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TJ, Get out your BFH and give them a few smacks. They usually rust and fix themselves around the stud areas. Smack around the outside edge towards you/away from the drum. Biff Jones '59 Bugeye 'Kermit' '61 AH Sprite 'Ole Gray' in the "Healey Book" '71 Midget 'Freebie" http://sprites2.homestead.com/ "Biff" 32908... MORE
Jeesh...the "Toyman" is literally falling apart here! Becoming a physical wreck long before his time. ( (Too many late nights, toking and drinking combined with weird sexual "gymnastics" and general "over-activity" I suspect?:) Anyway...the torque figures in the book for the head consist of two..."early" and "late" studs. I've always had the "late" studs and have always torqued to 50lbs. with the exception of my '74 Vizardized 1340 which ran 11.0-1, so we went to 60 on 10 studs, and 30 for the front "bolt". SLIGHT seepage of oil between the head and block is really nothing new or... MORE
The meaning of life is 42 (Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy) Margaret "Margaret Brock" 32895... MORE
FINALLY getting enough strength in my arms again to work on the car. Pulled ligament in right shoulder, and tennis elbow on left arm pretty much decimated my sex life. Um wait, that is another e group. Anyway, I think I have found the root cause of my oil problem. I put the head on, torque it down with my trusty Taiwanese click wrench to 42 pounds. They final torque at 50, so for shits and giggles, I got my $5 flea market Craftsman beam wrench. Believe it or not, my Taiwanese wrench was not torquing as tight as... MORE
But I don't think you want to use the brake check valve if you have disc brakes. Bob, Troutdale, OR "Robert Webb" 32866... MORE
I might be intrested. Can you send a photo via e-mail? or mail one? Clear title? Wrecked? Color? Interior shape? 1275 cc? Thanks, Bill French Cincinnati/Hilton Head Frenchww@... frenchww@... 32787... MORE
Mike, Let me start by saying if there are no leaks and the fluid level in the MC dosen't drop, I would suspect your MC. That said, does your brake warning light come on when you turn the ignition on? If it dosen't then the switch is centered. When either the right or left brakes fail the internal shuttle is push to one side or the other to seal off the side which has lost pressure and when it does it activates the switch and the dash light comes on. If your light is on after bleeding the brakes... MORE
Hi all Looking for some advise. Have a '79 Stock Midget with dual line brake system. Have done work to it in the past year including: Rebuilt master, new rubber hoses all around, good linings, adjusted with nice firm pedal, NO leaks. Brakes seem fine then suddenly pedal goes to the floor with no brakes at all. This happened a few months back so I rebled the system and we have started to drive the car on a more regular basis now. Drove car about 100 mi before it happened. Pedal comes back up to normal with 1 or... MORE
I have a late model Midget, and haven't been able to locate a hot air hose (the hose that connects from under the manifold to the air temp control valve (refer to Haynes p 101, item #16). VB and Moss have them displayed, but not available for sale. Does anyone out there have one that they are willing to part with? Thanks, Pete "Pete Skalski" 32726... MORE
Don't get confused, Jens. The butterflies must fully open when the accelerater pedal goes fully down. This is mechanical matter. The pistons (air valves) must not reach their full upward travel prior to redline (or reasonably thereabouts). If they do, you require a stronger spring. Probably yellow is next. Aldon would know the different spring rates/colors. The weight of the oil determines the piston's rise RATE. The engine is being revved under no load circumstances. Thus, the butterflies will not require much opening in order to allow the motor to reach it's redline under this no-load condition. Cap'n. Bob... MORE
Cap'n , Personally I've never heard it called an air valve - always a piston. I have a dim recollection that one of the tuning mods for improved acceleration was to drill two 1/82 (3.125 mm) holes in the piston at 90 degrees to the keyway. The existing hole in the side of the piston would be tapped and an aluminium plug screwed in .That was for the HS2 1 1/4" carb for minis though - might work on the midgets also. Somebody will prolly have an SU tuning book and confirm or deny the above. Just my tuppenyworth... MORE
I just opened my SU book and it calls it the piston and the butterfly close to the head is called the throttle valve. The piston is more of a variable venture and the butterfly is more of a valve that turns on and off the air/fuel flow. FYI, Bob "Robert D. Gardner" 32714... MORE
Hi, Just ran my Bugeye in 4 Vintage races but fortunately blew a head gasket, cutting short my last race, because the master cylinder had suddenly lost about half its fluid in a few laps! Guess now is the time to upgrade to a dual circuit cylinder. What is the easiest route to do this? Any "how to" guides on the internet? There is a roll cage tube that goes quite close beside the "box" the master brake/clutch cylinder unit is in, so I don't have a lot of room for anything. Is there a later spridget dual brake/clutch... MORE
OH...and Jens...I forgot!!! Before you get started on a compression check, DO check the throttle cable hookup and be sure when you put the accelerator pedal fully to the floor the BUTTERFLY is FULLY open! :):) Cap'n. Bob '60 :{) PilotRob@... 32706... MORE
Ah HAH.... You may have hit the nail right on the head here, Jens... "If (my engine...tuned or not) cannot SUCK (produce enough vacuum) to open a pair of HS2's....." EXACTLY!!!! It is time to "begin at the beginning", Jens. As in MAJOR tune-up. Step one is checking engine "mechanical health".... with valves properly adjusted...time for a basic compression & leakdown check. Considering recency of engine work, you're looking for 150 or better on compression check and leak-down rates of less than 10%. Remember to hold the butterflies fully open (accelerator pedal fully to the floor) during the compression... MORE
Jens... ...the air valve is the largest moveable part of the SU carb and holds the needle. I have heard people refer to the air valve as a "piston". The butterfly (or it's position) is controlled by your foot and the accelerator cable and is the closest moveable part of the carb closest to the intake manifold. :):) Cap'n. Bob '60 :{) PilotRob@... 32704... MORE
The Purpose of Tools HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate expensive parts not far from the object we are trying to hit. MECHANIC'S KNIFE: Used to open and slice through the contents of cardboard cartons delivered to your front door; works particularly well on boxes containing leather goods. ELECTRIC HAND DRILL: Normally used for spinning steel Pop rivets in their holes until you die of old age. PLIERS: Used to round off bolt heads. HACKSAW: One of a family of cutting tools built on... MORE
Another removal challenge. I have removed the nuts from the u-bolts holding the rear spring and the two bolts that are next to each other and closer to the front of my Sprite. In drawings of the spring assembly there is a single bolt shown between the u-bolt and the pair of bolts but all I can see on the car is a hole with something up inside it. I cannot figure out how to remove this bolt since it has no exposed head. This is the same on both sides of the car. I am the original owner... MORE
I'm pretty sure that's what happened, Paul. I did have to use quite a bit of "persuasion" to get one of the cups to fit, and I noticed the clip was having a hard time reaching the groove. Thanks for the tip on driveshaft shops, next time I'll go to one and bring my little girl. She cries on command. Very useful. Thanks to everyone. George "chuibuddy" 32654... MORE
I do this too, however I use the appropriate sized "Socket Punch". They are common tools that can be found in any mechanics tool box. I have always did this to ensure that they always seat. Also, prior to reassembly, I always make sure that all of those little grooves that the spring clips seat in ar e REALLY clean. A scribe does wonders here. Another thing, never reuse the ol d spring clips. These are subject to wear always. Matt 76 Midget (in the process of being sold to a person in Brazil) "Matthew Pfeil" 32650... MORE
Buy a pin spanner that goes in the clips. Beats using a screwdriver and trying to get it into the groove without it flying who knows where. It makes it easy, and you know when they are truly in the grooves. $3-5.00, and I'll bet a whole lot cheaper than what your mechanic is gong to charge you for him to use his "pin spanner." Bob, Troutdale, OR "Robert Webb" 32646... MORE
Sunday I replaced the u-joints in my 79 1500. I got all the C-clips in their grooves, I thought, and re-installed the drive shaft. This AM, on the way to work, one grease cup let go, letting another one break out, and the car ended up being towed to my mechanic, where he's currently replacing the damaged u-joint. Is there some trick I'm missing, or am I just a F$%^#ng idiot? The clips seemed seated, but I guess not. This is the second time in two years I've had trouble installing these little buggers, and I'm dying to know... MORE
Jim and Cap'n Rob, Sorry for the bit of delay in response. The dimensions of the new cover are precisely the same as the old, only difference being the air breather tube is straight rather than angled. Not a big deal. As Jim mentions, the chrome fasteners that come with the cover are tubes, but wider than the standard screw in tube type as listed in VB, pg 66 (items 6-9). You can see this entire package by looking at item #2481129573 on eBay, which is currently on auction. I have an extra 1500 on an engine stand in... MORE
Rich... Your fuel pressure setting is correct. There is some falling off in pressure between pump and carb. I've been using low pressure (2.5-4.0) Facets for many moons now with stock float valves...no problems. Same with previous Vizardized Series A with 90hp to rear wheels and Weber "45" except pump was Facet 6psi or so through 2.5 pressure regulator. Stock float valves in this case also. No problems. What pressure does your pump initially put out? What "color" would appear on a NEW set of spark plugs on your car after a hard run, preferably up a reasonably sloped... MORE
Hi, Peter... I am no 1500 guy but I've been following the thread on the discussion of longer studs needed for certain valve covers produced for the 1500 Spit motor. I just came across something in my TriumphTune performance manual which apparently deals with this. TriumphTune (TT) Part #105123 "On late 1500 models after '78, longer studs will be required wherein tube nuts are fitted as standard" This pertains to valve covers, all using the standard gasket. Sounds like what you may be looking for? Cap'n. Bob '60 :{) PilotRob@... 32602... MORE
