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Workshop notes - useful technical information & support as a valued part of Membership benefits

How active have both sets of workshop notes been? See our report alongside.

News of a batch of eight new V8NOTES with a couple that also apply to the RV8 model added to the RVNOTES. See our report alongside.

What are the aims of the two workshop notes series and how active have they been since each was launched? See notes alongside

Workshop notes updates - a new scheme will be launched soon providing free updates for current Members who have prevously purchased a full set of workshop notes from the V8 Register. Delivery will be by the digital files transfer system WeTransfer. Details of the scheme and how to order updates will be available soon.

"Current Member" - a current Member of the MG Car Club (or a recognised overseas branch or affiliate of the MG Car Club) who has registered an MGV8 with the V8 Register.
Join the MG Car Club
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How active have they been since each was launched? Since the launch of the two sets of workshop notes, the growth of each set has been strong at an average of over one new note per month. The current totals of each set are below - a combined total of 1,162 notes in 31 volumes! They have been and continue to be a valued part of the membership benefits package that V8 Register members have. They are also a key part of the useful information and support provided by the V8 Register that attracts MGV8 enthusiasts to the join the V8 Register and the MG Car Club. For over 40 years the V8 Register has encouraged fellow members to contribute useful MGV8 maintenance and spares information as new notes and articles that are added to the existing workshop notes series. A key feature of both sets of workshop notes is they continue to grow with the addition of new notes contributed by fellow members. New V8NOTES will soon to be available Peter Ellis, the current editor of both sets of workshop notes, is soon going to publish a batch of eight new V8NOTES with a couple that also apply to the RV8 model added to the RVNOTES: 664. Engine steady or stabiliser bar Tony Lake Following a query from a member on how you install the stabiliser bar, Tony Lake provides guide notes on the bar he fitted to his MGBGTV8. (July 2024) 665. Frontline front valance Peter Berry For some years he had had thoughts of replacing the original front valance on his MGBGTV8 (Teal Blue 0201) with one with a small spoiler to improve high speed stability on motorways. Here he outlines his preparations for obtaining and having installed a Frontline valance. (July 2024) 666. Coolant spill issue Tony Lake & Victor Smith With a V8 engine packed into a relatively tight engine bay and a radiator size less than ideal, cooling and overheating issues are a frequent topic discussed by MGV8 owners. A coolant expansion tank problem was reported by Rene Chinnery in a post on the V8 Bulletin Board mentioning he had read the notes that say “it’s essential you do not overfill the expansion tank and that it should be between a quarter and a third full when cold. If it is too full then you can get loss of coolant from the radiator when hot and then consequent overheating". Here we set out how the cooling system works and highlight how Rene’s problem was checked and resolved. (July 2024) 667. Problems with a noisy hydraulic tappet Tony Lake & Victor Smith James Clydesdale contacted the V8 Register saying “I have problems with a very noisy hydraulic tappet in my RV8 and wonder if somebody could point me in the right direction regarding this. Would appreciate any help or advice or perhaps guidance to a company or professional who could make it good”. Here preliminary checks are set out and an inspection of the tappets and options for solving the problem. (July 2024) 668. Steering gaiter clips Peter Berry He was under his V8, completing the annual oil change and he noticed that the rubber boots on the track rod ends had significantly perished and torn on both sides of the car. He purchased new gaiters from a well-known MG parts supplier and was slightly surprised to find that they came with plastic tie-wraps, rather than the more usual stainless steel jubilee clips. Here he describes the clips he used and where he sourced them. (August 2024) 669. Spare wheel holder clamp plate Rob Rose He spotted a minor change in the clamp on the spare wheel holder (BHH111) made during the chrome bumper production period. Here he provides the details. (August 2024) 670. Checking your battery condition Peter Berry For many years Peter Berry (Teal Blue 0201) had been meaning to convert the twin 6v batteries behind the seats on his MGBGTV8 to a single 12v battery. Following a battery failure he replaced them with twin 6v items and ponders whether to upgrade to a 12v battery. (August 2024) 671. Replacing a speedometer and cable Kai Knickmann When driving home to Germany from the V8 50th Anniversary celebrations in 2023 the speedometer needle on Kai Knickmann’s MGBGTV8 started to swing more and more violently as a he drove through the Netherlands. Here he explains how the problem was solved. (August 2024) See the full V8NOTES listing & detailed index. Listing & Index New RV8NOTES will soon to be available 490. Problems with a noisy hydraulic tappet Tony Lake & Victor Smith (July 2024) 491. Steering gaiter clips Peter Berry (August 2024) See the full RV8NOTES listing & detailed index. Listing & Index
What are the aims of the two workshop notes series ? Since the launch of the V8NOTES series in early 1979, with John Dupont's note on the "V8 water pump - remove & refit¨, our aim for our workshop notes has been threefold: 1. Provide useful technical notes which have accurate and complete information on spares, maintenance and repair issues with MGV8s and ensure they are well illustrated using photos and diagrams. In drafting these notes the aim is to ensure all members will be able to follow the details covered by the note so we aim to ensure the issues are explained well and that we avoid "techie-speak¨ which tends to appear on many classic car forums. 2. Encourage and support fellow members to contribute articles and technical notes When fellow MGV8 members seek information or advice by direct contact or by posts on the V8BB or V8 Facebook Group, we try and encourage the participant to draft or at least be involved in preparing a workshop note. The essence of a members' classic car group is participation and practical support and a major part of the success of both workshop notes series has been achieved from that approach. 3. Focus on addressing the "what, why, how, when, where" when preparing notes Often when drafting a technical note, someone who has worked their way through solving a spares or maintenance matter can easily have a mindset which is close to the work they have done and they draft the note assuming readers will have an understanding of how and where the work was carried out. Using the "what, why, how, when, where" approach helps readers follow the article but also it can help fellow members overcome the "blank paper syndrome¨ when staring at a sheet a paper (or more likely a screen these days) and feeling unable to begin drafting. We have a template document in Word format to help fellow members draft notes in a twin column layout which is useful for including in our sets of workshop notes or as items published in the monthly V8 Columns in Safety Fast! Template