Well...Pete Mantell, Dave Kirkman, and I was to be on the fall colour tour for the Prairie Octagon MG Club today....BUT....about 12:30pm I received a call from Dave Kirkman..
   He had a rather loud engine clatter in his MGB V8 conversion (Buick 215 stock). We were to meet at Chateau Ingram to caravan over to the Bloomington, IL are to meet up with fellow club members...
   Pete and I instead loaded up my wife's Mountaineer with jack, jack stands, and tools to drive about 30 miles east to Covington, IN where Dave was stranded at a truck stop.
   We took the passenger side rocker cover off...(the knock sounded like it was coming from there)...everything was OK. The starter had also failed (maybe...it was no longer engaging, the solenoid was silent)...so we removed it and push started the MG again...the noise was still there.
   Hey...why not take of the driver side rocker cover? (duh!!!)...Attached is a photo of what we found.. (damn).
   So...it was a call to AAA for a flat bed....
   Another day full of MG comaradarie and excitement! Dave was very fortunate...not a dropped valve...no bottom end damage....but still frustrating. (He's not had the car on the road that long.)
   Dave....as promised....this photo made the Internet before you got home to Terre Haute! (I have made a photo CD for you as well.)
Regards....
rick ingram
1974.5 MGB/GT V8 conversion (Rover 3.9)