MGB Tuneup Part 1: How to Tune Your British Sports Car

One of the biggest misconceptions about old cars is that a tune-up on a Triumph TR6 or an Austin-Healey involves changing the plugs and turning a screwdriver on the carburetors. That's simply not enough, and it's a large part of the reason why they have a reputation for being unreliable. We take an MGB through a more comprehensive procedure.

In this video, we look at the basics. Checking the plugs is important, but while they're out it's a good time to run a compression check. This could help identify problems before they become serious so you have time to prepare. We also adjust the rocker clearances, which may not have been done in decades. Controlling the valves on a new car is very precise, but took a little fiddling if you have a pushrod engine with solid lifters.

We'll continue through until we (finally) get to adjusting the carbs... but follow along. You can tweak those SUs as much as you like, but whether you have an XKE or a Spitfire, your car can run terribly if the distributor isn't working properly!