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I had the same problem with my midget, it turned out to be a broken spring, but as it was broken at the very front within the spring hanger I couldn't tell until the axle was unbolted and the rear spring shackle removed. It does make the handling "interesting" to say the least!!!! Mark Forrest GAN5 117399G Staffordshire UK "mark forrest" 1218... MORE
John I have checked the wheels. The ex-viva wheels do have larger holes for the wheel studs than the midget wheel. However the taper of the wheel nuts fits the taper in the wheel perfectly although because the hole is bigger they go in deeper in fact right up to the hex. Am I right in thinking that the load is taken by the taper and not directly against the stud? Am I taking any risks in using these wheels? There is a 10mm distance piece on the rear wheels only. Terry 1972 1275 Midget UK spec "Terry Isherwood"... MORE
Does anyone have any bright ideas or tips on how to correctly install the cotter pin that goes between the kingpin and the wishbone ? I have got the correct part according to the part number, but it does not seem to want to go in far enough to get the washer and nut on the far end. Having already ruined one cotter pin by belting it as hard as possible with a Birmingham (UK) screwdriver (if it doesn't work hit it with a hammer, if it still doesn't work hit it with a bigger hammer) I feel that... MORE
g;day all......I have a sprite mk4 that has developed an amusing habit.When driving along in a straight line,if I lift off the throttle it turns left!!If I dip the clutch in the istuation as above it does not turn left!! I have replaced the rear spring saddle rubbers,replaced the shockies( adjustable spax ) ,and there does not seem to be any broken leaves in the cart springs. Yet still it seems as if the torque from the engine is somehow causing it to go left when lifting off the "power"??? Any and all ideas welcome........ Chris Perth , Western... MORE
James I just knew someone would catch me out! :-D Paul. Northants UK paul@... 1183... MORE
Paul 1984 European GP (Brands Hatch) Prior to the start of the GP the drivers were driven round the circuit in a group of open top MG's organised by the MGCC SE Centre (including a few Midgets)... To be fair I'm stretching the point rather.... Regards James Bilsland Charing UK "James Bilsland" 1181... MORE
I once went to the BAP at Silverstone in the Frogeye (stretching it even further...........) Mike M. North London mike643mnp@... 1185... MORE
Jim Your enquiry about gearboxes asks which one to use and also which Toyota gearbox Frontline uses. We no longer use the Toyota gearbox due to the short supply of the core unit, we now use the Ford sierra gearbox with a full range of parts to install the kit and options for clutch size, gear ratios even a sequential gearbox option. The details of the Ford based conversion can be found on our web site below. Please have a look at this and come back to me with any question and I will do my best to help.... MORE
Graham, Thanks, it is right hand I'm here in good old UK, (GOOD! what the hell am I talking about, it's pouring with rain, cold and miserable!). Anyway I have decided that this weekend I'm replacing all the wheel bearings, they are the best part of 30 years old, so they probably need changing. Thanks for the info. Paul. paul@... 1178... MORE
Help! Entering the fourth season with my Bugeye and have decided that I really ought to have a top for it. I'm tired of living in fear of the rain. It has windshield wipers but no top. Might have done it sooner except I don't have a header rail. Moss, Victoria British, Mini-Mania, Roadster Factory don't have a listing for one. Does anybody out there have a header rail that they're willing to part with? Thanks in advance Martin Farber mjfpjf@... 1171... MORE
This is true on some modern FWD cars but not on the Spridget (e.g. how would the rear wheels locate??...) It is important however to use the correct taper nuts and also ensure that the stud holes in the rostyles are round and not elongated/oval... It is also a problem with steel disc wheels that they can fracture due to metal fatigue. this is why most 'standard' class race series specify alloy wheels (usually 5" KN Minators) for racing on... The only problem I can think of using Vauxhall Viva wheels (When did you last see a Viva BTW...)... MORE
FERRARI FORMULA ONE TEAM HIRES NORTHSIDE PIT CREW FOR GRAND PRIX The Ferrary F1 Team recently fired the whole Pit-Crew to employ some young unemployed youths from the Ballymun area of Dublin. The deciion to hire them was brought on by a documentary on how unemployed youths in the Ballymun area can remove set of car wheels in less than 6 seconds without proper equipment. This was thought to be a good move as most races are won and lost in the pits these days, and Ferrari would have an advantage. However, Ferrari soon encountered a major problem: not... MORE
Big shed or big yard.................I can bearly fit in the Frog! Mike North London Hi Mike Thats one advantage of living in the North of England, my house and car park probably cost less than your shed! For those of you in America, the North of England is a bit like your deep South, except marrying your relatives is illegal here. Roy PS. There seems to be a lot of closet air cooled owners on the list, anyone know of a similar list to this, but for air cooled VW's? I wrote..................................................... Theres nothing wrong with air cooled VW's!... MORE
Roy , Another air-cooled fan here, ( no pun intended ! ), i am currently running a 1974 Porsce 914 as my daily driver !! tOM-tOM Hollywood , Worcestershire ,England "it's not so easy to find out later , about the necessary knowledge for survival " "tom loder" 1151... MORE
Tom How do you spell 'Porsche' up there in the Midlands?... 1973 MG Midget (race car) 1966 MG Midget 1972 MGB GT 1991 Ford Sierra XR4x4 (tow car!) James Bilsland Charing UK "James Bilsland" 1153... MORE
Why is it that when you want a thread to break free, even with a hammer, spanner and WD40 you have difficulty, but when you absolutely do not want it to come undone, it does all on its own! With reference to brake failures 2 and 3, do you use Loctite on critical threads? If you don't then it could save your life next time. Roy Drake Aerospace Eng. james@... on 04/04/2001 09:55:29 Please respond to midgetsprite@yahoogroups.com @INET2@wtgw To: midgetsprite@yahoogroups.com @INET2@wtgw cc: Paper Mail: Subject: [midgetsprite] Re: Brakes for racing *** WARNING *** This mail has originated outside your... MORE
War stories... Total brake failure, its happened to me 3 times... 1. Running down the back straight on the Silverstone International circuit at 7500 in top (3.9). Little did I know that the rear brakes were on fire and the seals in the rear cylinders had melted... Total brake failure meant that I cleared the gravel trap at the end of the straight and spun on the grass heading off down towards Stowe on the GP circuit... 2. Front Brake banjo worked loose (and yes I HAD checked it) coming into Chessons at Lydden Hill. Trying to run flat... MORE
Tim I may have my basic hydraulics messed up but given a larger master cylinder bore shouldn't you get less movement at the master cylinder (i.e.brake pedal) for a given movement at the brake caliper but also less force. With a 7/8 master cylinder therfore you should get a nice firm pedal but will have to press it harder than on a 3/4 master cylinder to make the car stop? Another option BTW for those less interested in originality as far as tandem master cylinder cars are concerned is to use a pedal box from a later car with... MORE
Paul Checking the torque on the hub nut won't tell you whether your wheel bearing is knackered (and it sounds to me like the problem). Spridget wheel bearings are ball bearings not taper bearings and there is a steel 'cone' spacer in between the bearings. I would carefully check the wheel bearings again to make sure they are OK... Regards James Bilsland Charing UK "James Bilsland" 1116... MORE
I have found out that Rostyle wheels were made by Rubery Owens a manufacturer of automotive bits and pieces, hence R-O-styles. They were fitted to a range of cars in the 1970's including Ford cortina, VW beetle and some Vauxhall models. Those on my Midget are Vauxhall ones where the stud spacing is a direct fit on the midget. They are 5J13 mounting 165x13 tyres instead of 4.5J13 mounting 145x13 tyres. The thicker wheels and tyres necessitate 10mm spacers between the wheels and hubs so they clear everything. They have a 55mm hole in the middle which takes a... MORE
Jason, if you look on the inside of your drivers footwell, oop's sorry, passenger side, you have left hand drive haven't you, there will be a large oval shaped rubber grommet on the gearbox tunnel which will give you easier access to one of the bolts. Gary (Newcastle UK) 69 Sprite MKIV "Gary King" 1103... MORE
You have been informed correctly, however it is perfectly possible to run the 7/8 bore master cylinder on the disc brake set up, you will have to apply the pedal pressure slightly harder but it will work, you can also add a servo to the system, although I do not recommend this on the standard discs as the extra pressure can help induce brake fade due to the small brake discs being unable to dissipate the heat fast enough. Hope this helps Tim www.mgcars.org.uk/frontline/ "Tim Fenna" 1099... MORE
Isn't that bracket an MGB bit...? 2 bolts & nuts (3/8 UNF) - 9/16AF spanner size and yes they can be really fiddly... also the small nut which fastens the starter cable to the terminal on the starter which can be anything from 10mm metric to 7/16AF. Sometimes you have to hold another spanner on the inner terminal nut to stop the terminal from spinning and tearing out the connection inside the starter. Also the starter motor is a real ba~@#rd to get past the distributor. I usually end up taking the dizzy out and then re-timing the engine... MORE
The gaskets that I have ordered in the past have come from Victoria British. They are cork and I always check the size against the cover. Does Moss have a different type of gasket? DSutteiii@... 1094... MORE
Yes you can fit the brakes form a later car, you need to swap over the king pin assemblies, the hub with disc, the brake callipers and the steering arms. You can also upgrade to larger discs or if that is too much just use the Kevlar brake pads, they work really well. Hope this helps, info on the brake upgrade can be found on the web site below. Tim Fenna www.mgcars.org.uk/frontline/ "Tim Fenna" 1086... MORE
