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IT'S FIXED! ok, here's the scoop. If your single carb, (ZenithStromberg) 1500 midget ever gets stuck at 2-3k rpm, this is the fix: there's a bypass valve on the side of the carb. remove it, and put a piece of duct tape over the holes. start the engine, and it'll probably go back down to 900 rpm. The gasket in the bypass valve was missing a small (2mm)piece, allowing the fuel/air mixture to seep past the throttle plate. Replaced the gasket, idles at 850-900 rpm now. It took all of three minutes to fix. My vacation is saved! Thanks... MORE
Hi Sprigiters, I have now run in my rebuilt Mk 3 Sprite engine (1098) and would like opinions on what is the best oil to use. The car is only used once a week, and does 2K miles a year maximum. Oils being considered are Mobil 1 15W/50, (sythetic) Castrol XL20W/50 (Clasic range), Moris Multivis 15W/50 (semi sythetic) or GTX Magnatec 15W/40. I keep reading about not using to much detergent (i.e. modern engine oils), as it causes carbon to dislodge and ash build up in combustion chambers. I also have, dare I say it a Triumph Vitesse (38K... MORE
Hmmm- Don't know specifically about this particular product but, "CD2" brand name has been around for 30 years plus and is associated with "quality". According to the articles I've seen, It has also been proven that for the average engine running "soft" seats, valve seat wear and tear (recession) using today's garbage octane unleadeds is not a major consideration, unless you're running sustained high rpm (4000+) day in and day out. Yeah, there IS a wear factor for the engine normally driven on the street but it's really pretty minor unless you "thrash" your engine more or less on... MORE
"Best" engine oil? Considering your use of the car, "cold" or "initial start" lubrication would seem to be a priority in selection. All those you mention are excellent, of course but, I don't think any of the mineral oils can beat the synthetics, especially in terms of excellent "flowability" which keeps lack of lubrication during initial starts to a minimum. Of course, I am assuming with such little use that you turn your enigne over without ignition for many turns before "lighting the fire" to keep initial start wear and tear to a minimum considering there will be virtually... MORE
If the car has an engine in it, try WRITING to the Heritage centre. Give them all the details you have, i.e. VIN no, Engine no, and, if you can , the original colour. Sometimes it is easier to get an answer from a letter than a phone call. Margaret South Lincolnshire (UK) mmbrock88@... 13820... MORE
You need to fill the tube in the piston such that it does not overflow when you put the damper piston in. The more you get in there the longer it will go before you need to do it again (where does it go?). "Jeremy Cogman" 13811... MORE
I am consistently amazed at two things; MG engineers and the depth of knowledge of the people that follow this group. So here goes with my question. I am re-building the front end on my 74 midget and am finding a lot of bad things. The lower swing arm on the right side has cracked, once where the kingpin ties to the swingarm and again where the front edge of the swingarm attaches to the frame. The cracks would suggest the car has hit something hard in the past but there is no evidence of any other damage. Perhaps... MORE
the 3k rpm engine is stil with me. My local (chevy, ford, dodge) mechanic gave up on it after checking the timing, vacuum, compression, and linkage.Before I take it to the local extremely high priced British repair shop, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE I CAN CHECK as to why this stupid car is idling at 3k rpm after it warms up? The diaphragm is intact. There are no vacuum leaks. The timing is perfect. The water choke is functioning perfectly. Linkage, well, that's the first thing I checked. I can't believe that running it at 5k rpm for a couple... MORE
Brett writes, "Don't you mean Prozac valve?" Yeah, really!! :) I am sitting here trying to figure out why a carb and engine I do not positively know wouldn't return to idle after all the "usual suspects" have been checked out. This is the only thing I can think of!! :) Cap'n. Bob '60 :{) PilotRob@... 13785... MORE
I am interested in building a rip snorting A seires eng. To do this I need a 1275. does anybody out there have one their willing to part with. if so how much? Thanks crazy chris "redfisher001" 13733... MORE
Anyone had any luck finding a suitable adapter for the water temp bulb into a 1275 cylinder head? I looked several places yesterday and came up empty handed. Gerard Gerard 13715... MORE
Morning all, The 63 Midget I am working on had NKG BP5ES plugs in it when I bought it. These are resistor plugs. I have not found Champion N5 plugs locally or B6ES plugs which are listed as a NKG substitute for the N5. My question is, will the resistor plugs effect the engine operation and if not is the gap setting to be used the same as for the N5 plug listed in the car specifications? Don "Don May" 13711... MORE
If you live in the UK there is a swap you can do with a Triumph Spitfire or 1500 o/d gearbox. If you are starting from a 1500 midget the swap is easier than starting from an A series car. However most folk these days (on both sides of the pond and as below) opt for a more modern 5 speed gearbox of which the 5th will be an 'o/d' ratio. Period authenticity of modern convenience, the choice is yours. Geri 67 Sprite with overdrive (the car not me) "G & J Swann-Price" 13681... MORE
oil can go in two directions after it comes along the axle shaft and lubes the bearing itself... (1) is outward where it gets spun around on the hub and should be stopped by the o ring. once past that the paper gasket won't really stop much. (2) is inward exiting on the internal bearing face and going inside the hub where the inner oil seal is suppoed to catch it. replacing that seal is a pain cause you have to pull the bearing to get at it. but leaks can come from there too. you'll note that the... MORE
Hubertine- While I wish you well and hope you and your's have a helluva good time: "New" engine.....French Alps (BTDT - somewhat hilly terrain, as in long "uphills":))....and you call this "restraint"? Well...OK...........if you say so!! :) Cap'n. Bob '60 :{) PilotRob@... 13661... MORE
It could be the hub oil seals but it's more likely to be the gasket / o-ring between the hub and the half shaft. Try changing these first before doing the oil seals as the latter involve pulling the hub and removing the bearing from the hub. Also check the small breather holes on the axle, just in from the backplate mounting flange are unblocked. They are small holes on the top of the axle. Try also cleaning it up, going for a short run then looking to see if the oil seems to be coming from the back... MORE
So the engine's back in the car- mildly tuned- and I've put 200 careful km on the clock This evening I'm taking the old girl and the midget off (or is it the other way 'round) to spa for a week - and then on to the south of france by way of the french alps this WILL be an exercise in restraint. cheerio Olgierd MG mk3 "Hubertine & Olgierd" 13651... MORE
You may have a vacuum leak. Check all hoses to manifold/vacuum system and induction manifold, plus manifold nuts and gasket. If can't find anything obvious, try light water spray from kitchen type hand sprayer around hoses, one at a time, with engine running and listen for change of engine sound and look for white smoke out of exhaust. Can also carefully spray around induction manifold gasket area with drinking straw, for example, to avoid getting cold water on hot exhaust manifold - or perhaps they're on opposite on the 1500. Hope this helps, Tony P. "anthony pooley" 13647... MORE
Coming up from Boston to NH tonight I was feeling, well, frisky. I decided to see just how fast my 79 midget was, so I opened her up to 85 mph. 5k on the tach. I get off Rt. 93, and the engine won't go below 3k rpm. Did I screw something up? Is this a bad thing, running it WFO? It runs perfectly, just won't go below 3k. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.... "chuibuddy" 13631... MORE
Hi all,I tried this before but I guess it did'nt make it so here goes.While adjusting my rear brakes on my '79 Midget I noticed some oil leaking out at the drums. I wonder if the only fix to this is to replace the hub oil seals? In theory I would think no oil should get past the seal and if so what does the axel flange gasket and O ring seal do? Are they to keep out foreign matter from entering from the outside? Should I try to replace these two items before replacing the oil seal? PO... MORE
sometimes on mine (above the carbs) the cable will slip out of the cup shape piece that holds the throttle cable. The cable covering gets caught on the lip of the cup shaped piece and causes the engine to stay at yes, around three thousand. Not pleasant. Usually a quick punch on the throttle will get it back in place but very annoying. Check to see if the cable on yours rubs on the inside of the hood as mine does. Ian "Ian & Cathy" 13636... MORE
Make sure you have the right type of cap. Not only should it be of the correct pressure rating (15 psi for late A series cars, not sure about 1500's) but it needs to be of the correct length. I replaced mine recently and wondered why my car kept chucking out water through the overflow. Turned out that the new cap I'd been given was too short and was not seating at all on the bottom seat. Consequently the system never got pressurised so when it got slightly hot (like just after stopping the motor after a run) it... MORE
Ed in South Dakota... Not a question of compression ratio in my case at all, Ed, and not why I bought unit. The old starter on my just replaced 1098 was drawing vast amounts of current at the time I recently upgraded to the 1293 so, time for a replacement in any event. The GRStarter is smaller (Datsun 210 gearbox "sensitive"...room!), lighter and should about last forever considering how little work it has to do in cranking over my new engine, which only runs 8.3-1 (alum. head) as it was "tailored" for a Judson blower. Cap'n. Bob '60 :{)... MORE
Ken, Being on the subject of rear end rebuilds. I was adjust the rear brakes and noticed some oil coming out of the axel at the drums. Am I correct in assuming that no oil should be able to get by the hub oil seal? If so than what is the purpose of the half shaft flange gasket and O ring seal? Are they there to keep out foreign matter? If oil is leakeng from the wheels isn't the only fix to install new oil seals? When I pulle my axel shafts out the PO had used silicone sealer... MORE
Removing the thermostat on a 1500 screws up the flow to the radiator. I don't know how exactly but my '76 overheats when I take it out. I haven't seen any blanking sleeves for 1500s. A Mo$$ or Vicky Brit catalog shows the proper hose routing. Once I got my electric fan blowing the right direction(Doh) My temp sits at 210. I have to say that the cooling system on Midgets does seem to be poorly thought out. If I remember right, the '75 is notoriously bad and was redesigned for'76. Jay Shaffer 13616... MORE
