V8 Newsletter
for April 2006 published in Safety Fast!, the award winning monthly magazine of the MG Car Club

V8 ALIVE AND BURBLING
Welcome news in March confirmed that the famous V8 engine is alive, burbling and in production again in the UK with MCT, the engineering and manufacturing specialist. MCT is reported to have won a contract from Land Rover for the continuation of production to support the aftermarket requirement for original equipment engines and its plant at Weston-super-Mare. This is good news for the many enthusiasts with V8 engines in Morgans, TVRs, Land Rovers and of course MGs who were concerned over the long term spares availability. The V8 engine was one of the first with hydraulic cam followers and has been a popular engine, confirmed when voted "the greatest engine of all time" by Engine Technology International magazine in 2005.

V8 EVENTS IN APRIL AND MAY
Al Barnett (V8 Events Coordinator) is organising a V8 Gathering at the Brooklands MG Day, a multi-club informal meeting, on Sunday 9th April at Brooklands in Weybridge. Another popular V8 Gathering at the Shoulder of Mutton on Hazeley Heath in Hampshire is due on Sunday 21st May. Full details of how to find this friendly pub and a map are available on the V8 Website. See extra copy on V8 Lincolnshire Tour. Mike can be contacted on 01778 440785 for more information.

FITTING A MODERN CD STACKER IN AN RV8
One of our members in Japan, David Boniface (RV8 Oxford Blue 1589), provides a useful tip for upgrading the ICE in both an MGBV8 and RV8 enthusiasts.
I recently won an iPod Nano 2Gb in a prize draw and found the timing of that win was quite fortunate. Living in Japan with an RV8, I do not have the problem that European owners have with reimported cars who have either to change the radio or use a frequency converter of some kind. The OEM CD changers fitted to the RV8 model are now as rare as hen's teeth, even in Japan, but I did manage to find one a couple of years ago. However it recently failed and is uneconomical to repair apparently. Whilst pondering what to do - for example which new CD/radio combination to buy - I won the iPod.

OK, it is "only" a 2Gb model but it will store around 550 tracks which, if you assume that a typical CD will have say 10 tracks which you like, then that is the equivalent of 50 - 60 CDs - enough for most people I think. I then bought a simple cassette adaptor; it looks like a cassette but has a cable which plugs into the iPod and plays all the music on the iPod through the radio/cassette player. This means that, in addition to having a personal music player, I can use the iPod in any car with a cassette player or an input jack.

A variety of accessories for using many different MP3 players in a car are available from Belkin at http://world.belkin.com/ including the Mobile Cassette Adapater F8V366-APL which easily connects your iPod device, portable MP3, CD, cassette player, PC, or laptop to your car stereo through the in-dash cassette player in your car. This simple modification is worth thinking about rather than spending a lot of money to

OK, it is "only" a 2Gb iPOd but it will store around 550 tracks

upgrade the ICE, especially in a noisy open car.
A further benefit was freeing up some valuable boot space and I have now found that the base unit for my Navi system will fit in the mounting bracket for the original CD changer.


iPod nano is a compact unit - only 3.5 x 1.6 x 0.27 inches and 1.5 ounces - linked through a cable to a cassette adapter unit. (Photo: David Boniface)

KEEPING CARS DRY OVER WINTER
Gordon Hesketh-Jones (Harvest Gold 1904) from Cornwall noted there is full information on the EBAC range of dehumidifiers on their website www.ebac-dehumidifiers.co.uk and they manufacture a wide range of units ranging in price (and output) from £180 upwards. All incorporate adjustable dehumidification controls so that you can set your own levels of drying. Gordon's experience is that it is better to have a number of smaller and quieter units rather than one large unit because large units are generally too noisy to live with.

Peter Garton's comment about the condensers on these units is correct as they are liable to ice up during cold weather. When Gordon saw this happening with one of his units, he moved the dehumidifier up onto a strong shelf and then located a heater underneath which was controlled by a thermostat to bring it on if the temperature went too low. Heating the garage also has beneficial effects on the life of the car. Gordon clearly benefits from the benign climate in the far south west of England as he adds "I suppose Peter's comment about water freezing in a drain-off pipe is also correct but although this might happen in some of the colder parts of Germany, it has not happened for the past 8 or 10 years in Cornwall".
UPGRADING THE SEALED BEAM UNITS ON A V8
Most V8 enthusiasts who still have sealed beam headlights find the lights wholly inadequate for modern driving conditions. Steve Taylor (RV8 Woodcote Green 1269) from Staffordshire, who runs the auto electrical supplier SVC, provides a useful note on upgrading sealed beams so more modern lighting standards can be achieved.

Driving an MGBGTV8 at night on the original sealed beam headlights, you are aware that the level of illumination is not good enough on country roads at even modest speeds. If you have rain as well, then you find yourself straining to see ahead and reducing speed as you simply cannot see very far ahead! Well this difficulty can be overcome and better lighting achieved which is closer to the standards we experience in more modern cars by fitting a headlamp conversion kit and good bulbs.

For your MGBGTV8 you need the latest improved WIPAC Quadoptic 7" lens as it has a moulded reflector and a convex lens. This is more accurate than the older pressed steel reflector, but more importantly for you, when replacing the sealed beam light it has a similar "pinch", the thickness of the glass and reflector that clamps the headlight into the "nest" assembly. The older types tended to rattle if not packed out. These lenses can be bought without side light for the chrome bumper V8 and with integral side lights for the rubber bumper models. Both are left dipping units for the UK market.

The SVC prices including VAT for Halogen Quadoptic lenses @ £34 pair and Upgrade Quadoptic lenses @ £46 pair with delivery a further £6.00. Right dipping units are available for the mainland European and USA markets at £40 and £52 respectively.

What can one say about sealed beam lights other than the sooner you replace them the better

The Halogen Quadoptic units take an H4 halogen bulb and the Upgrade Quadoptic units take an H4 xenon bulb which produces 50% more output. We can supply the standard halogen H4 bulb - or an up-rated bulb. We do not supply the high wattage bulbs (which are illegal in any case) as these can put a strain on the original wiring and switches. We do supply bulbs having a mix of Xenon and Halogen gasses. The draw the same current and the light is brighter as they burn hotter. Osram claims an additional 50% light. I have

Geoff King changed to Cibies for his V8 Roadster. (Photo: Geoff King)

these on the MGB Roadster although not on the RV8 yet, and they are good!

What can one say about sealed beam lights other than the sooner you replace them the better. They were designed in the 1940s when driving was far more sedate. The light output is very poor. We generally say that at 4 mph, sealed beams are just about OK!

Gordon Hesketh-Jones adds - "As I have always used my V8 all-year-round with considerable night-driving plus of course club rallies, one of my first tasks nearly 20 years ago was to replace the ridiculous sealed beam units with modern units and halogen bulbs. Because by definition these replacements are not sealed, the steel reflectors went rusty and needed to be replaced every four to five years. However the then-60w halogen bulbs produced good quality, useable light so the regular reflector changes were a small price to pay for decent lights. The current replacement units in my V8 set are by WIPAC and I agree that that their convex front lens profile looks remarkably like the original (Lucas) sealed beam units.

When I bought an 1800 MGBGT for my wife Jennifer in October 2002, one of the first tasks was to fit new headlights plus 60w halogen bulbs. Her replacement headlights are by Lucas and the front profile is quite flat but the 60w halogens in the Lucas lenses give a better light than the halogens I have fitted in my WIPAC lenses at present. So I would hesitate to give the WIPAC headlights too strong an endorsement,

although the mention of non-steel reflectors is very interesting.

With respect to the comment about the wiring, the headlamp wiring harness is easily able to cope with the load from two 100w headlights which is only 16.6amps compared to the 60w bulbs which draw a total of 10amps. The weak point in the system however is the headlamp switch/dip switch, so I fitted a pair of relays to switch the main load.
I did experiment with quartz-iodine bulbs a few years ago; the light seemed only slightly better but then one failed in less than 6 weeks so I reverted to halogens".

Chris Hunt Cooke has a V8 Roadster Conversion and comments "just as an additional thought on headlight replacement, I think it is worthwhile considering fitting headlamp units incorporating sidelights on the chrome bumper cars, and re-routing the cable from the existing sidelights. The MGB side lamp unit is not well protected from the weather and will eventually start to corrode however much Waxoyl is used on it. Experience shows that it is always the sidelight that fails first, being smaller and more delicate than the flasher bulb, so taking it out of service effectively prolongs the life of the whole unit. Since the existing assembly is left in place and intact, this modification is only visible when the lights are in use".

Bob Owen (V8 Blaze 1625) from Hampshire contributed some points as a sequel saying "my V8 has Hella replacement headlights with high output Halogen bulbs - currently road legal 60W/55W Cool Blue bulbs from Osram - with xenon gas (see below). The performance is almost up to the lights on my 1997 Rover 214; however, the beam definition is noticeably poorer".

Geoff King (V8 Tartan Red 4029) from Kincardineshire added "There are replacement headlights available from several manufacturers such as Ring, Wipac, Hella and Cibie. Bulbs too are available from several manufacturers - but they are not all equal in quality. I have a Mini that happens to have a Hella reflector on one side and a Cibie on the other, both fitted with the same Halogen bulbs; the Cibie has a far more defined beam pattern. My MGB originally had one Wipac and one Hella headlight, the Wipac was worse than the Hella for beam scatter and corroded quickly. A change to Cibie reflectors made a large improvement and with 100/90-watt Halogen bulbs (no longer available) they are as good if not better than any car without HID headlights. In my

Cibie H4 headlamp unit fitted to a rubber bumpered V8 - note the US market adjuster gaps on the chrome rims. (David Biddle)

opinion the best replacement 7" headlight unit is a Cibie H180 with 100/80 Power White bulbs or, if your car needs E-marked bulbs, then 60/55-watt 4000K cool blue. One of the cheapest places to buy them is Classic And Rally Services, Unit 1, Joules Croft, Elton, Matlock - their contacts are http://www.cars.u-net.com/cibie.htm and 01629 650800. Bob Owen responded saying the beam definition information was useful and he will look out for some Cibies.

CIBIE HEADLIGHT CONVERSION
David Biddle (V8 Chartreuse 2839) from Buckinghamshire provides a useful note on his long term experience with the Cibie replacement round headlamp units.

 The Cibie 7 inch round headlamp units with halogen bulbs seemed to get members' votes as the preferred replacement unit for the MGBGTV8 in an earlier V8NOTE so I thought a report from a long term user of these units might be helpful. I fitted my first set of these light units in 1990, when my rubber bumpered model had done some 50,000 miles. The total cost of two light units and two halogen bulbs from a motor factor amounted to £43.01 including VAT. I fitted the units myself without any difficulty, although I took them to my local tyre depot where they set the beams somewhat more precisely than my 'chalk marks on the garage door' approach! I was very satisfied with the performance of these light units and I think

that they are without doubt the best light units of this size available to us.

After a dozen years of use, I felt that the beams had lost some of their lustre and so in 2003, with just over 92,000 miles on the clock, I decided to replace them. This time I purchased the same specification light units over the internet from Classic and Rally Services at www.cars-gb.com. For my RHD rubber bumper car the Cibie headlamp units are Model 180 and include main/dip and side lights but they are also available without the sidelights for chrome bumpered cars. At that time, I paid £38.82 including VAT for a pair of units and the 'next day delivery' charge was £6.90. The current price would appear to be £43.56 including VAT for the rubber bumper version and £45.10 for the chrome bumper unit plus delivery. They are also available for LHD V8s.

Halogen lamps with Xenon should not be confused with "Xenon head lights"

From the technical tests that I have seen, there is quite a variation in performance of the halogen 'bulbs' and, after considering the test results available, I chose the Osram Silverstar H4 Halogen bulbs at £13.64 including VAT for a pair. These are claimed to be 50% brighter than the standard H4 halogen 'bulb', but are still road legal.

An additional modification is to fit the US model headlamp rims which have spaces which enable the beams to be adjusted without removing the chrome rims. These were fitted by Geoff Allen soon after I acquired the car, but as they are so useful it seems extraordinary that BL did not fit them to all cars produced at Abingdon instead of only those for the US market? Geoff Allen also found me a set of US specification side flashers, which are a life saver in today's traffic conditions. I found that the standard flasher unit was not up to powering three flashers on each side of the car so I have fitted another electronic flasher unit which makes a huge difference to driving pleasure in traffic.

LIGHTING HISTORY AND TERMINOLOGY
Bob Owen (V8 Blaze 1625) from Hampshire provides some useful notes, particularly for those who might be interested in converting from sealed beams to more modern lighting systems.

Most lighting developments come from GE, the US successor to Edison's original company. They developed sealed beam units in the 1940s and halogen bulbs in the late 1950s although Philips also have some claims. The terms Halogen, Quartz Halogen, Tungsten Halogen and Quartz Iodine are largely synonymous. They refer to a bulb with a small quartz glass envelope and tungsten filament with a halogen gas filler. Halogen is the name of a chemical family comprising Iodine, Chlorine and Bromine. Halogen lamps use either Iodine or Bromine. They allow a tungsten filament to be run very hot but still not fail. In a conventional lamp, attempts to get more light by running the filament hotter result in evaporation of tungsten from the filament - this deposits on the cool glass envelope (blackening) and the resulting thinner parts of the filament run even hotter, so evaporating more and causing run-away thinning and early failure. GE found that if halogen vapour is present in the lamp it combines with the particles of tungsten that have been evaporated from the filament and redeposits them back on the filament- magic! But for this process to take place, bulb wall temperatures should not be below 250 C. To achieve this, the bulb must be small to be close to the filament and cannot be of ordinary glass as it would soften, so it is made of quartz glass. Further efficiencies can be achieved by adding other gasses, for example xenon, to pressurize the envelope and further discourage evaporation. The result is a bulb which gives at least 50% more light per watt than a conventional bulb and still has a long life.

Halogen lamps with Xenon should not be confused with "Xenon head lights" which are high voltage discharge lamps now appearing on upmarket models and give at least twice the light per watt as standard bulbs. It's interesting that the regulations appear to define the power of the headlight bulbs NOT the light output - ie they are implicitly based on assumptions from old technology. All efforts are therefore in getting more light for a given power. We could have had more light with old technology if higher power levels were allowed!
HOW DO YOU OPEN THE BONNET WHEN THE RELEASE CABLE HAS SNAPPED?
Alan McLean (V8 Damask 1516) in Dublin posted a message on the V8BB seeking help with this problem and Geoff Allen, who worked in the Rectifications Department at the MG Factory for 27 years, came up with his routine for getting the bonnet undone again. Alan was grateful to have Geoff's experience and other members may find they will need this tip one day.

It is a bit of a fiddle when the bonnet release cable snaps but I usually find the following procedure works.
1. Give the bonnet release catch a good soaking with WD40 through the grill from underneath using a can with the extension pipe fitted.
2. Press the bonnet up and down on the free play a few times to make sure it's free.
3. Get someone to keep the bonnet pressed down as far as possible to take the load off the catch, and then direct a light up through the radiator grille to the left of the centre badge housing where you will see the back of the catch lever.
4. Push a piece of rod around 3/8" diameter and 18" long between the platform support and the fan motor bracket and press the catch lever over to the right and holding it there release the bonnet lid. It sounds a bit of a fiddle, and it is but in the majority of cases it works.

The usual cause of cable breakage is water (and salt) entering the outer cable where it curves round in front of the radiator diaphragm, the outer case opens to allow the wet in. I tend to fit a plastic sleeve to the front couple of feet of a new cable to stop the ingress of water and also give the cable a good greasing before fitting the new one. If you really want a top job do as I did and replace the outer cable with a length of copper nickel brake pipe.

CRACKED RV8 STEERING RACK MOUNTS
Reports of a cracked steering rack mount on an RV8 have just come in from Brown &Gammons at Baldock. The detailed report will follow next month but all members with an RV8 - and also an MGBGTV8 or MGV8 Conversion with a Heritage shell - are strongly advised to have the condition of their mounts checked. They need close inspection with strong lighting. Do not assume that a routine MOT inspection will pick up fine cracks on the mounts because the RV8 above had passed an annual MOT last year and had done very few miles since! We know that many Club members with MGBs visit our website and read this column so we do urge them to note this warning as it also applies to rubber bumpered MGB Roadsters and GTs.

There are detailed workshop notes in both the RV8 and V8 series on a modification involving fitting a strengthening gusset either as part of a repair where a cracked mount has been found or as a preventative measure.

REPLACEMENT WINDSCREEN GLASS
Sigge Redhe contacted the V8 Webmaster for help in tracking down a source of supply for a replacement RV8 windscreen glass. Al Barnett provides the information needed.

Unfortunately during the restoration of the windscreen of his RV8, he removed the glass from the windscreen surround and placed it on its "back" on the table where it remained for a couple of months while he restored his rusted windscreen surround. Unfortunately it cracked in the middle, so needed a new one. Sigge enquired whether we knew if that glass is the similar to the glass used in another MG or any other Rover model? If not, what do other owners do in a similar situation?

Al Barnett responded with some useful help: There is a firm called Uroglas advertising new RV8 screens on Ebay, price £157 including delivery. They are a stock item and he purchased one for a spare. It arrived in the most elaborate packing Al had ever seen, a wooden frame about 6 feet by 4 feet. It took him a day to dismantle it, remove literally dozens of nails and then convert it to firewood! The firm operate out of Redditch in the south west Midlands and gave me very good service. I have also purchased a rubber screen seal and top of screen seal from Brown & Gammons at Baldock costing £139 with postage and packing.