452
Cleaning
out the drain tube
A brief note on an occasional maintenance item which probably
should be available only after the 9pm watershed! Here Victor
Smith describes how to find this item and clean it out. (Aug
12)
Recently I found my V8 with a pool of water in the driver's
legwell after a night out in the elements during the MGLive!
weekend. Whilst mopping out I recalled the late Geoff Allen,
our former V8 Historian who worked at the MG Plant for 27 years,
telling me about the little known part which drains the fresh
air vent chamber below the small chrome grille immediately in
front of the windscreen. It is AHC321 - Tube-drain and dust
valve, which is the polite way of referring to the rubber
tube which was there to act as a drain for the fresh air vent
chamber. Geoff referred to it as "Ted's Knob" as that
was the name of the part on the production line where a fellow
with a reputation with ladies was very able at fitting the part!
Well over the years two things happen to Ted's Knob - first
it hardens as the
rubber ages and second the dust, mud and leaves which find their
way into the fresh air chamber accumulate at the bottom and
with the water that gets in there washes down into the rubber
drain tube. When all is working well the sludge passes through
but with age there can easily be a blockage. In fact the photo
alongside shows a plug of silt and small stone chips in the
hardened slit which had blocked the drain.
The caution before you start attempting to clean out the rubber
drain is be very careful not to cause the rubber tube to
detach from the upper mounting point as it is a real devil to
put back or fit a replacement. Removing the sludge needs
a long rigid wire inserted from the top through the grille down
through a small circular opening on the base of the fresh air
chamber. A wire coat hanger carefully straightened can be used.
Gradually work your way down through the accumulated gunge until
the lower end goes through the tip of the rubber drain. You
then need to |
Drain
tube blocked with a plug of silt and stone chips
apply a careful reaming action. Then with the car on ramps,
get underneath and careful squeezing of the hardened rubber
slit and prolonged excavation with a screwdriver, you will see
an extraordinary variety of material fall by your hands! So
it is wise to wear plastic goggles.
The part is shown on page 108-N15 of the MGB Parts Manual AKM0039
February 1977 First Edition
See an illustrated note. More |
