MG Sports Cars

Shiny!!!!

Wow!
There's some considerable time and skill into that.
You sure you want to put it on a car and get it all dirty?

This raccoon likes it a lot!!!

Amazing work Jim.

That's Badass looking Jim! Great work indeed. Gotta lov the stamp lettering + sig!!

Ok whats next, keep posting progress for us and soon it will be on the road!!

I've been reworking the body of the scoop. It had a lot of ripples in the top and the weld seams where I closed it up didn't have enough penetration, so I gouged the seams with my trusty zip wheel and rewelded them, then spent some quality time with the hydraulic press, re-shaping the top so that it could be dressed down smooth on the belt sander. That is all finished now, leaving the final steps of welding in some mounting lugs for the throttle body attachment screws, and then final buffing. I found some aluminum preservative called "Liquid Glass" that seems like it'll work pretty well and is easy to apply. Pricey at 25 bucks a quart but worth it if it works. I need to create a seal in the bottom of the seating groove where the two parts go together, and I'm thinking maybe I'll try squirting "Right Stuff" in the groove and then just wipe off the excess and see if I can't get a concave surface. Then maybe wax up the scoop real good and assemble the parts with very light pressure. As long as the wax I use releases properly it should give me a perfect seal. I thought about using saran wrap but I just suspect the goop will stick to that. Still need to make the actuating lever arm and a trim cap for the other side.

I found an indexer I could afford and it should be here in a couple of days. With that I should be able to finish the shaft and complete the assembly. I also found an expanding collet that I can use to complete the idler pulleys, and have done the preliminary work on the support bracket layout, though I think I need one more attachment point. Maybe a mounting boss on the LH head or the alternator mount will work. There is a good bit of stress on those idlers.

After that it's on to the fuel rails. The left had one will be extended forward as a support for the throttle linkage bellcrank and TPS, and the hold down brackets are going to be a little tricky. I want to make something that is strong yet elegant in appearance, while holding the rail solidly and being easily removed. Rather contradictory requirements given the application.

I'll post a photo once the scoop is back on the car.

Jim

Jim I would like to see more photos of the construction of the throttle boddies if you have them.
Very cool.

I think I can do that.



This first shot shows the bores completed and two of the trumpets fitted.



More machining work finished



The back side showing the seal groove



And the nearly completed assembly. Note that the shaft is carried on four ball bearings. The framework that you see inside is the retainer for the air filter and the area of the rectangle is just a bit smaller than the throttle openings at an effective diameter of 3-3/4" or 95 mm, however I will be relieving the sides of the frame to allow more flow from the outside bores so the restriction should be minimal after that is finished. The filter itself impinges on airflow a bit at the top as well, but as mentioned before, the blower is capable of drawing a considerable vacuum on it's own so I do not expect inlet flow to be that much of a restriction. If I get 8-10 psi at full tilt-n-boogie I'll be very satisfied I expect.

Jim

Very cool; fantastic work.

Thanks Gary. That means a lot, coming from you.

Jim

I could learn a lot from what you do in the machine shop Jim. I am a wana be machinist.

Aw shucks. Ain't nothin' but whittlin' metal.

Jim

Jim, I am a machinist and your work impresses me!

Paul

Coming from one of my peers, that's about the nicest compliment I could get I believe. But don't worry, I live with a pygmy. She takes swift action if fatheads are detected. ;-)

I got the scoop housing buffed out again (had to fix a few welds, remember the Blackwood Creed: If it's worth doing once...), laid a bead of sealant in the seal groove on the throttle body, and have been getting everything ready to mill the slots in the throttle shaft. First I needed a mandrel for the 3/32" slitting saw I bought to do the job and I found a chunk of an old 8" ford axle and turned a mandrel out of that since I figured it would be pretty tough. The case gave me a little trouble drilling the hole for a drive pin but it's done and runs true so it should do a good job. I partially disassembled the indexer that came in. It had been abused but with a little attention it will be serviceable. I chased the collet threads with a tap and will make new rollers for the release handle and I believe it'll be OK, if a little beat up.

It turns out the indexer is going to match up nicely to my work vise, so that will be handy for supporting the loose end of the shaft. But I don't have any DROs or even handwheel dials on the mill, (It is undergoing an upgrade to CNC and has ballscrews fitted in place of the old pneumatic/hydraulic NC system but no dials or controller yet.) so I'll have to rig something with dial calipers, dial indicator and gauge blocks. It's all a little tricky doing things the hard way like this, but some day when the mill is done it will be much easier. At my current rate that might be another ten years, but them's the breaks. Hey, I've got no complaints, the mill was free!!

Jim

Just a thought for the temporary use of the mill ? Easy to rig and read ? Good Luck, roverman.

Actually, yesterday I made up magnet mounts for a 6" and a 12" dial calipers that I had handy. That gets me enough measured motion on the x and y axis and a mag mount dial indicator should handle the quill once I get a stop made for it. I've been waiting on some orders to come in before setting up to mill the shaft but I may be able to get started on it sometime tomorrow if other things go well.

But thanks for the suggestion, it's a good one. (Don't know if I want to put my 16" degree wheel on a hand crank though. I don't have a smaller one.)

Jim

Thought I'd let y'all know that I've pretty much completed the throttle body and it sure does look good. It needs a trim cap for the far end of the throttle shaft bore and an actuator arm but everything else is done and those are just small details really. I've also been working on the idlers and brackets for the serpentine drive. I really wanted to finish that up before this weekend and I might or might not manage that. Anyway I won't be able to get photos posted any earlier than maybe Saturday. That big ole bug catcher sure is impressive. A little more radical than I had planned on really, but that's OK.

Jim

I'm pretty stoked to see it in person this weekend!!!

A lot of the racoons will be gathering to see all of Jim's shiny things and oooh and aaah.

Greetings brother Racoons! Seems like the automotive jewelry was a hit last weekend.









Taking a short break from it to do other important stuff but I'll get back to it soon enough. As you can see the belt drive is coming along. I'll get some shots of it as soon as I get some help to lift the hood back off.

Jim

I probably missed it Jim but did you use bushings or bearings?