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Is the starter motor drawing excessive current because it is trying to turn a seized engine?? Not a nice scenario! See if you can turn the engine by hand using the front pulley or push the car in 4th gear, maybe remove the sparkplugs to make the job easier by removing the compression, put some oil in to reduce friction once it does move. If it won't move put some more oil down the bores and leave over night, then try again. The noise in the back is the electric fuel pump presuming you have a 1275 'A' series... MORE
Peter This is a common problem with fitting roller rockers. You will either have to use a machined down spacer/washer underneath the standard head nut to give the required clearance ar an aerospace type K nut with a 3/8"UNF thread but reduced external diameter. Many people run the ARP head stud kit for this reason (although sometimes you still have to reduce the o/d of the rocker post nuts). Don't change the rocker spacing (assuming that the roller tips are square over the tips of the valves....) James "James Bilsland" 4953... MORE
Hi all, Near me in Nottingham (UK) is a Midget that not only has the Frog(bug)eye front end, but also has a bug(frog)eye back end grafted on. The present owner told me, after coming back to a confused stranger (me) peering under the back end of his car (looking for type of springs), that the work was done by a fireman in his spare time. From the brilliant seemless quality of the work I think he should have been a bodyshop man instead. Cheers, Phil '79 1500 nearly back on wheels & '71 1275 buried under assorted automotive 'treasures'... MORE
Hello everyone I have a 1971 MG Midget 1275 I have been seeing on some car's that are my year or right around my year that the Horn push pad has a red color around the MG logo. Mine does not have this. Has the paint just worn away? And if so how do I go about repainting this? (What color red) Thanks Jason 1971 Midget "Jason Gross" 4976... MORE
There is someone in the Philadelphia Pa area who has a "roll up window sprite" also. I have seen it at a few shows. They mated a frog eye front to the remainder of an older body, don't ask me how. I think they were running a 1275 with side draft webers but don't quote me on that. John Poynton 79 Midget, "Yellow Fever" teachjp@... 4882... MORE
Hi, Pete- Welcome aboard! RBHouston is feeling his oats these days but the list without him would be much less "colorful" to say the least! He is a very "logical" type with some great "one liners"! I think you'll appreciate the wealth of knowledge available among the many experienced Spridget types along with the normal banter over LBC's and other "assorted topics" which surface from time to time; great bunch! Enjoy! Cap'n. Bob '61 :{) PilotRob@... 4879... MORE
Hey! Looks like I got my "Bob's" mixed up! :) San Diego Bob still exists (yhaaaaay!) but it's RBH who is going? Rats! (Never figured him for a quitter!) Grant: still a great "one-liner"! Cap'n. Bob '61 :{) PilotRob@... 4845... MORE
Grant- I liked and will miss San Diego Bob yet, I appreciate witty "one liners"; please keep it up! Cap'n. Bob '61 :{) PilotRob@... 4844... MORE
Hi folks I would like to thank everyone for the help with my 1500 rebuild. It looks like everything is OK. Last night I fiddled with the timing and the carb. After much fiddling it idles fairly well at 1000 RPM. Right now the max advance is about 28 deg and at idle 10 to 12 deg. The exhaust note it a bit irregular but I expect with the cam. It reves up very smoothly has good oil pressure and holds that pressure when hot.I have a Monza exhaust and if it goes as will as it sounds I... MORE
Just so that everyone who responded to my plea for help, I have to remove the entire hub assembly in order to replace the stud because the stud fits behind a recess in the hub. Do you need the special hub puller to get the thing off or will it come off like all of my other cars with a little tug? What is the deal with the inner bearings? I've never had anything good happen when I've had to take the inner bearings off, usually it turned into something really expensive. John Poynton 79 Midget Yellow Fever teachjp@...... MORE
Dan I got it to idle a little better last night by adjusting the Carb. What do you have your idle timing set at mine is 10 deg adv. Valve adj is as per Ted, 18 and 20. I have a Weber DGV. I will test for a manifold leak later today. Should the idle be set at 1000 and what type of exhaust note should it be smooth or with a slight lope and maybe a little engine rock. Doug 77 "Doug Pletcher" 4806... MORE
Roadtest of rebuilt prop shaft seemed great at first. Then I tried some full throttle,and on lifting off I got loud clattering noises from underneath.Following previous logic is this diff.bearings breaking up? Any advice would be most welcome. Steve 72 midget "Steve Cowling" 4795... MORE
Dear all, For the technically minded among you I wonder if you can help with my current project? I have an extremely rotted 1968 1275 Spridget & a good bare 1500 shell which I'd like to transfer all the 1275 running gear & trim onto. What modifications need to be done to the 1500 shell in order to fit all the 1275 gear ? I have already changed the front wings / nose cone to chrome bumper & removed the reinforcing box sections from the front inner wings & boot floor. What is the easiest way to bring the... MORE
Rick, I still have the scabs on my hand from bleeding our clutch. Couldn't get pedal no matter what until I levered back the piston in the slave cylinder to empty it. Out came a heap of air. If starting from scratch now I would bleed the system before installing the slave cylinder - just connect the hose into the slave, tie something into the other end to keep the piston right back, pump the air out of the line with the pedal, close the system, install the slave cylinder. The pro's assured me Midget clutch bleeding was no... MORE
My bugeye gets quite hot sometimes (190+) and I'm wondering if there is something that I should do to the cooling system to help with this. The car has a 108 engine and what looks like the original radiator. I was going to change the coolant and put in 50/50 antifreeze and water. Is there something that I should do at the time to clean out the system (both radiator and engine)? Should I be taking out the radiator and having it checked at a shop? Is there something that I should check myself. Thanks for the help Bob... MORE
I'm hearing lots of advice to "just pop the new stud into the hole".. Apparently these gurus havent tried that with a rear stud. If its on the rear, you'll have to pull the hub. An unbroken stud is juuust a little too long to get between the hub and the brake backplate. My Sprite had a couple of short studs from an A30 in the rear- looks like the DPO was too lazy to pull the hub. Dont fit short studs. While the hub is off, here's a simple modification to make changing a stud easier in future;... MORE
I want to thank all of you who contributed advice about changing that stud on the front of my midget. It does sound like a pretty straight-forward job which I will endeavour to do this weekend. John Poynton 79 Midget, Yellow Fever teachjp@... 4754... MORE
Outcast I plan on calling the cam maker as I have some other questions for him. Thanks for the input. Doug 77 "Doug Pletcher" 4756... MORE
Just pack the gears in the pump, not the pick-up pipe. If there other ways to fill the 'un-oiled areas' use them. Before you start ruinining in the engine at 2000rpm leave it to get warm for 5 mins first! Try contacting the maker of the cam and see what they say yourself. Don't forget to let them know it is going in a re-built engine, not just a replacement cam in an 'old/used' engine. Hope it helps Outcast A-H Sprite IV grday@... 4747... MORE
Have you made sure the back plates of air filters are not upside down. Mine were blocking a balancing hole and causing the car to run rich. Should there be a gasket between the carb and the air filter? Terry "Terry Isherwood" 4767... MORE
Jeff, Thanks a lot for the information. Where can I get a stud, from a regular auto parts place like NAPA or do I have to go to a British Car Place. Moss does not list the studs in their catalogue. It was a front wheel that the stud is broken from. John Poynton Havertown PA 79 Midget yellow Fever teachjp@... 4729... MORE
Phil Ted from TSI where I got the cam says =93Start the vehicle and leave it run for 25-30 minutes at 2000 RPM with no load. As far as the oil pump I was thinking, and that could be dangerous, why not with the engine on the bench fill it with oil make a tool to fit down the distributor hole and operate the oil pump until it starts pumping oil. Doin g that you could make sure the pump works and also fill the filter and the galleries. Doug 77 "Doug Pletcher" 4745... MORE
Oil pressure up before firing the engine? YES - if you can. Otherwise, try hand cranking (leave the rocker cover off and turn the engine) until oil appears. Use the starter motor if you are happy with that. If you wish, jack up one rear wheel with the car in 4th and turn that (h/brake off :-)) and that will turn the engine over if you are not happy about using the starter motor. Be sure to turn it in a vehicle forwards rotation, as far as wear is concerned wrong way rotation is a big no-no for the... MORE
Web: http://www.mgcars.org.uk/midgetspriteclub/brooklands2000.html Chris and all listers: I really enjoy the URL !!! Tks!! As you all know Im far from Midgets "born" place, so please any URL, any of you think it is interesting about Midget, is welcomed !!!! Jorge D. Midget 73 MKIII 1275 RWA. Buenos Aires-Argentina triki@... PD: Sorry for my poor english language!!!! "Jorge Dimitrakis" 4734... MORE
Outcast Good info this will really help. I think I will go with the starter and hope the pump works. I will prime the pump so I hope that works. As you sa y it may be tough to keep your foot out of it. I milled the head .080 put in a TSI275 cam and over bored it .020 so I need to run it in correctly and overcome the temptation to mash the loud pedal. It=92s also running a Webe r with headers. Doug 77 "Doug Pletcher" 4730... MORE
