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Last night I was asked to diagnose a Spridget brake problem of excessive pedal travel, and ran across something which proved very elusive. The car had lots of pedal travel, nearly to the floor. All of the mechanical parts were in good shape - no significat wear in the pedal bushes, clevis, push rod, etc. The push rod was properly adjusted and the rears were adjusted to the point of just scuffing. There were no signs of fluid leak or leak down. The system had been pressure and vacuum bled several times. Still there was the long and scary... MORE
Tim, I used axle straps in the rear hooked to chains bolted the the trailer chassis. They are fairly short so as the car in winched forward, all the slack is removed. The front is winched down and also snugged down using a racheting strap on each side. I strap to the towhooks if the are present, otherwise over the bunper brackets or A-arms depending on what's there. Gerard "gerardchateau" 12956... MORE
I went to www.4ag.com and came up blank there wasn't anything there i think they had a total of 600 posts so i look through pretty much all of them but didn't find anything. maybe i missed something. But Yeah my dad is really excited about this project I know it's not going to be easy. I was wondering about the the drive shaft isn't the 4ag FWD so will that convert the midget to a fwd. or will we have custom the drive shaft to a RWD. Also i was wonder what the experence of the other folks... MORE
Tim: Put at least a tonneau on to "protect" interior from sun and bird-like contamination, tie it by the axles or wheels, sprung "normally". Cap'n. Bob '60 :{) PilotRob@... 12945... MORE
The crank bolt is 1-5/16. RE: your backfire problem, either your distributor drive gear is oriented wrong or your distributor is. Check to make sure your plug wires are in the right order as that can cause the symptom too. Gerard "gerardchateau" 12849... MORE
After all this talk about junk rebuilt shocks, I'd like to pass along something I've been learning. As some of you may recall my partner and I have embarked on a program to do superior rebuilt MGB and Spridget brake calipers. As part of our learning process, we bought one caliper from each of several USA rebuilders. What we found in them was the stuff of horror stories - old rusted and badly scored pistons, hardware store o-rings substituted for the proper fluid channel seals, partially stripped, rusty old bridge bolts, paint over old rust and grime. There's some... MORE
Greg- Unless your involved in a "panic stop", they won't lock up.....and you don't want them to....and either did the manufacturer who "sized" the brakes to the vehicle accordingly. Consider the thinking and reasoning behind modern day Automatic Braking Systems (ABS). The quickest stop is performed at the threshold of wheel lock-up. ABS keeps the tire slightly "rolling" (just short of lock-up) to achieve this, which by the way allows the driver to remain in control, directionally speaking. Once "skidding" of a tire begins, friction with the surface is gone....and so is your ability to "stop" along with the... MORE
You can get stiffer front springs from any of the usual sources (Vic Brit, MO$$) some are lower than others. I've got very stiff 580# fronts from Winners Circle on mine and it rides with about 4 3/4" clearance at the oil pan. As far rear springs. I've got 1 1/2" lowering blocks on mine now and even with a flat drivers side spring I have 5 1/2" clearance at the differential. I wish I could find a set of offset rear springs but winner's Circle's source for these has dried up. Unless someone on the list knows of... MORE
Proportioning valve? There isn't one on a bugeye. I converted my Bugeye to discs, using a 7/8" dual master cylinder, and everything worked just fine, but as did PilotRob, I simultaneously rebuilt everything else. There must be many hundreds, if not thousands of these which have been converted, no problems. Later on I changed to the 3/4" mc, which reduced the pedal effort, but the conversion works fine with either. If your conversion isn't working well, there is something wrong. Maybe several things. "tloutrec" 12712... MORE
Actually, Chris- Without the last step and the fact we "matched" the timing marks to the "correct" initial setting as given in the maintenance manual (I think this is what you meant by lining up the timing marks?), this is exactly how it was done back in the late '50's and early 60's (setting timing "statically"). About that last step.....gotta watch this... you can end up pretty well overadvanced and with some weird mixture adjustment nut settings accordingly, but idling "smoothly". On cars with quiet exhausts you can "hear" when you've gone a bit far (and the engine will... MORE
I did the same conversion and kept the original "2 in 1" master cylinder arrangement and have no trouble stopping at all. Of course, I also upgraded to steel lines all around and replaced the rear shoes (drums were re-surfaced and within spec) and brake cylinders at the same time. The pedal effort seems to be more or less the same as on my previous '67 and '74 Spridgets. Cap'n. Bob '60 :{) PilotRob@... 12708... MORE
If your brakes are unsatisfactory, chances are there are other problems with your setup than the MC. Are your pads ad rear brakes shoes of a good quality? Are your rear brakes adjusted so that you e-brake only takes a few clicks to lock up? is your pedal too hard or spongy? What condition are your rotors? Is you current MC leaking of have old seals. The later type branching valve is a tandem two line system that is a fail-safe if part of the system fails. It will not change your braking much (if at all) and not... MORE
Hello again Bill, It's so long since had a running "points" vehicle that I had forgotten whether it's divide or multiply 8-cyl reading. So I went down to the household "nerve center" to check. I have a Micronta tach/dwell meter (possibly of Radio Shack origin) COMPLETE WITH INSTRUCTION MANUAL, would you believe? Anyway, answer is multiply 8-cyl reading by 2. With regard to engine running versus being cranked, my view is this check is valid ONLY if the engine is running at a good stable idle - specs should say at what RPM you should do the check -... MORE
Need some help here... I have a 61 bugeye that was converted to disc brakes. It has the original master cyl. split system with clutch. The porportioning valve is the stock one for drum brakes. The question is should I rip the pedal setup and two line system with seperate brake and clutch systems out of a newer midget or can get by with a adjustable valve from a after-market hotrod shop? Or can I T the one line system into a newer porportioning valve? The brakes are a little unsatisfactory as they are now. Thanks Greg "amxpate1" 12686... MORE
Just wanted to thank all you folks who gave me some insight about my Master Cylinder. I bleed the system today using the Mighty Vac and I was really pleased. I didn't need anyone to pump the brakes. The only problem was I had to keep getting up and checking the fluid level. I think this is the first time I have had a good solid brake pedal, not to mention that the clutch actually works. Thanks Folks Joe Shaw "healeyman60" 12682... MORE
Just wanted to thank all you folks who gave me some insight about my Master Cylinder. I bleed the system today using the Mighty Vac and I was really pleased. I didn't need anyone to pump the brakes. The only problem was I had to keep getting up and checking the fluid level. I think this is the first time I have had a good solid brake pedal, not to mention that the clutch actually works. Thanks Folks Joe Shaw "healeyman60" 12681... MORE
I've used the miti vac for a few years. One issue I've come across is drawing air through the threads on the bleeder. Looks just like bubbles coming from the brake cyl. I generally enlist my wife's help for a final bleeding, using the pedal push method. Mike '62 Sprite schicmg@... 12665... MORE
Joe, It really does not make a difference which one you bleed first since they are each independent lines. I would go with the easier of the tasks first and do the brakes. Then go on to the slave. Keep an eye one the fluid level in the master after every 3-4 strokes of the pedal or however the vac system extracts fluid. Also start bleed process with furthest cylinder from master. Rear right wheel, left rear, front right and front left. Hope this helps. Let me know how the miti-vac thing works. Mike kna331@... 12661... MORE
Thanks Gerard. No, my brakelights do not work. The switch is such that the little "plunger" which the pedal makes it go either "in" or "out" seems to be stuck in the in position. So when the brake pedal operates against the switch there is nothing to go in or out. I'm sorry, this is even sounding confusing to me. Mike kna331@... 12644... MORE
Mike, I'm confused... didn't you say your brake lights were on all the time? That means your switch works! Pushing the button IN breaks the circuit, NOT pulling it out. If you brakes lights work, your switch isn't shot. As I said this is a normally closed switch, meaning that in it's resting state the contacts are closed. It's "normal" position in the car (as David describes it) is with the pedal arm resting against it, HOLDING it open. This is not the same as the switch's "normal" state. You should check it with an ohmeter before you throw... MORE
Doing ok here Mike. ended up driving to Syracuse Monday night at midnight. The Fiance's Mother fell and broke her hip up in Watertown, their hospital didn't want to touch it, so hey medivaced her to University Med Ctr in Syracuse. Left home at midnight drove the 2 1/2 hours to the hospital, stayed there until yesterday evening (NO SLEEP) she was doing ok, so then I drove the 2 1/2 hours home again, so I am a bit punchy today. The wsitch is normally open and any pressure on the brake pedal closes the switch sending 12 volts... MORE
Hi David, Thanks for helping, again. How are things with you? I will be looking at the switch again. I just assumed it was your typical type brake lite switch, you know with the little plunger type thing that goes in and out when you depress the pedal. Gerard told me that it does not work that way, so I have to see. Let me know what you come up with. Thanks again....... Mike K. kna331@... 12624... MORE
Mike, Soaking won't help you. It's a normally closed switch! Pedal at rest keeps it open so you need to adjust the contact point of the pedal to the switch. Gerard "gerardchateau" 12593... MORE
So what do you guys call the bevelled peg that holds the king pin locked to the fulcrum pin and the cranks of bicycles on their shafts until about 25 years ago. "Jeremy Cogman" 12461... MORE
A '74 should have a floating pedal style as I recall. You can add a floating pedal to the rod end or just do without. I may have a top frame... have to look. Where are you located? Gerard "gerardchateau" 12464... MORE
