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G'day guys A recent posting from Alex on the MidgetSprite list mentions that: "Most BEs don't have a front bumper, and I personally think it makes the car." Well, front bumper bars were optional extras on the Bugeye. So I guess if you take a restored Bugeye to a Concourse, and you have no front bumper bar, then we can't deduct points for "item missing". About 10 years ago, I was a Concourse judge at our National meeting, and there was a magnificently restored Bugeye, complete with front bumper bar, and a proudly framed Certificate from the British Motor... MORE
If the 1inch travel is the full distance that the pedal is able to move through, this would be a BAD thing, And either: the pedal is starting very close to the floor before the clutch begins to disengage, or the pedal starts high, but is prevented from full travel by the slave cylinder piston hitting the circlip or other faults with the linkage. Guy "Guy Weller" 28087... MORE
G'day Paul et al The travel at the slave cylinder end depends on: a.. the length of the clutch pedal from pivot point to the pedal pad (there are two lengths - bet you didn't know that) b.. the height of the pedal off the floor (which is adjustable on cars with dual clutch/brake master cylinders) c.. the amount of free play at the top of the pedal d.. the master cylinder bore size e.. the slave cylinder bore size f.. the amount of "lost movement" due to wear in bushes, clevis pins etc etc If you know answers... MORE
I guess I stepped in that one all right. Anyway, I'm measuring the travel at the pedal not the slave cylinder - so I guess I have to crawl under and check the circlip. Thanks for the help! Kevin "Kevin Odhner" 28065... MORE
Which glass are you talking about? It sounds like it's the windshield/windscreen, so you need to take the complete assembly off the car then dismantle it. The securing bolts/nuts are hidden away up behind the ends of the dashboard. I'm not exactly sure how this looks on a late US spec car as the dash is definitely different from my 1974 UK car but the 'screen itself is the same. Don't foget the plate at the bottom of the centre rod, either. Once you've got the 'screen assembly off, you can remove the frame to body seal and you'll... MORE
G'day Kevin Aren't they rude, having a laugh at you like that!!!!!!!! I can understand it from Brad, but from Capt Bob, I am surprised! Shame on you Bob. Now to the topic. Kevin, are you measuring distance travelled at the pedal, or travel at the slave cylinder? If it's 1" at the slave cylinder end - then that's excessive. It's usually only about 1/2", so all is well. At the top end, the pedal should hit the floor - approx 4" away. 1" in and out (sorry, couldn't resist) is rediculous. But if your clutch pedal only travels... MORE
Hi guys To continue the topic of front bumpers, albeit at a tangent, I recently too =3D=0D k my front bumper and both over-riders to a small (reasonably local) company that specialises in triple-chroming of car parts. Now whilst my front bumper I think is in 'reasonable' condition, it has sma =3D=0D ll amounts of pitting all over the chrome areas, and has some surface rust underneath, it is straight and has no dents or dings, aside from some small =3D=0D depressions where the over-riders fit. Likewise for the over-riders - prett =3D=0D y much in the same condition.... MORE
Hi Colin- 1/2" travel at slave? Is this true of an early 70's 1275 model as well? Would like to make sure mine is "up to spec". Thanks much.....Paul "dfwip" 28044... MORE
Good lord this is a cold natured 8itchy car until she gets warm. I was finally able to take her to the mechanic today for the cracked slave cylinder boot. It's 30 degrees in Memphis, TN which doesn't make me happy because she has no top on. I bundle up, go out and crank her up. I'm sure she was cussing me because every once in a while I could almost understand a few words coming out of the engine compartment and certainly a few from the exhaust. I forgive her considering how cold it is and that I'd... MORE
OK Gingerino...here we go.... The amount of choke (in terms of manual cable/jet travel) that is required to... 1. get the engine to "fire" to begin with 2. allow it to continue running smoothly (decreasing amount) as it warms up to normal operating temperature. Fr'instance: On 40-45F+ mornings, no choke is really needed at all. A couple of turns of the motor with the starter button is all it takes. We let the oil pressure come up and fast idle it for a minute or so (1200-1500rpm) using our right foot, then drive it gently 'til it comes up... MORE
Brad, If you have 12 volts at the points, they WILL spark! Period! If they don't, check to see if they actually close enough to have the actual points really touch each other. If you have a volt meter, make sure that one side is actually grounded and the other side actually has 12 volts on it. I have seen it out of adjustment enough where the little cam does not let the points come closed enough to really touch with any pressure. Doesn't hurt to close points, take a little slip of 400 wet or dry sand paper... MORE
So has anyone heard of an MK Powered auto battery. They are a non-spillable lead acid gel battery, made in Anaheim, CA. These don't even have the purchase date and month popped out on them!! They have the top posts, with a hole through it for a bolt on connection, and round enough for a clamp as well. The dimensions are 9" wide x 5.5" deep x 8" tall. I have no idea what the cold cranking amps are, but they sure do spin up a Sprite engine well. And for $10 each, new, I HAD to buy two.... MORE
David Having an Old Holborn moment there The engine has 2 crankshafts rotating in opposite directions. Crankshft gears are in mesh - the idler drove the camshaft. The square four overhead cam engine was made in the mid-30's but overhead valve models were made from '53 to '59. The manufacturers described it as "Whispering Wildfire". Alan "Alan" 27997... MORE
David Both crankshafts had a gear on the end of them, then there was a an idler gear connecting them both I believe . Magnificent cylinder head also. Alan - "Alan" 27996... MORE
Thinking about engine geometry and your final comment prompts a question about Ariel Square Four engines - how was that crankshaft and rods arranged for two pairs of cylinders side by side? David "David Jacobs" 27995... MORE
"the crankcase does breathe a little" But it exhales more than it inhales through the breather !!!! Alan "alan.east-jones" 27994... MORE
An interesting discussion . Thanks for your input guys, I guess a lot of people were also under the impression that the Up movement counteracted the Down movement in terms of volumetric displacement. To sum it up then, 1) thethe crankcase does breathe a little.2 ) Most of its pressure is caused by blowpast the piston rings. 3) If required the original (GWO) charcoal cannister should be used.4) alternatively a pipe can be fed to a ventilated container and regularly emptied. I like this as I don't believe that an engine enjoys eating it's own smoke !!! Alan Ariel... MORE
I would think that a rebuild would be in order. I soaked mine in degreaser and rinsed with water. Then I bead blasted them and proceeded with the rebuild. Just be careful not to scratch up the piston and walls. They now have the familiar aluminum oxidation coat covering them again, but I am contemplating buffing them and clear coating. I know that they will still turn grey, but I think it might help prevent grease stains. "Trevor Jessie" 27990... MORE
The (full) stroke is 3.2" and I think the rods are 5.75" between centres. I've just sketched it out for my own benefit and Geri is absolutely right - the top 'half' of the stroke is approx 1.8" and the bottom 'half' is approx 1.4" Regards David "David Jacobs" 27985... MORE
OK Geri, NOW I understand. With the engine at 1/2 stroke, and the crank journals at 90 degrees to the vertical, the con rod is at an angle, and the piston has therefore moved more than 1/2 way down the bore. Yep, I got that! Similarly, the one on its way up will have moved lesss than 1/2 way, so the two together will have pressurised the sump. If you were to draw a verical line from the piston centre down through the axis of the crank shaft and a second horozontal line at 90 degrees to this through... MORE
Hi, Guy and David, There are varying degrees of symmetry and our engines are not symmetrical vertically. I also no mathematician, but I am an engineer! The simplest way I can describe it is to say that:- when the crank is at 90 degrees from TDC, the pistons are not half way down the bore! At this point in a 1275 motor the piston is at 57% of its stroke. Hence when the crank is in this position all 4 pistons are at 57% stroke. Compare this when the crank is at TDC or BDC, you will have 0%... MORE
how do you work that out? Surely the pairs of pistons exactly mirror each other's motion? David "David Jacobs" 27976... MORE
Hi Geri, I am no mathematician, so I am quite happy to accept what you say, and I am not arguing with you... but logic makes it hard to believe! If all 4 pistons are identical, and the throw on each crank journal the same, then I cannot see why the volume displaced by one going down should be any different from the displacement of the adjacent one going up. Neither can I see why the length of con rod should make any difference either. However I can well imagine that there are complex effects of the inertia of... MORE
First of all happy new year to you all! At first sight this seems a reasonable assumption that the travel of one piston down will compensate for one travelling up, leading to no net change to the volume of the crank case. However, real life is not so simple and if you do the maths, the above assumption is only correct if you have infinitely long con rods. Now I suspect that non of you will own up to this even if you could find some!! So in the real world of our LBCs and using the dimensions of... MORE
Many thanks for the replies. Yes, I realise that the system is the sum of its many parts. And I should have thought it through a little more as I am planning to fit an MGMetro head and camshaft. Now I'm thinking I need to fit the water heated inlet manifold also. So the question changes a little. How much hassle is it to fit an LCB in a midget. (In a mini we had to attack the bulkhead (firewall) with an 'ammer to create space) Is it possible to retain the metro inlet manifold , do I need... MORE
