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the wheels can be rebuilt/repaired but if the hub splines in the centre are worn, then the cost is probably not worth it. Good second hand ones, or even new ones are available for not too much $$. In general, you will need tubed tyres, though there are some wire wheels available with some sort of seal that does away with the need for a tube. I've never seen them on a Spridget though. David "David Jacobs" 22112... MORE
Ginger.... If they each have a few spokes loose and only one wheel has a broken spoke, they are not all gunked up with rust and run on a tire balancing machine (or something like that) and show little if any "runout", I'd use 'em. Of course, I can't "see" them so it's difficult to give a firm answer. Just make sure you remove them once every 6 mos. to grease the hubs and keep them clean and painted...don't let them get all filthy & rusty. You MAY be able to run tubeless in a wire wheel but I... MORE
Yes, Bob!!! You can make more backfiring noise by further leaning out the mixture beyond what it "should be", but I wouldn't recommend it!! :):) Many years ago, we used to "blast out" a muffler to get more of this, as well. "Backing-off" exhaust sounds were considered mandatory if you wanted to be considered "cool". Of course, the muffler wears out in this respect over time and use but....we didn't wanna wait! The car had to sound "cool"....today......NOW!! Find a long hill and shut off the ignition while allowing the car to go down the hill while remaining in... MORE
Yes, Bob!!! You can make more backfiring noise by further leaning out the mixture beyond what it "should be", but I wouldn't recommend it!! :):) Many years ago, we used to "blast out" a muffler to get more of this, as well. "Backing-off" exhaust sounds were considered mandatory if you wanted to be considered "cool". Of course, the muffler wears out in this respect over time and use but....we didn't wanna wait! The car had to sound "cool"....today......NOW!! Find a long hill and shut off the ignition while allowing the car to go down the hill while remaining in... MORE
Bob, Right after I replaced all of the clutch componenets and drive shaft, I took the car out for a drive. I was out about 2 hours and parked it. The next day, I got in, drove a couple of blocks and the brakes locked up. I generally don't trust myself with brakes so, I took it to the mecahnic who has serviced this car for me and the previous owner. He says the MC has been leaking for years but the previous owner wouldn't let him fix it because she was saving up for a Bugeye. Anyway, I'm... MORE
G'day guys Isn't a bit of healthy debate a great thing? The usual reason for sloppy wheels, even after new ball bearing races have been fitted, is wear in the hub where the outer part of both bearings seat. Even a few thousandths of an inch of wear (due to previous bearings being loose, or the outer ring slipping) will mean that the balls aren't correctly seating on the radial face of the outer race - they are being held apart by the cast iron inner spacer. As little as .005" can make the difference between a loose wheel... MORE
David, Don't bother pulling the rubber boot, if everything is OK you have to replace it. If it not you have a messy part to play with! Simply leave the car on the ground and have someone rotate the steering wheel from side to side (about 9 to 12 ins). Get hold of the joint with your fingertips, you can feel for worn steering rack joints through the rubber boot of the steering rack with a worn rack producing a 'click' or 'jerk' near the joint. You will feel play if it is worn. The whole joint will seperate... MORE
If the shaft doesn't move, the other wheel should be moving in opposite direction (that's normal). If you can turn one wheel without turning the propshaft or the other wheel there's something terribly wrong.... Good luck, Eeg. Eeg.Oberije@... 22058... MORE
G'day all The matter of Timken (or any other brand) of tapered roller bearing, vs the original ball bearing races, seems to have raised it's head again. For some strange reason, tapered roller bearings seem to have been blessed with the "superior" tag. Well, in some ways, they are. But in some ways they are not. Now it took a bearing technician about 10 minutes and a few drawings to explain the "effective axle load bearing width" or some such thing, and why tapered rollers can be inferior to angular contact ball bearings. So I will not try to... MORE
G'day Chris etc Your diff (or to give it the full title, differential) was designed to allow one wheel to turn more than the other, when you turn a corner. The outside wheel needs to turn more than the inside wheel, and the centre gears (called, amongst other things, the "planetary" gears) allow for this differential in the rotation of the wheels. A byproduct of the planetary gear motion is that when the tailshaft is stationary, and you turn one wheel forward, the other will move backward at the same rate. Fear not - all is (probably) well. avagoodday... MORE
Colin, I don't know if this is true in this case, but my understanding is that roller bearings, with their greater surface area of contact, are designed for applicatuions with a higher radial loading. This would seem to me to be like the wheel hub bearing where they carry the weight of the car. OTOH, at the inner end of the half shaft, in the differential cage, there will be relatively less radial load so a ball bearing will be fine, and have less frictional resistance. Having said that, I would presume that the ball bearings are OK (as... MORE
Dear MG folk, Since the beaing question seemed to generate some conversation, here is what I have on getting some stouter bearings for the Midget front hubs. The Timken numbers for the front tapered bearings and races are: 07097 05066 05185 07204 You will need two of each of these. You will use the standard grease seal; for reference, the Carquest part number is 471192. Winners Circle in Cleveland is a good source and they are familiar with the upgrade. My set was about $90 for the whole thing. Rob C '75 Midget, McGee robbiesg@... 22044... MORE
Chris, I had expected that several people would have answered this one quickly, so I didn't bother until now. I think you must have been seeing the wheel opposite to the one you were turning rotate in the opposite direction . If you block the opposite wheel (or somehow restrain it from turning), you will then see the propshaft rotate. That's how a diff works. It's not actually freewheeling but "sharing" the turning with the opposite wheel. When you cause one rear wheel to rotate at exactly the same speed as, but in opposite direction to, the the other... MORE
Dear Dave, I just installed a set of Timken rollers in my '75 using '79 hubs from a donor car. Had no difficulty whatsoever and they roll very well. Like you I was advised not to use the distance piece. The distance piece can be used with this setup but is requires some special tools/techniques and is generally only used by racers. If you don't want to give up on better bearings I can foward the Timken numbers. Rob C '75 Midget, McGee robbiesg@... 22026... MORE
Hi Having just put the half shafts and wheels back on my car - I have found that the diff freewheels if i turn the rear wheels. That is - the propshaft and diff don't turn at all when i spin the rear wheels. This can't be right can it - or am I being dim again! Regards Chris '58 frogeye "howes" 22024... MORE
Hi I have just joined the group and have been working on a '68 Midget since last Sept. Previously I had owed a '55 TF and a '54 TD. Having replaced my top/hood I did not find any instructions other than the recommendation that I have a top shop do it. I would be happy to correspond or talk by phone to relate what I did to get mine to fit right. My hood couldn't be returned if it had any installation holes in it (it did) even though it was 1" too narrow. When I first bought the... MORE
G'day Tom etc I support David's comments. Water vapour will still enter the braking system, it just will not dissolve in the Dot 5 fluid, so it pools at the lowest point. I used Dot 5 in my restored race car 7 years ago, simply because I didn't want to see all the paint blistering off all the newly painted parts when we first tried to bleed the system. And of course I was told that it would not absorb water. I gotta admit that I forgot the yearly routine of bleeding the entire system (thanks, Cap'n Bob) until... MORE
You may have some residual air in the system, and, as Allen suggested, repeated bleeding over a few days may help. It also may be that the new pads and shoes will need to wear in a bit so they fit up exactly against the rotors and drums before you get a rock hard pedal. Some people clain that Dot 5 always gives a softer pedal, but I can't confirm this. What I can confirm, because my car had Dot 5 silicone it when I bought it, is that Dot 5 is more likely to leak, and when it... MORE
about 3 sessions over about a week before the pedal really firmed up. But, eventually it did and the silicone fluid perfermed just fine over the car's lifetime. Cap'n. Bob '60 :{) PilotRob@... 21911... MORE
Yo Group, My first opportunity to ask a question since rejoining recently. I installed a '79 Midget rear axle in my '75 as the main job in converting from wire wheels to disc's (mags actually). Got the job done and went to refill the banjo but it doesn't appear to be the square ratchet hole I expected but rather a hex. Can anyone on the list confirm that this is a hex plug and what size? Thanks, Rob C '75 Midget robbiesg@... 21907... MORE
Speaking of yesterdays show. On my way back from the show I heard a loud clunks noise come from the car. I was traveling in traffic and thought I may have run over something. I checked the guages and all looked ok. I checked them again about 30 seconds later and saw the temp gauge head right for the hot side of the gauge. Buy this time I was close to the rest area on the highway and pulled off. opened the hood and found the belt had come off. Ok I thought the belt had been throuwn. Upon... MORE
Hi David - Gerard First there are two totally different racks - early, which Gerard is referring to and late which David has. They are completely interchangeable but you have to use all the bits peculiar to each rack. Second, it is a easy swap for you David as they should be both late racks and much simpler than early ones. Just pry up the steering shaft enough to unhook it from the rack then slide the rack out the side, you will have to pull the rad to get at the clamp bolts - you don't have to... MORE
G'day all I spent a bit of time last week fixing a Mk IIA Sprite just purchased by Duncan, a new customer. He bought it as he had always wanted a Sprite, and it was love at first sight - pretty Sky Blue, nice paint. Now Duncan is 6'3" tall, and in his early fourties. The Sprite didn't run - flat battery, master cylinder just been rebuilt and brakes/clutch not bled yet, no registration, hadn't been driven for 3 years. So he bought it to me to get it repaired and registered. Well by the time we changed the... MORE
G'day Jason You can remove the gearbox side plate with the engine and box in the car. It helps if you have a hoist, as you really need to do it from below. If you don't have a hoist, just jack it up as far as you can get it, put it on secure axle stands (no, not bricks!) and crawl under with the 7/16" spanner (wrench?) in your hand. Now don't forget to drain the oil first, will you! avagoodday Colin "Colin Dodds" 21870... MORE
Max I lay the hood on a flat surface inside up I then fold the panel containing the rear windows inwards so the inside of the window rests on the inside of the roof I then fold the rear side windows inwards being careful to fold the hood fabric between the windows and not the window. Next I roll the hood up from the front end so the header rail (with the two over centre clamps tucked in) finishes up in the middle with the hood rolled around it and the outside of the hood on the outside of... MORE
