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Cap'n , Margaret My apologies if I am interposing myself but I can never resist political discussions. The old enlightenment question of "what color is government" is being played out worldwide in some interesting new situations. The key to the future will be how well the more politically advanced countries (USA, UK, etc.) resolve the question. Is government a force for good operated by imperfect people or is government a force of control, repression and tyranny that is a necessary but ultimately uncontrollable part of human existance. I personally believe that government IS ultimately an evil as no human... MORE
which, if you believe in kharma, is as it should be. Intelligent we have not been... "psuedo intelligence" and "cowardly" would be more appropriately like it and now we are paying for it which, if you believe in kharma, is as it should be. Too many spoiled children running around with weapons, both here and abroad. So much for "political correctness" in terms of "tolerance and understanding". Time for the "good guys" to identify themselves and get together to practice a little tough love on the "bullies on the block" and put a stop to all this piss poor... MORE
LOL...:):) Margaret... I am not talking about the unawareness of childhood which allows a relatively carefree existence my good lady. I am talking about a mature adult with a keen sense of situational awareness who works with the positive while being totally knowledgeable with respect to the negative, yet has lived a carefree existence (as an adult) for the last 30 years!! :) It is not a matter of getting anything off my chest. You asked an intelligent question...you got an intelligent answer though you may not like what you hear! :) It is part of the reality that... MORE
Oh yes! I know that feeling too. Doing jobs on these cars can be frustrating at times. With regard to the Midget though, I only have myself to blame, being the present owner and also the 'daft previous owner' . Having said that, when it was still quite new, the garage who serviced it (and supplied it, The Bedford Garage, in Exeter Devon U.K. - no longer in existence, by the way) failed to lubricate the king pins properly, leading to them seizing up, so I resolved to do my own servicing, spending the remainder of what I would... MORE
Hey Nelson I'm still working ! Just about to rebuild both front suspensions once my bits from Moss arrives! Nigel "amukdigiphoto" 26516... MORE
Put a little hook under the oil seal and pull. They even used to have a special service tool to do it. I always used a metal bar and put it under (into) one side of the oil seal and pressed down on the other end using the oposite side of the the housing as the fulcrum. It always worked. If rust is the problem, a bit more elbow grease is required. R. "Roger Stinson" 26512... MORE
"you change the endearing handling by a ton..." per Ed! :) This is true. The suspension was built with a certain sized tire contact patch in mind. When you change only the contact patch (larger, most especially "wider") you can expect more stability/grip but less "tossability", all else remaining equal or the same. One of the reasons for this is the slight change toward neg. camber which comes with the slightly wider track, most especially when teamed with a wider wheel. Now you can keep the "tossability" but move it up in the speed range with the right combo... MORE
Ken... The Datsun box utilizes standard mineral based gear oil although I personally favor "synthetic" gear oil in the winter months for much easier shifing in the cold (just changed over yesterday as a matter of fact). The foregoing having been said, the synchronizers were made with normal mineral based gear oils in mind though, so while cold weather shifting (most especially from 1st to 2nd) will be much easier with synthetic, synchronizer effectiveness will suffer a bit for you "quick shifters"! :) Cap'n. Bob '60 :{) PilotRob@... 26456... MORE
Chris... Interesting question however, did you know that a wider .015, instead of .012 clearance is recommended by the factory for the stock cam when used in "performance" circumstances? I guess the .012 is used for more quiet running under normal or low rpm street applications when top rpm useage will be brief, rather than under cirumstances wherein continuous high rpm running and attendant swelling of parts due to heat is expected. Also, under the latter circumstances, "burning" of a valve will be less likely as well. And, of course, with the wider cleanance, you get faster acceleration ("ramp"... MORE
Hi, Bob.... Yes the return springs are installed I have new ones to put in. The butterflies have been modified per Vizard, I wonder if that might have anything to do with the problem. The fast idle screws are not even touching the cam. Something must be holding the butterfly open a little. Off come the carbs tomorrow. Martyn "Martyn Eastwood" 26450... MORE
Listers, one and all. For the past few years we've had a group of enthusiasts gather in Madison WI (USA) for a bit of post-Thanksgiving turkey Sprite dismantling and/or rebuilding called Save Our Sprites. These "events" take place the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving (Nov. 28,29 this year) and are viewable over the internet through some video magic. (details later) We hope to improve that this year with faster service for better interaction. In the past, those who wanted to contribute, but couldn't attend, offered food and beverage from their locality. We've had some great variety from scrapple to... MORE
Martyn...you misunderstand. The spring over the air valve in the SU carb determines mainly when the air valve reaches the full open position with respect to "redline" assuming all other things equal. This is it's only purpose. As cam profile duration and lift increase (over "stock") so shall vacuum produced by the engine at lower rpms DECREASE. IOW......at lower rpm (idle) the engine will "suck" LESS, all else being equal. With respect to your problem, vacuum in this case is working FOR you, not against you. Make sure your throttle return springs are properly hooked up and that the... MORE
The decision is easy, considering the response to this thread. I'm going to have my existing MC rebuilt and brass sleeved. Good thing that I asked, as I was about to order a new one. Gerard - I responded to your email directly. Assume you have worked with Joe Way at Sierra Specialties for the resleeving? If anyone has Sierra info handy, please pass. I did a keyword search of our archives, and it didn't yield the info. Thanks again all, Pete 78 midget Granville, OH "Pete Skalski" 26427... MORE
Donovan Welcome to the list. Plenty of good advice here for 'restorers' on pretty much everything you need to know about putting one of these little cars back on the road. Floor/rear spring mounts/sills are typical rust spots on these cars and the quarter elliptic spring mounts are somewhat more difficult to repair properly than the semi elliptic spring mounts. Shout if you need any help : ) Nigel "amukdigiphoto" 26417... MORE
Just thought I'd introduce myself as I am new to the list. I recently began the restoration of a 61 Midget. The outer panels are excellent with rust free fenders, hood and trunk lid. That's the good news. The bad news is the floor and sills. The sills aren't terrible but the floor is almost non-existent. I'm going to be replacing the rear spring mounts etc. as well. The car was canabalised a bit so a few parts are missing. Ebay has been helpful for those. I may make pleas to the list for parts on occassion. I'll be... MORE
Pete Many thanks for your kind comments, they're very much appreciated. I am pleased with the progress being made and for the first time can see the end in sight! I know there's still a fair amount to do, but hopefully the fitting up of the painted shell will be one of the more enjoyable phases of the restoration! I'll happily post progress updates as and when, as long as people are interested in seeing them. Nigel "amukdigiphoto" 26407... MORE
Good job, Nigel. Looks like the restoration is moving along nicely. We all need pats on the back when it comes to working on these little beastly things. It'll be well worth your work when you get her back on the road. Looking forward to further updates on the resto. Take care, Pete 78 midget Granville, OH "Pete Skalski" 26404... MORE
Bob.... Go with an alcohol/water mix (60/40) and I am quite sure you could run up to 8psi boost on 9.4 with no problem but, you're gonna be far better off running both the foregoing along with an ignition retard system or, limiting advance to something like 24 degrees on a regular mechanical advance distributor considering the best you can get in terms of pump fuel will be 98RON unleaded. MSD makes an excellent boost retard ignition system and I am sure Aldon over there has some ideas in this respect as well which may very well consist of... MORE
yes. Different crank and rods (inferior metal, but larger big-ends). Front mounting plate is different (and a mod to the oil pan too I believe) Oil filter is spin-on on the side of the block pointing upwards somewhat. low comp pistons I think. Single row timing chain maybe (OK, I am struggling to recall after the 1st three items) The A+ out of the Ital has a ribbed block, so that is good... Mike "Mike Gigante" 26375... MORE
I try to read what you post, but, the car that you took in, is it the midget? What year? Do you see puddles under the car? I know you have a British car, but I don't know it this is the car that we are talking about. What color are the puddles? Where are they? front, like the carbs, or rear like the fuel tank? Bob Troutdale, OR "Robert Webb" 26362... MORE
David,there seems no problem with this carb mod,plus l got the tip from others who had done this and they are happy with it. regards wes "wesley5060" 26356... MORE
Yes, Martyn...agreed. Assuming the cam is properly timed in in accordance with previous post, I would at this point expect an induction leak(s) of some kind. VP3 cam or not, the engine should be capable of reduced idle to the point the engine will quit, though in reality 1,000rpm is a more realistic setting with this cam and even then, it'll be pretty lopey, even in a 1275. Not a displeasing sound though, IMHO!! :) Spraying carb cleaner (be careful) in and around the induction system should tell the tale in this respect...the idle will immediately change if and... MORE
I know this is basic but maybe it will save someone else a lot of frustration. The previous owner of my car had installed a Pertronix distributor conversion on my 1963 1098cc Sprite. No other modifications; no new wires, coil or plugs. Since I drive this car to work every day, I decided to replace all of the basic electrical components; relay, fuse box, spark plug wires etc. I also decided to replace the Pertronix unit with a new one AND their coil. Having accomplished all of that, the car ran hot, stumbled until it got warmed up and... MORE
Ahh Cap'n . . . ever the diplomat, you should work for the UN : ) Have an extra large sized Jumbo MickeyD's Caffeine injection on me ! You're right of course, It's very difficult to give people advice on this list without seeing the problem first hand, all you can really do is 'steer them in the right direction' (pun NOT intended *g*) Let's face it, unless the front suspension has been meticulously maintained, which few are, or had a recent front suspension rebuild (like mine was) they could all do with a strip, inspection and thoroughly regreasing.... MORE
Rod Welcome to the list. As people have said before it could be either the steering rack or the kingpin thats causing your problem. Although in my opinion it's more than likely the kingpin thats causing it. Non-centering of the steering is a classic problem relating to worn/out of adjustment/non-lubricated kingpins, it is the fit of the kingpin that governs steering centering. Also, knowing how poorly maintained front suspensions are generally and how wear in them can affect steering, and you having just acquired this Midget, in my opinion its almost certain its wear in the kinkgpin assembly. The... MORE
