one of the problem ones) and the best repair method involves the use of a steel insert which is crimped into the hole. Many auto repair shops have the kit for this, (which costs around $300) and charge around $250 for the repair. The process is to tap new oversized threads, vacuum out the cylinder using a small tube, then screw in a solid insert and crimp or swage it into position using the same method as in setting a nutsert. This insures the insert won't back out, as many of the diy repairs do. Hope that helps.

Jim

Best thread repair on the planet ! No commercial, just fact ! Probably what Jim was describing. Located in Sparks, Nevada. One pc.,flanged, copper plated, stong,thin wall and are swaged/locked in place with a "roll tap" as the final operation.roverman.

Good "thread" - not sure this issue has been brought up previously - hope I never have to reference.

With at least three conversions under his belt err....hood, it's great to see Mr. Stuart racking-up some posts - we now have the Jim & Jim Show!

James - good luck on your project - hope to see you at one of the annual BV8 Meets.

James/J.S. - there's a car meet every Saturday from spring to fall at Marley Station Mall, Glen Burnie, MD - 100+ (fundraisers = 500+) cars EVERY Saturday evening - I'm typically the ONLY mg (never mind a v8) - it gets lonely out there.

I concur on doing this job yourself or have it done locally. A guy who just bought a kit and is going to do it himself does not inspire much confidence IMHO. PLUS most of the parts stores carry cheaper off-shore manufactured kits that are no match for US made heli-coil, time-sert etc. The Timeserts are the best, I've used a lot of them. Can the guy quick before he f's it up!

Thanks for the advice, everyone. The guy did the job and I took delivery of the car last week. I'll inspect the whole thing when I have time.

So far, so good...but now there's a fuel pump problem and I can't drive the f'ing car. I knew headaches were standard equipment with little British cars, but this is ridiculous!

No fuel getting to the carb...When I have time this week I will have to put her up and have a look at the fuel pump. Could be some varnish from the fuel tank -- they ship these things nearly dry -- or if the pump isn't operating at all, maybe a blown fuse? I couldn't find a fuse for the fuel pump in the wiring diagram. OH WELL. :^)

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With at least three conversions under his belt err....hood, it's great to see Mr. Stuart racking-up some posts

More like 6.