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MG Tech Tips by John Twist
Visual History of MG from the Archives
During his 50+ years as an MG Mechanic, John Twist amassed a large collection of official MG sales & marketing campaigns, service & repair training videos, and British motorcar history. Enjoy these classics!
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Vintage University Motors Videos
During his 50+ years as a mechanic, John Twist recorded a lot of videos about owning and repairing MGs. Some of his early videos from 1990’s-2000’s now available on the University Motors YouTube channel. Enjoy!
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New MG Tech Videos
John Twist is back to making MG Tech Talk training videos. We hired a new videographer and John had new vehicles in the shop in May 2025. We recorded videos about a banjo differential, rear hubs, suspension, steering column, sway bar, wheel splines, cooling systems, and exhaust manifold. Plus a video with guidelines for purchasing…
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50 Years of University Motors
John Twist opened his University Motors MG repair shop in Grand Rapids on January 25, 1975. The rest is history! John hosted the University Motors 50th Birthday Party on Saturday,…
Miracle on 28th Street
by guest columnist Allen Bachelder The corner of 28th and Patterson in Grand Rapids Michigan looks totally normal. Just ten blocks north of the Gerald R Ford International Airport, a…
The Twist Library
During March 2023, John Twist and his assistant Martie started relocating his MG Technical books and archives. John’s 50 years of MG books, magazines, factory literature, and University Motors memorabilia…
Is Your Engine Tired?
I talk to a lot of MG owners about the condition of their engines. Over and over, I hear the phrase, “My engine is tired.” I tell them there is…
Spring Maintenance & Lubrication Checklist
Ready to wake up your MG after cold weather hibernation? If you followed the Winter Storage Instructions, you should be in good shape. Here is John Twist’s Spring checklist to…
Celebrating 48 years of University Motors with John Twist
John Twist celebrated the 48th Birthday of University Motors on January 21, 2023 in Grand Rapids, MI with his employees, customers, and friends. John opened a small British car repair…
Eliminating Rear Axle Clunk
By John H Twist A common problem I hear from MG owners is “There’s a clunking sound in the rear of my car!” The Salisbury, Tubed-type, or “GT” rear axle…
Winter Storage Tips
Ask a dozen MG owners how each of them stored his MG last year and you will receive a dozen different answers. Methods range from abandoning the MG under a…
FAQ Archives: Timing Chain on MGB
Hello John,I have a stock 1971 MGB that appears to have jumped a tooth on the timing chain. The engine will start and run but has a pretty bad shake…
FAQ Archives: A Ticking TF
Question: Dear Mr. Twist,Here is a thorny problem for you to cogitate! I have conducted extensive research and value your input. My 1955 TF 1500 is making a ticking sound,…
TD Clutch Repair Misadventures
Guest post by David Capallo In October 2022, John Twist visited me in Savannah, GA to replace the clutch on my 1951 MG TD. This was his second time visiting…
1977 MGB Run-On
Peculiar to the 1977 MGBs (and some, very early 1978’s) is a wiring design fault that allows the engine to continue running when the key is turned off. This problem…
FAQ Archives: TD Oil Leak
Dear John, How would you like to hear another MG adventure? I recently started up a TD that had the engine rebuilt several years ago. I went through the start-up…
Restoring an MGA
The MGA restoration is a huge project! It will eat up time and money for several years. Take your most liberal estimate of the time and cost — then multiply…
John’s Guide to Buying and Selling MGs
The rules of selling an MG and buying an MG are so diametrical that they barely deserve to be covered in the same article. Yet they bear a symbiotic relationship…
FAQ Archive: Valve Guides on MGB
QUESTION: I hope you can help me. I had the head rebuilt on my 1969 MGB with hardened valve seats. The engine ran fine for a few minutes then started…
FAQ Archives: MG History & Trivia
Dear Mr. Twist, Over the last few weeks I have been trying to research into the history of the MG Sports Car, but have not been successful in answering these…