Johnny G Pipe

Hi, just checking a description of a car for sale, which is described as all original apart from the webers... That and the two oily pipes sticking out of the fan shroud, that is..!
Are these an external cooler or a full flow filter system or something? I get a bad Heath Robinson feeling about it, TBH.
Thanks as always..

Pedro356C

Hi Johnny...a full flow oil filtration system would look like this picture extracted from www.precisionmatters.biz (from Don LaRow)...it might be external oil cooling but I've never seen one and I can't understand why...these cars don't overheat when in well sorted shape...

I'd be careful with this particular one!

ked

the Carrera2 / 4 cams have ext oil coolers. the set-up pictured may have been an ancient attempt to add a custom ext oil cooler to this pushrod motor.

Pedro356C

Or the lines might go all the way to the driver's seat and there's a bottle of vodka on the other end!

Seriously, I think Ked's theory is very good...

Johnny G Pipe

Vodka!

This racing 'a' motor here apparently has twin front mounted coolers - no funny lookin tubes here though...(and its missing it bypass filter housing, so must have a full flow kit too.)

Indeed -the more I look at that engine and those home-made style pipes hanging loose in the engine bay, the less inclined I am to persue it. Next!

ked

hmmm, alco-ethanol for your fuel blend, spray-cooling of the oil cooler, your passenger & driver post-mission debrief...

Johnny, when I see old sports / collector cars having unusual mods, I don't reject them out-of-hand. In some cases, it limits the pool of competing buyers while enabling you to negotiate a compensatory price. The key is understanding the purpose, execution and reversal potential for the mod. Sometimes a mod was an olden-days common fix to a real problem, other times the product of one man's creative imagination - even doing more harm than good, but always an education, though...
A friend bought a one-owner SC a few years ago. the first owner was a brilliant & meticulous engineer, he approached everything clean sheet and modded to suit his needs & taste (no wonder he owned a 356, he also designed and built his own house - including all subsystems), had a Beechcraft Bonanza and a hanger/ airstrip nextdoor. anyway, the new owner spent at least a year removing wiring and mysterious blackboxes - never did figure out what most of it was for...

Johnny G Pipe

Well, kids, them pipes lead to an MG oil cooler, not otherwise specified.

The story goes that the orig. oil cooler kept leaking despite being repaired a few times, and the owner didn't want to buy a new one in case it went too. Turns out the bad cooler was a VW item, but the MG cooler had been fitted by then. In the rear wheel well.

He says it doesn't run hot but I suppose we'll never know as the oil temp gauge don't work either..(he 'just knows' it doesn't run hot, he's had it 6 years, he knows the car, I could drive it up to Scotland no problem he says. The MG oil cooler is bigger he says.)

I still feel strangely drawn to the car - because of the low price only.

But, whilst I'm here, as someone else pointed out, what harm is running no air filters too (see pic above) going to be doing over the years, even if it is only occasionally used?

But then, quite a few cars run these filterless webers..how do they get by without an air cleaner. Doesn't the dirt damage the engine? Any pointers here greatly appreciated as always.

Isn't this fun?

ked

great fun, Johnny, esp on your nickel...
given you are strangely drawn... be aware that cheap in doesn't always mean cheap out...
the oil cooler / oil temp issue may be ok... one would imagine that it would've blown up by now if the cooling capacity of the MG unit was way under what the motor / driving enviro requires (& volume isn't the only factor, there is also material & flow rate). you can check the running oil temp w/ a dipstick gauge, like Mainely By Design sells - I'm sure a good shop over there can check the temp for you. on the carbs running w/o air filters - not too good. sure it can be done, & race engines run that way (& get rebuilt every few races or each season), but God knows what those suckers have ingested. I'd at least get a comp & leak-down test (by a 356 wrench), but one will never know for sure until the engine is torn down (or blowed right up, as Hobbs would say). still, if t tests out ok & the price is right, just maybe...
(& be sure to have the whole thing inspected for every possible costly repair...)

Johnny G Pipe

Hi Ked, nice to get a quick reply whilst I'm chewing this over to myself.

Great tip about the dipstick temp gauge..

But hey, I didn't mention, this car is extra special. Two batteries, one 6v for the car, one 12v for the starter. Well, the guy's resourceful at least.

Kahdmus

Johnny, remember....patience is a virtue!

Johnny G Pipe

It is, and how I wish I had it. Its weird that I just love driving my 964, but I can't get the 356 out of my system. But this car is only a little more money than the *****-out project I was considering a month or so ago-although that was RHD - so I clearly have to buy it as soon as possible

I'm bitten bad.. (but not bad enough to sell the 964 )

jayster

Those are external oil cooler lines headin to the front of the car, very ,um hackish....