Miller Garage

2010 Carlisle Spring Car Show

2010 04 26 Carlisle Events Spring Show.

Carlisle Events Press Release
In its 33rd year, Spring Carlisle a collector and classic car swap meet, car corral and auction marks the beginning of the show and swap meet season for thousands of collector and classic automotive enthusiasts, who travel to the 102 acre Carlisle PA Fairgrounds from all points of the globe to buy, sell and celebrate all things automotive. Held for five days, April 21-25, 2010, Spring Carlisle is an absolute must attend event for veterans of the automotive lifestyle, first timers looking to get started in the hobby and families looking for a unique fun filled way to spend a weekend. What you’ll experience at Spring Carlisle is the chance to shop one of the largest automotive swap meets in the world, featuring the manufacturers midway, home to the top names in new parts dealers, and over 8,100 vending spaces filled with every automotive part, accessory and piece of memorabilia imaginable. Spring Carlisle is also the place to buy a vehicle, with the Spring Carlisle Car Corral and Collector Car Auction. More than 2,000 cars and trucks of all makes and models will once again be available in two unique buying and selling settings. All roads lead to Carlisle Pennsylvania where you’ll find a community of passionate automotive people and a commitment to excellence of service that can only be achieved with over three decades of experience. Spring Carlisle April 21-25, 2010.

The spring show draws an estimated over 90,000 attendees each year. The weather forcast for Carlisle favored the first three days of the event. Sunny mild weather with daily high tempuratures in the low 60s kicked off the event Wednesday through Friday. Many show attendees were seen slowly walking through the rows of vendors Thursday and Friday looking for that special part, memorbilia, or car. The car corral filled with all makes and models from teens to present day. Muscle, hot rods, classics, and antiques could be found for sale from works of art, turn key ready to go, through rust bucket projects. Rain starting Saturday late afternoon and continuing through Sunday dampened everyones spirit. A few enthusiasts braved the weather and attended the cruise Sunday.

Learn more about Carlisle Events.

Converting MGB Spline Drive Wire Wheel Hubs to Bolt On

Converting MGB Spline Drive Wire Wheel Hubs to Bolt On by Bruno DeVuono

I’ve recently converted my 1967 MGB/GT, Salisbury axle, from spline drive to bolt on (disc wheel). For those that might want to make the conversion, below is a detailed procedure.

You will need the following parts to do the job.
•  A set of front and rear original MGB 4 bolt hubs. Bolt pattern is 4x4-1/2.
•  These are NLA so you’ll need to source a good used set. Try eBay.
•  2 Grease caps. Moss part #264-515 (if not with the used hubs)
•  4 brake drum retaining screws. Moss part #323-255. (if not with the used hubs)
•  Your existing front bearing parts (if in good shape, if not buy new).
•  8 metric wheel lugs. 12mm x 1.5 (2.5 inches long)
•  8 metric lug nuts (12mm x 1.5)
•  8 standard lug nuts (1/2-20)
•  2 rear wheel spacers.
•  New cotter pins.

Rear Hubs. The original rear lugs will be too short and need to be removed. The metric size is 12mm x1.5 (2.5 inches long). You can buy either ARP 100-7708 or Moser 8255. Either will work and you can buy them from Summit Racing. The metric size is the only lug that is a direct swap for the original. The original lugs need to be either hammered or pressed out. My small sledge hammer had no problem removing them. If you don’t have a press you can pull the studs on using an opened end lug nut. Tap the stud into place to get it started. Place the hub in a vice and turn the reversed lug nut (conical side facing away from the hub) until it makes contact with the hub face. Keep turning and it will pull the stud into place. Remove the nut. The rear swap is straight forward. Just remove the cotter pin and axle shaft nut 1-5/16 inches and pull the wire wheel hub off. There is a split axle shaft collar behind the nut that comes out with the hub. You’ll need this for the new hub. It’s a good idea to spray some PB blaster or a good penetrating lubricant on the nut before trying to remove it. Let it sit for about one hour before removing. The torque spec for the axle shaft nut is 150 ft/lbs so you’ll probably need a heavy duty breaker bar to remove it (I’m assuming you don’t have an impact gun). Note: Because the nut is recessed within the hub, some sockets will not fit the opening. I was able to find a six sided metric socket that fit (34mm). The metric size is slightly larger than 1-5/16 inches but it works fine.

Front Hubs. The front hubs can be used as is but the lug threads are 1/2-20 which is the stock MGB size. This is OK but you’ll need metric lug nuts for the rear and standard for the front. Summit racing sells both sizes of matching lug nuts. If you want to use metric all around, just buy 16 studs and change out the fronts. The fronts will be a bit too long and will need to be cut back about a 1/2..if you’re using closed end lug nuts. To remove the front hub.. Remove the brake caliper off the rotor. There’s no need to remove any of the brake hydraulic lines or pads. Just remove the caliper and hang it off to the side using wire or rope. DO NOT let it hang from the rubber hose. Wedge a piece of wood between each set of brake pads. Remove the internal grease cap (if fitted). Remove the cotter pin and axle nut (size is 1 1/8). Remove the keyed washer followed by the outer bearing (a few shims should come out with the outer bearing). Now slide the hub off (the rotor is bolted to the hub and will need to later be removed and bolted to the new hub). On the backside of the hub is a rubber oil seal that needs to be carefully pried off. If it’s in good condition it can be reused. If not, order a new pair from Moss (part #120-610). Now remove the inner bearing followed by the spacer. Please note that there will also be a metal oil seal collar that fits between the rubber oil seal and the radius of the spindle. When installing your existing bearings to the new bolt on hub, see your manual for the proper procedure. Use a new cotter pin. Fasten the rotor onto the hub before any bearing work.

Spacers. Since the wire wheel axle is about 1-1/2 inches shorter than the bolt on, you’ll need 2 spacers for the rear wheels. This allows your tires to clear the inner fender wall. The size of the spacer depends on the tire size you’re using and the wheel offset. Figure somewhere between .375 & .500 inch. Bolt pattern is 4 x 4.5 (114.3mm). Since my rear axle is slightly offset to the left, I used a 1/4 spacer for the left but needed to use a 1/2 inch spacer for the right. Using a 1/4 inch spacer on the right side positioned the tire too close to the inner fender wall. You can find spacers on ebay or buy them from Summit Racing.

Wheels and Tires. I purchased Superlite 14 x 6 wheels from Hap Waltrop at the Acme Speed Shop. Tires, size 175/70/14 that were originally on the wire wheels were mounted on the Superlite wheels. The next set of tires will be size 185/70/14. Other wheels and tire size combinations can be used with the correct offset tire clearance.

Acme Speed Shop
eBay
Moss Motors
Summit Racing

Introduction to Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI)

Introduction to Electronic Fuel Injection EFI by Scot D Abbott

It’s not complicated, but there are a lot of details...
•  EFI Introduction
•  Background and Theory
•  Hardware Components
•  Ways to Retrofit EFI
•  Examples

General Perspective.
Internal Combustion Engines are reactors which combine air and fuel to produce heat and energy. We can control them to deftly and efficiently use the fuel and produce energy as we wish. We accomplish this by how we fuel the engines.

Fueling needs for an engine.
•  Right Mixture (ratio) of oxygen and fuel
   •  not lean or rich
   •  air fuel ratio called AFR
•  Right total amount of correct mixture
   •  small amount at idle
   •  larger amounts under load

The Common Control Strategy For Fueling Engines.
•  Control/limit the amount of air (oxygen) entering into the engine
•  Add correct amount of fuel for that amount of air (oxygen)
   Result: the right ratio of air and fuel and the right total amount of mixture

How To Limit Oxygen Intake.
•  Restrict Air (20% Oxygen) Flow into engine
      Throttle Plate Cheap, Easy, common
      Variable Regulator Expensive

Ways to Add Fuel.
•  Use Physical Forces Directly (Carb)
•  Use Electronic Devices (EFI)
•  Use measurements and calculations to define the amount of fuel to use for ignition event
•  Squirt the fuel into the airstream entering the engine

Carb Fueling.
•  Use the inrush of air to get the right amount of fuel into the motor (Bernoulli effect)
•  Constant Velocity variable venturi (SU, etc)
•  Variable Velocity constant venturi (Holley)
•  Pretty good & cheap, Can Look ‘Cool’ but Not very accurate or flexible
•  Less power and more pollution
•  Lower engine life

EFI Fueling Strategy.
•  Measure the amount of air going into the engine
•  Calculate the right amount of fuel
•  Inject the right amount of fuel for each combustion event (from dizzy or crank)
•  Car Runs better, cleaner, more reliably
•  Flexible Tuning

Measure the Amount of Air for Each Combustion Event.
• MAP: Air pressure and Cylinder volume defines the amount of oxygen going into the motor, so just measure manifold pressure (vacuum) (simpler, more reliable) and use cylinder volume to calculate
• MAF: measure mass of air going into motor directly. (first, still used)

Calculate the Right Amount of Fuel For A Single Ignition Event.
•  Start with Theoretical value of oxygen
•  Calculate Amount of fuel to add
•  Make corrections for:
      Physical Conditions (temperature, etc)
      Driving Conditions (acceleration, etc)
      Non Ideal Motor Performance
      Real Performance Tweak (Oxygen Sensor)

Inject the fuel.
•  Use Constant pressure system
•  Use a solenoid Valve (fuel injector)
•  Open the valve for various times to inject various amounts of fuel per ignition event

Components of EFI System.
•  Fuel Delivery
•  Pump, Regulator, Tubing, Injector(s)
•  Sensors
•  Temperature, MAP/MAF, Crank, Knock, TPS
•  Computer (ECU)
•  Software

Fuel Delivery Hardware.
•  Hi Pressure Pump (12 or 50 psi common)
•  Pressure Regulator
•  Return Line for regulator bypass flow
•  Pipes and Tubing
•  Injectors
      Lo P TBI
      Hi P Port style

Typical EFI Flow Path -(Many others are used)- ,

About Injectors.
•  Location
   •  Outside Throttle Plate (TBI)
   •  Inside Manifold (Port)
•  Types
   •  Lo Pressure type (12 psi typical)
      •  Modest performance (but better than carb)
      •  Common in TBI applications
   •  Hi Pressure (43 psi or more)
      •  Great atomization great performance
      •  Usually used in port type applications

About Tubing, etc.
•  Steel tubing (mostly) 5/16 or 3/8
•  Small amounts of special EFI hose
•  Connection to Injector -Commercial or DIY-
•  Special Hose Clamps

About Sensors. •  Air Intake (MAP or MAF) (amount of oxygen)
•  Ignition Event (Crank, Distributor, Coil)
•  Temperatures (water, air, oil)
•  Throttle Position (TPS) detect accel, decel
•  Knock detect pinging

About the ECU (electronic control unit). •  Dedicated Small Computer
•  First were analog computers (Bosch)
•  All are now Digital devices
•  Can Do Extra Stuff
•  Retune car on the fly (self learn)
•  Control spark, fan, a/c, fuel pump, etc
•  Can be reprogrammed

EFI Summary.
• EFI System has fluidic, mechanical and electronic components, all working together.

A Typical EFI System.

Retrofitting EFI.
•  Why bother?
•  Car runs much better
•  Engine lasts longer
•  More power
•  Much less pollution
•  Better gas mileage
•  Caveat: Safety in Working and Use

Retrofitting EFI Task.
•  Add
•  Sensors
•   ECU
•  Add and Locate Injectors
•  Fuel pump and tubing
•  Locate Injectors
•  Custom intake manifold for injectors (expensive)
•  TBI approach
•  Motorcycle TBI’s
•  Modify/Add to Stock Carbs
•  Modify Fuel System
•  Get Car to Run
•  Get Car to Run Right
•  Measure performance
•  Tuning Strategies

Retrofitting Approaches.
• Replace With New Parts (manifold, etc) $$
• Modify Existing System (IMHO preferred)

Add Sensors.
•  TPS - mounts on throttle shaft
•  MAP/ MAF - vacuum tube to manifold
•  Water T - into water line, on Radiator
•  Air T - air filter box
•  Ign Event - Crank, Distributor, or Coil(-)
•  Knock - Mount on Block

Add ECU.
•  Choose ECU (OEM or Aftermarket)
•  Choose Location
   •  Easy access for wiring, installation
   •  Protect from Water, Vibration, etc.
   •  Access to Firewall for Wiring to engine
•  Common Locations
   •  In Passenger Compartment
   •  Under Dash or on A Post panel

Selecting ECU.
•  Reprogram an OEM ECU
•  Complicated. but works
•  Use Aftermarket ECU
•  Several available, but most are expensive
•  Megasquirt is popular , much less expensive
•  Relatively inexpensive
•  Updatable via Internet
•  Very Flexible

Locating Injectors.
•  Before Throttle plate (TBI) simple, works well
   •  Modify Carb to hold injector (cheap) or
   •  Replace Carb with TBI unit
•  Into intake manifold (Port) more complications
•  Modify Manifold to hold injectors or
•  Replace manifold more expensive, but more likely to work right

About Locating Injectors.
•  In Front of Throttle Plate (TBI) simplest
   •  Modify Carb Body to hold Injector(s)
   •  Replace carb with a TBI unit (custom or from motorcycle, etc.)
•  In Intake Manifold
   •  Modify Intake (Not So Straightforward)
   •  Buy Intake and Throttle Body

Fuel Delivery System.
•  Choose EFI Pump
•  Choose Presure Regulator
•  Define Flow Path, Locate Components
•  Plumb up System
•  Set Up for Safety

Choosing Flow Path for Fuel.
•  Define location(s) of fuel pump(s)
•  Define location of Pressure Regulator
•  Define Regulator Bypass Flow Route
•  Define Final Flow Path
•  Check for Safety, Practicality

Locate Pressure Regulator Near Injectors.

Pump and Bypass Choices one or two pumps, with or without return to tank.

Safety- Fire Hazard.
•  Mechanical Protection of Lines, etc.
•  Correct Tubing and Routing
•  Secure Injectors, etc
•  Electrical Routing
•  Collision Detection - shut off pump(s)
•  Computer Control of Fuel Pump(s)

Examples of Retrofitted EFI Extrudabody on an MGB.

Megasquirt EFI System.

Retrofitted EFI motorcycle TBI.

Example of Retrofitted EFI (Made with OEM Parts).

2009 Vintage Specialties Open House

2009 11 14 Vintage Specialties Open House.

Every year the family and staff of Vintage Specialties open the shop to customers, guests, and car enthusiasts to show the facilities and projects. They specialize in vintage restorations and building hot rods.

This year the shop is full of projects in various stages. A 1955 Chevy is on the rotisserie. A 1950 Chevy Styleline and a 1951 Ford are in the final stages of assembly. On the vintage side, a 1956 Oldsmobile is well on it's way to being assembled and a 1965 Olds convertible is several pieces away from being complete. A nearly finished 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Seville is in the one corner of shop. It has been undergoing a complete resoration and has been in the shop for nearly ten years. The 1939 Chevy hot rod in primer with black rear fenders is being assembled for parts fit and design. The freshly painted 1954 Chevy rolling shell is waiting it's turn for assembly. A completed project 1932 Ford Roadster powered by a Roush engine was on display. The one corner of the shop holds a lathe, milling machine, sheet metal brake, and many other machining tools use to fabricate parts.

A few interesting cars were found in the parking area throughout the morning and afternoon as people arrived and departed Vintage Specialties in their classics or hot rods.

Learn more about Vintage Specialties.

2009 Apple Festival

2009 10 11 National Apple Harvest Festival

National Apple Harvest Festival.

2009 AACA Eastern Fall Meet Hershey

2009 10 10 AACA National Eastern Fall Meet Hershey PA

Antique Automobile Club of America.

2009 MG's on the Rocks

2009 09 26 MGs on the Rocks.

The 30th Annual MGs on the Rocks Car Show and Parts Market was presented by The MGs of Baltimore Ltd. The show was open to all British marques. This year the show was the chosen site of the Mid-Atlantic Regional North American MGB Register Meet.

The meet was held at Rocks State Park, 4 H Camp, Harford County, MD. The site in Rocks State Park was a beautiful country setting. Entertainment and music were provided all day long. Food and refreshments were available for purchase and the Pit Beef was excellent. This was a low pressure, popular vote event, with awards per class determined by pre-registration. Popular vote judging was conducted by the show participants between 12 and 2 pm. Everyone had plenty of time to show there car and cruise through the various classes to vote for their favorites. Dash plaques were presented to the first 200 cars. The event attracted over 280 British vehicles including a few national show winners. Rocks also has a large vendors area where cars and parts can be bought and sold. British Miles had a their box truck at the event filled with vintage British parts.

Learn more about MGs of Baltimore Ltd. club and the next MGs on the Rocks.

2009 Zimmerman's

no text

2009 21st MDA Boscov's Car Show

2009 08 09 Boscov's MDA Car Show

Harrisburg Forest #43 Tall Cedars of Lebanon Special Interest Auto Unit organize a car show hosted in the Boscov's parking lot of the Colonial Park Mall. The show benefits the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The car show was proceeded by a thunder storm late Sunday morning creating a hot, hazy, and humid day. Trophies were awarded to 15 classes and a Best of Show. The event had DJ Oldies music, Just Friend Band live music, Hula Hoop contest, Dunking booth, PA National Guard rock climbing wall, door prizes and raffles. Local TV and radio covered the event.