Wheel cleanup and starting gearbox...

OK- got a lot done today! Wheels were poorly repainted with a paintjob of matching blue centers and silver outers when I got it:


Got this paint stripper from O'reilly auto,  USE IT OUTSIDE!  this stuff will
take points off your IQ like it takes off paint! 

New(er) looking

Almost shiny in spots.  I also took a 4.5" angle grinder cup brush to them.  Then primed...



It used to be dirty.. enough said.  I used multiple wire and nylon brushes and
mineral spirits to find the metal underneath.
The inside of the bellhousing  was black hole black.  I mean black.
Must have been from the former carbon throwout bearing and oil.



This , it turns out with the help of the MGExperience,
is what is left of part #7 on the moss gearbox diagram.
It is a bearing shim that's supposed to be between front gearbox cover and the
large input bearing.  It aint.



This is where the shims came to rest.   I replaced the front seal while in there.

Upper= practically unused carbon faced throwout bearing.
The clutch looks new too!
Lower= new throwout bearing that's actually a bearing.
The clips straight pin goes into the ear of the bearing
and clips it to the fork.

New gasket of course!  That's the big bearing
that's supposed to have shims in front of it.

All back together.  Silicone greased the fork bolt before install.
Ripped the throwout boot- need one of those too.

Handbrake re installed, waiting on parts

  I found all the parts to the handbrake and reinstalled the 3 screws to the transmission tunnel.
The handbrake cable was greased prior to install and slack was pulled to the handle side, since the drum side isn't hooked up- awaiting boots. 

  Make sure the bell crank on the axle where the cable goes through can sway to and fro.  Mine needed to be hammered apart, cleaned and greased to work.

  Hoping parts get in soon, as I need the mg back on its feet to get the drivetrain back in and move to a newer home.  After Victoria British sends the front wheel bearing shims, the brakes can get bolted on, then the wheels and tires. 

  The hard lines that bolt under the car through the rubber isolaters were put back in-
   Honestly- it had been 3 months since I'd messed with them and forgot the order that they lay so I asked the MG experience people and they replied with this:

"On my 74m starting from outboard, it's rear brake line, evap recovery line, battery cable, fuel line."

Thanks to AVIMAX from Canada

I completely forgot that I had to add in the battery cable to the mix, since I never had a rear mounted battery car before.  Need a new cable really.

progress!

  I made some progress, but missed some pics due to busy hands and spring shackles that were about to piss me off.  Then I added some 85/140 gear oil ( yes, yes its thicker than it should be, but it wont hurt anything.) 

UPDATE:  new rubber axle limiting straps already starting to split, haven't even drove with them yet!  $18 down the tubes. It has been noted that a lot of aftermarket stuff is crap...
 I saw some nylon strap ones on fleabay for $30 that I'll try.

I even got brake lines and hoses installed with new wheel cylinders!  The spring shackles kept pushing out the
new bushings, it took 1/2 hour to get those in.  Axle limit straps arrived a day after this. 

The tank wasn't that bad except the bolts between the tank and the rear valance.
I ran the rear fuel / brake lines prior to axle install, which made it a bit easier.
Also ran the rear wiring harness.
Just need to run the chassis fuel and brake lines to the new master cylinder.