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Bob. In Malta they are supposed to drive on the Left, like in England. But mostly they drive in the shade. Can't ever remember cobble stone streets there though. Try and get a bus ride on a 50's bus.Last time I was there that was the only form of public transport- very cheap and entertaining. All bus routes start from Valletta. Get to the Mosta cathedral. A German bomb dropped through the roof during a service, skidded down the main aisle, but didn't explode.a miracle they say.. Just outside of Mosta , towards Bugibba and St Pauls bay ,... MORE
Linwood If you have the differential out, you should be able to use use a drift or a long punch to knock it out from the opposite side.. You already have metal particle contamination from the broken shaft. Clean every thing well before you reinstall. Also make sure that the good shaft you still have goes into the same side it came out or you will be doing this job again and sooner than you think. Gerard HTTP://www.gerardsgarage.com "gerardchateau" 9432... MORE
Here's my 2-minute method- Jack up car, place axle stands under front crossmember. remove front wheel Undo nut on top of trunnion- lift lever arm and trunnion off kingpin. Remove two bolts holding steering arm to swivel hub. Lift swivel hub, complete with brakes etc, off kingpin. Loosen A-arm pivot bolts Stand on end of A-arm, forcing it down until the spring pops free. You may need to remove the bump rubber from inside the spring first, or the spring might pull it out for you. HTH Growler "Grant Bowyer" 9385... MORE
Matthew, Where are you located. I have one out of a late 60's Sprite. Not sure if it would work. I'm looking for a 3.77 set of gears. Martyn meastwood1@... "Martyn Eastwood" 9357... MORE
Does any one have a spare differential carrier or a differential laying around that is gathering dust in need of a new home? If so I could use one if it can be used in a 76 Midget. Please contact me and we can see what kind of deal can be made. thanks!!! Matthew Pfeil 1965 Ford F100 1976 MG Midget (Currently Crippled) 2001 Chrysler Sebring "Matthew Pfeil" 9342... MORE
Mike, Thanx for the reply, I didn't know you Yanks raced midgets, I thought you just polished and talked about them. :o) :o) I thought that I had replied to you, but can't find a copy in my sent item file. At the moment I've got two 1275 engines on the bench in my garage. Both reputedly to be good. But want to try them out before fitting one of them into the car. I've not seen or heard either of them running , an they've both been standing , out a the car for several years. The engine... MORE
The welding was the failure: the springs were an "advisory". I just put tha t in after the earlier postings on this subject. Another advisory point which came up was that one front brake seems to bind when cold. When the car's done a mile or so, the pulling seems to disappear . Its something you "get used to" as part of the drive from home, same as keeping the revs below 2,500 (and more recently, not using first gear too much).When warm, I can brake hard from speed without any problem: I don't even have to "pump" the... MORE
Gracious mi amigo, pero yo no dije eso ...... or in English Hey, I didn't say I knew where to get any, I just said "the book says" lol :-) Actually, my 71 is still in tooooo many pieces to worry about the 140 SAE yet. But I think I agree with Brad, isn't lower unit gear oil 120 - 140 SAE? I don't remember. Brent "Brent Wolf" 9226... MORE
You can put a 'B' engine in if you really want to BUT a good 1275 is far better. The handling and space needed for the 'B' gear box is enormous. The weight of the thing causes brakes and handling problems. Aside It was with a rebuilt (by me) B engine (in a GT) that I first travelled at 100mph on the road - frightened myself silly though. 2 miles a minute in the new mini cooper is an absoloute doddle though. Regards Alan "alan.east-jones" 9190... MORE
In the UK torn boots should be an MoT failure but they quite often don't spot it, prefering to fail the car on a handbrake or wheel bearing that doesn't feel like the one on a modern eurobox. "Jeremy Cogman" 9153... MORE
A few more thoughts on well greased nipples some gear oil added to the grease does help, Adding a squirt of grease and not making sure the rack is fully lubricated is not a good idea, Oil does spread (all over the road) but will run to the lowest point and tend to stay there. Its not like a gear box where its being continuously churned up. Regards Alan "alan.east-jones" 9147... MORE
I agree with you, but we always grease racks even when installing new ones . 1) grease sticks. 2) oil always leaks out. The only time to use oil is when there is a reservoir in built for the gear teeth to keep dipping in.. Light grease shouldn't make the steering heavier, think of the mechanical advantage created at the rack and pinion. What is a zerk? I prefer a good clean nipple Regards Alan "alan.east-jones" 9146... MORE
I know the "official" lube for these gearboxes is motor oil, but on the advise of the folks at Motorhead, I've used 80W gear oil for the past decade. Quieter, shifts smoother, no problems to date. What are you folks using? "tloutrec" 9127... MORE
TL- In my Datsun 210 5 speed....Mobile 1 synthetic per Rivergate recommendation (actually, any good synthetic gear oil is fine; THEY use Mobile 1!) I always used normal 75W80 in my Midget boxi before becoming a 5 speed kinda guy, for exactly the reasons you mention in your post. Just needs a more thorough warm-up in winter temps. Cap'n. Bob '60 :{) PilotRob@... 9132... MORE
Look down at the pulley while you turn the engine over slowly by rolling the car in top gear (ign off, please!) You'll see a shallow groove, like a thin saw cut across the pulley. Why is this in such a difficult place to use? There's a perfectly good reason for that... but it escapes me at the moment. Since this is all such a pain, maybe you'll time it as many others do: Once you get it to run, keep advancing the timing until it just pings, when hot, at 2000 rpm full throttle. Then back the timing... MORE
Bill- This is why the "timing marks" are "on top" on my new Rivergate motor; it was actually a condition of them building it!! You see, having the timing marks "on the bottom" was part if a "revenge" thing, a "commie-pinko" type of plot. This is what the British did to get even with us for "breaking away" in the first place and winning "that" war in the second place. They produce this neat little car and drive us nuts with Lucas electrics and timing marks in the most ludicrous of places. (Could you find a more ridiculous spot... MORE
I have tried the BFH with no luck. I have tried many things, heat, gear puller.solvents to dissolve hardened grease in the hub. chisel, I even tried to loosen the bolts on the back plate and knock the hub out but the bolts spin on the inside. I would like to save the wheel but am more interested in salvaging axel, brake and diff. assembly. The axel is off the car. It's driving me crazy!!! Mike K. New Hyde Park, NY kna331@... 9014... MORE
Hi Tim You sound jussst like me, I'm in the same position right now. Mine has been an ongoing project for many years,(on and off) I have also done almost all of my own work. Except for body and paint done about 18 years ago. Mine came with a 948cc, It now has a 1275. Ribcase gearbox, front disc brakes,heater and slot for a radio. I have attempted to refurbush/renew most parts on the car. It seems to run very well although I need to get it out oon the open road to really see what's going on.. Right... MORE
Paul, Nice righthander. The original sprite wheels were silver painted Ventilated disc and there was also a plain steel wheel. Don't know if that was the standard you got with the early cars or it came later. The crome wheels on your car I do not believe are stock, they look like 14" And chrome was probably too expensive back then...for these cars anyway. The wires are sharp also. Good luck Mike By the way, speqaking of wire wheels, has anybody ever had as bad a time as i'm having trying to get a wire wheel off it's hub?... MORE
Sounds like one of your rear brakes springs is rubbing against your rear hub. The springs are handed and some people install them reversed which will not clear the hub without giving the symptom you describe.. Gerard "gerardchateau" 8941... MORE
After many years of being a Triumph owner, I took the plunge and decided on buying myself a Midget, great looking car, great engine but I have one huge problem that is making my life a misery!!! A Squeak, yes a simple squeak, when I test drove the car I heard it and assumed it would just need a little copperslip on the rear of the pads. This I did, it still squeaked. I then felt that it could be the brakes binding as they didn't seem very good at all, so I replaced the calipers with reconditioned units,... MORE
Well, hopefully soon TL. People hear "supercharger" and they think "pedal to the metal" driving style but this is not the case, in my case (though I AM capable in this respect!!). But it won't be blowing doors off anything 'cause this Frog is for my own fun to begin with. Secondarily I have no problem "sharing" the road and am strictly a defensive driver. I am not competitive when it comes to public highways, at all. And just as important is the fact that while I "hold" a Federal License, it does not "belong" to me. It is... MORE
Jorge- Don't think so my friend. 1275's came with a 3.9 diff. Your cruising rpm (everything else remaining the same) will be a lot lower; a lot!! See www.gerardsgarage.com for comparison of different rear end ratios with same and different gearboxi, tyres and rear end ratios!! :) Cap'n. Bob '60 :{) PilotRob@... 8905... MORE
Hi My 73 1275 has a 3.9 :1 rear end. This is standard as I have owned this from new. Hope this helps Keith "Keith Raynor" 8894... MORE
Have used both carbon and upgraded roller bearing types for years and years. Never a problem with the "rollers", and "smoother" action with slighty less pedal effort. Never a problem with the carbon types either, except on "upgraded" clutchi press. plates/discs. My experiences with the latter made me a firm "roller" fan. My .02. Cap'n. Bob '60 :{) PilotRob@... 8887... MORE
