Because servicing them is a dirty job, wire wheels are perhaps the most neglected components on a British car. Many times I’ve bought or worked on a car and found it nearly impossible to remove one of the wheels! This is likely due to very hard, dried-up grease which essentially freezes the wheel on. Before…
I grew up with a strong and unwavering belief in the commandment: “Thou shalt not cross-rotate radial tires, nor cause reversal of their directional rotation”. A friend of mine even carried two used spare tires (couldn’t afford new ones in those days) in his Fiat – one which had been run on the left side…
The second most frequently asked question about our cars must be “how do I take care of my wire wheels?” “Should the car be off the ground to hammer the knock-off, or should the wheel be on the ground?” Well, that’s two questions, but the problem remains…Whether you call it a knock-off, a knock-on, a…
Your car’s suspension probably needs a good restoration and you may not be aware of it. That’s not surprising. Suspension systems wear slowly and evenly. Nothing dramatic happens. Then one day you realize that the old precision and sharpness has disappeared. It’s time to either restore it, or modify and restore it at the same…
I tried various techniques for freeing up the TRE on my 1970 MGB but to no avail. However his article prompted me to come up with the following method that proved easy and simple for me. 1) Remove the tie rod end lock nut and replace it with a standard hex. nut to protect the male…
From time to time in the maintenance and restoration of our British cars, we all must face the need to remove one or both of the tie-rod ends from the steering arms. The occasion may be that the ball joint portions have become severely worn and must be replaced to cure sloppy steering and/or loss…
I was converting my older British car over from positive to negative ground when I came across the question of coil polarity. I discovered coil polarity is very much misunderstood. In researching it, I was very confused until I found out there are two definitions of coil polarity. I talked to three or four knowledgeable…
Function: The function of the points is to make and break the electrical circuit to the coil. Each time the points open, the circuit Is broken, causing the magnetic field around the ignition coil to collapse. When this field collapses, a high voltage spark is created that fires the spark plug. The points must open…
Many of you have heard one of my favorite expressions “Timing, … timing is everything!” Well, this month that’s just what I want to talk about. And, maybe a few things more. How many of you BJ8 owners have rebuilt your engine? A few probably. When you put the distributor back in after the rebuild,…
This is the first of a series of articles on basic tuning techniques to help you maintain your car to original factory specifications. Since the ignition system must be in good order before any other systems, such as the carburetor(s), can be properly adjusted, we will begin with a brief discussion on ignition timing procedures….
