Check your bolt on the back of the airbox
Although this tip was released as V8NOTE53 in 1981 there are still MGBGTV8s around with the bare thread sticking out of the back of the nearside of the airbox which is not secured with a nut and a spring washer. In 1981 the author of the workshop note very generously donated a supply of nuts and spring washers which we made available as an "Engine lifesaver kit"!

The V8 Webmaster has seen exposed threads on MGV8s at Club events in Europe and at MGLive! and as a stop gap measure has encouraged owners to put a piece of tape on the thread until they can get a nut and spring washer for the job.
Posted: 200411
 Check the bolt on the back of an MGBGTV8 airbox on the nearside has been secured!
It is vital the bolt is secured by fitting a spring washer and nut because it can become loose and drop into the airbox and then find its way through one of the carburettors and into the left hand engine bank of cylinders. Serious damage results.

Why is the exposed bare thread there on the airbox?
It's all down to the foresight of the Abingdon engineers in making provision for a LHD car! On the air collector box – that is the box that bolts to the carburettors - there are, on the rear face, two studs. One on the offside is used to secure the choke cable clip on a RHD car and one on the nearside was provided to secure the choke cable on LHD cars. There have been a number of incidents since 1981 (when V8NOTE53 in Volume 3 was released) of the nearside stud falling out and dropping into the carburettor intake and being consumed! BL did issue a service note on the subject on 17th February 1975 but regrettably a few owners only discovered this after their engine had an attack of the colly-wobbles when the bolt was ingested! If you are lucky the bolt can damage only two valves and nibble the piston.

Check your bolt as some are still without a nut and washer
The remedy is simple - secure the unused stud on the
air box with a No. 10 unf nut and spring washer locked onto it to prevent the stud falling into the intake. Check it now and do it before it is too late!
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