Rebuilding the short block - 1950 MG Rebuild Episode 58

[@2hondaboy2]

Another productive day and interesting lesson on safety wiring the bolts. I smile each time I see your work shoes the same colour as the car, obviously you wore them when doing the paint work, and now if that was the missus that came in, her shoes were red as well. Funny coincidence! Thanks for sharing with us.

[@MGREBUILD]

Yes that was my wife in the red shoes and yes I was wearing my boots when I painted the car. I was wondering how long it would take to get that comment.

[@bobbailey7024]

Whenever I've rebuilt and engine I've always put the main bearing caps on first and torqued them to spec to check that the crankshaft turns freely. That's something you cannot check if you connect the con-rods first because of piston drag.

[@54mgtf22]

Love your work 👍

[@murraydeeth7834]

So great to see the engine coming back together👍🏼 I’m sure it’s gonna sing 🎶🎵👌🏼

[@MGREBUILD]

Let’s hope so. Currently rebuilding the gearbox. Should be able to put the bodytub back on the body soon

[@jimmurphy4703]

Really the piston insertion itched the enamel on my teeth ! lol

[@MGREBUILD]

Ha ha, I hope your teeth survived. No damage done to the pistons

[@paulboylan5998]

It’s so much easier to put the pistons and rod in through the bottom without the rings fitted, the piston will come out the top of the block far enough to allow you to fit the rings and compressor giving you a better view and feel of what’s going on.

[@MGREBUILD]

Unfortunately my pistons are the old style that have the scraper rings at the bottom of the pistons. This is the only way they can be fitted.

[@paulboylan5998]

MG REBUILD Mine were the same, you can fit the bottom ring in by itself

[@paulboylan5998]

You can fit the bottom ring on by itself and then fit the piston in the bore without using a ring compressor, the slight taper on the bottom edge of the bore makes it easier, then push the piston through far enough to fit the 3 top rings, you can almost push the piston with rings fitted by hand.

[@MGREBUILD]

Paul Boylan I’ve been following the instructional DVD of George and Peter Edney. This is how they do it

[@paulboylan5998]

MG REBUILD All good, I’m sure it will be ok. A couple more little tips, if your using the original throw away oil filter element, soak it in clean oil overnight, saves the pump having to force oil through it, put plenty of assembly lube on the cam and followers, fill the main oil galleries using an oil can, prime the pump, l also filled my engine with oil through the distributor drive, l did this so as not to wash the assembly lube off the cam which is what would probably happen if you filled it from the top, when l spun my engine over without the plugs in for the first time l had 55psi oil pressure within about 8 seconds.

[@tusitala387]

Hi, great video..I am about to replace my cam shaft as it has a lobe worn off..Did you just insert the newCam Shaft front bearing, or did you have a machine shop line bore it after insertion..The manual seems to suggest that that is necessary ?

[@cliffordkiehl3959]

When I rebuilt my MG TD years ago I could not get the rod bolts to meet the torque setting. They would snap off. I discussed this with the MG mechanic and he said just tighten them until they get spongy if they don't meet the torque specifications. The engine ran fine, but I sold it a year later. I wish I shill had it.

[@edhaskell1554]

I couldn't see the wiring front view but I assume you made it so that if one bolt becomes loose it tightens the opposite bolt? Hard to describe but holler if you didn't understand.

[@MGREBUILD]

The wiring can’t come loose with the main caps as the wire goes through the studs then the castle nuts

[@edhaskell1554]

@@MGREBUILD I'll take your word for it because I'm no expert on engine guts. My only experience with those wires is those on the flywheel side of things.

[@simonrofe2035]

My old Triumph engine had locking tabs to bend around the nut on the connecting rod bolts (to prevent them coming loose). My TD Workshop Manual appears to show these connecting rod nuts to be castellated (therefore to be tied off with wire to achieve the same effect). Yet I note your nuts were straight nuts, not tied off nor with locking tabs. Any comment?

[@MGREBUILD]

There wasn’t any locking tabs when I pulled the engine down. It was rebuilt back in 1997 and hadn’t been run since the rebuild. Looking at the parts manual there isn’t any reference to them. I also discovered the locking tab for the camshaft was also missing so I have replaced that now.

[@simonrofe2035]

@@MGREBUILD a further check of the Workshop Manual in Section A.7 shows the nuts for the big end bolts to be castellated with cotter (split) pins to hold them in place.

[@davelawson4827]

Did you put your oil pump in yet? I thought that it went in after the cam was installed... :-)

[@MGREBUILD]

I have now installed the oil pump. I had to replace the bolts as one of them sheared off when I was tightening them.