MG Sports Cars

Is there a Paypal account, too?

Brad

You did what to the shifter knob??????

Um... replaced it? Trust me, you'll like this one better... and it was free. My local AutoZone manager showed me a box of stuff and said to take whatever I wanted so I grabbed a couple of knobs.

I'm surprised none of you guys told me the EDIS was not supposed to give 18* advance unplugged. Anyway when Steve and I made the trigger wheel I was working from memory and I "remembered" 6 teeth from TDC. Guess it's really supposed to be 5, so after TIG welding up the gap, dressing it down and removing the one next to it I now get 8*, only 2 from what it should be. Starts even easier now. (Evidently EDIS gives 0* advance while cranking.)

Unlike MegaSquirt it seems MegaJolt only allows a max of +-5* of trigger offset so this really needs to be close as installed.

I won't be able to do anything more with it for the next 3 weeks but maybe I can do some tuning tomorrow. It looks like the map settings are influencing the timing and the controller does have a rudimentary map already in place. It's wrong of course but at least it's there. But maybe I'll have time to fire it up, get it off fast idle and set the idle advance part of the map. That'll be a good start. Then some time later on I can work on the rest of the map.

Jim

Good day today. I pretty much got the GUI figured out and tweaked the timing map to be similar to what I've seen in the past for 215's and other V8 engines. It seems to work pretty good overall and the car drives a little better than it did before. The upper end could use some work still and we'll have to see what we can do on the cruise for economy but at least the tools are there. It seems to like about 30* at idle and with the EDIS basically running no advance below 400 rpm (cranking) it starts very well indeed. I predict we've replaced our last starter. YAY!

I'm going to drive it around town tomorrow running errands, and if I'm happy with the temp functions I'll connect it to the radiator fans.

I will say though that I don't much care for this MegaJolt overall as compared to the MegaSquirt. The software is clunky, crash prone, and difficult. They did things like requiring a Ctrl+ arrow to increase or decrease advance and I've not found it capable of changing advance without first updating the controller so what you see on your map is NOT what the controller is doing until you update. In other words they have made it more or less impossible to tune on the fly. Probably for liability reasons, but with MS and a solid laptop mount you can drive one handed while resting your other on the laptop and give a little tap hear, a little tap there on two keys your fingers are resting on.

OTOH once it's set you're done.

I will copy the program and the tune file on a diskette and put it in the binder with the tuning and install instructions so any time someone wants to tweak something all that's needed is a laptop with a serial port.

Jim

Sounds good Jim. Be sure to report onthe around town use.

Steve

Jim do you plan to drive it any distance? Thank you for your steady work.
Im thinking of driving something down to Key West in 3 weeks, probably my bgt V6, but I could make it the Roadmaster if anyone

down there wanted it briefly. I think it is important to have the car at Bill youngs service in May on the 17th.

I've not heard much from others wanting to host the car, it is time to get the requests in!

Here is the report:

Drove a loop that includes about every imaginable type of road today and the car performed impeccably. It starts easily, is easy to drive and well mannered beyond all expectations. The only limits I found were when G forces sloshed the fuel in the carb. There is probably room for improvement but it's plenty good enough and as far as I can tell, better than the distributor in every way. And because the coil-overs are no longer banging against the floor the car was noticeably quieter as well.

After I got back I hooked up the fans to the MJ and got that to work. Only thing is, it makes the LED indicator light stay on all the time. I may see if I can measure the current running through there if I have the chance, but it's clearly less than 1/3 amp because that'd be enough to fire the fan relays. Typical LED current is about 20 mA so if that's all it draws it won't matter. Oddly enough if either of the fan circuits don't have power, when the key is turned off the other fan runs so it is sort of a handy tell-tale in a way. I sent them an email asking about that. Still needs another test drive but I'll see to that soon enough.

I have the console out at the moment but hope to have it back together this week sometime, and then I'm done with repairs. Here's the short list of things I know of that you guys still need to get done:

Door lock: The cylinder is in the console, I think it needs some sort of circlip
Window adjustments, both doors
Steering column: In a box in the back
Gages: I think there is a pigtail of some sort in the console

Don't run it out of gas. It doesn't re-prime very well.

Otherwise, I think it's good to go.

Jim

I second that one about running out of gas. ... .... and I speak from experience

Sounds like you had a nice drive today Jim

I'm willing to bet that the circlip for the lock cylinder is lying on the bottom of the door.

The barrel that currently resides in the console is part number 101 in this diagram.

However, I've never seen this assembly separate "in situ" before....usually if you take the retaining clip off, the lock assembly can be pulled out of the door as a single assembly.

The pigtail thing is for calibrating the speedo. I got SW to send it to me when I had the car. I think there is some issue with the plug...either it is not the right one or the speedo is mounted in such a position as to make it impossible to plug it in.

The speedo is not calibratable. Jim Watson and I took the dash out to plug in the pigtail, but there is no place on the speedo to plug it into.

Rick/Jim,

Isn't what's missing in the lock assembly just a short pin (solid)? I thought that is what kept 101 inside 102 (103 is what keeps 102+ in the door). I believe there is a suitable roll pin that can be used instead. Would very much like to keep using that cylinder, because the car has a very rare matched set of locks! Very cool and very convenient. :-)

Nice progress, Jim. Thx!

M

I have found a premium exhaust gasket for the Stage 2 SE heads used on the Roadmaster. These are made by SCE and are an embossed copper gasket which has a raised sealing bead.

As many are aware good sealing of the exhaust ports is a persistent issue we deal with and the Roadmaster is no exception. Currently it has an annoying "tick" when cold though it does still go away once the engine is well warmed up. We really should fix this before the car goes out to Omaha because if left unresolved the exhaust gasses will eventually eat into the head and create a permanent problem. I have it on good authority that the SCE gasket is the best solution that exists.

The SCE part number is 4171. The link is:
[scegaskets.com]

The price is $44.59

One of you fine gentlemen needs to order these gaskets and have them shipped to me immediately at:

Blackwood Labs
9406 Gunpowder Rd
Florence, KY 41042

I will install them if they get here before the 14th.

Jim

Also available from Jegs:
[www.jegs.com]

Jim

Nobody?
If you don't know me by now, I might as well tell you, I'm not going to beg.

Bill Davidson says there's about $50 in the treasury.
It costs us over $100 a year just to have the checking account. It costs us $15 a year to file our annual reports. So we have to raise $120 or more just to break even. The question has been asked, "Do we need a checking account?" and the next question is, do we need a business license? Based on recent participation my answer to both these questions would be, "No." But that is for the membership to decide. Those who still want to be involved should make definite plans to decide these issues at the upcoming BritishV8 meet, but just as importantly to elect new officers. Because I have the form for the annual report sitting on my desk I will send it in this year, but if no action is taken at the meet I will assume the answer was negative and allow it to lapse next year.

Now, about those gaskets. I cannot in good conscience allow something as cheap as a set of gaskets to ruin this car by destroying one of the heads. So I am going to order the gaskets and submit the invoice to Bill Davidson. I think you guys should pay me the filing fee to submit the annual report as well. If anyone has a problem with that, speak your mind.

This means BADASS will be in the red to the tune of something like $40. What you guys choose to do about that is up to you, but if nothing is done the checking account will have to go. They don't allow you to run a negative balance.

If you have any inclination to contribute to the good that this car is doing by appearing around the country and the good will that it is creating, of course now is the time to send a donation to Bill Davidson.

As for the officers, since the car is headed west, might I suggest that some of the western members could be suitable candidates for office? You guys will have to decide, and I won't be there this year to help.

I sincerely hope somebody steps up and does what needs to be done.
Jim

I'm already in to the Roadmaster for close to $2500 if not more. Several others are in similar shape. It's time for some new faces to step up to the plate.

As I've stated before....perhaps it is time to auction this puppy off and donate the proceeds to charity as was originally planned. I believe that might be harder to do if we allow the NFP status to expire.

Just sayin'.

Seconded.

Exactly. I have $100K in the car and Terry Schulte has $14K. Others have made significant contributions as well. Those of us who have borne the brunt of the expense so far are tapped out.

And not to make light of our lesser contributors, most of you have done what you could. So maybe Rick is right about selling it. You guys do what you think is best, and I wish you well, but once the car leaves here I am done.

Jim

I will mail a check today, here is a wild a** idea. . . .

What if a small number of new members were invited to join BADASS and the initiation fee were say $500.00 do you think that would help solve this financial crisis?

There may be a few like minded enthusiasts out there who would pay to play.

Car rental companies charge a bundle to rent a super car for a day of joy riding.

Do you think you could pull that off, PJ?