mgb wont start? any ideas ???

[MG CHRIS]

v8250 said:

martin010161 said:

Later MGB’s have a ballast resistor in the wiring loom; this can cause your symptoms. Take the tape off the wiring loom in engine bay and find the thick pink wire and remove it. Then take feed wire to coil and use a 12volt non ballast coil. This was a common fault with later MGB’s, so might be worth checking hope you get it sorted though Martin

Martin, that's a knowledgable first post on PH. Welcome to PH

Had the same problem on my mgb gt its a 79 model spent months trying to find the problem in the end it was fixed with a new bit of wire.

[RichB]

v8250 said:

martin010161 said:

Later MGB’s have a ballast resistor in the wiring loom; this can cause your symptoms. Take the tape off the wiring loom in engine bay and find the thick pink wire and remove it. Then take feed wire to coil and use a 12volt non ballast coil. This was a common fault with later MGB’s, so might be worth checking hope you get it sorted though Martin

Martin, that's a knowledgable first post on PH. Welcome to PH

Don't worry he'll soon get the hang of it

p.s. welcome...

[LloydL]

In 1980, while living in the USA and working as a Volvo mechanic, I was asked exactly the same question. A customer had let the local technical college 'service' his MGB and then it wouldnt start despite all of the diagnosis equipment telling them that it was ok. I listened to what they had done and suggested that they fit a new rotor button, rotor arm to us. They insisted that it had been tested and was ok but fitted one anyway, it started up instantly. So it is worth a look.

Regards, Lloyd.

[retroracing]

Hi guys got it going in the end. Was a combination of things.
Timing was out by afew degrees which wasnt helping, but then seemed to not be getting any fuel.
I had forgot to check one of the float heights (front one) and it was miles out! That'll teach me not to try and strip, clean and rebuild 2 carbs in about an hour at the end of a hectic day lol!

Got the clutch working today too...and it moves! so not bad for an old car that hasnt moved in about 10 yrs!

[na]

retroracing said:

Hi guys got it going in the end.

Well done on getting it going, checking that the fuel was getting all the way through after your carb rebuild was a good idea

retroracing said:

Got the clutch working today too...and it moves! so not bad for an old car that hasnt moved in about 10 yrs!

in that case don't foget brakes, brake fluid, tyres, suspension bushes

and driving it

good luck, enjoy

[retroracing]

na said:

n that case don't foget brakes, brake fluid, tyres, suspension bushes

and driving it

good luck, enjoy

yep the brakes are shot so wont be moving anywhere at any speed for quite a while lol, but getting there! cheers