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How do you lube the steering on a 60 bugeye. There is a zirc fitting and the book says to use 140 weight gear oil. I went to the car parts store and couldn't find a tool to inject the oil into the fitting. Any ideas? Thanks Bob Irwin rlirwn@... 36732... MORE
Two words. Crash Test. They have to furnish something like 20 cars to the testing bed. Aside from financial difficulties at the time (early 80s) MG found themselves increasingly unable to produce a quality roadster for the US market due to polution controls, crash test expenses, safety features and a lot of other concerns. The power output of even the B engine when harnessed to air pumps, hydrocatalysts, polution gear, crash safety problems (recall with the rubber bumpers were for!!) was really anemic. The midget - even the 1500 - was a dead loss with all that junk hung... MORE
Dear Spridgetland, Before I operate I wanted to throw this our for comment or ideas. Dear old McGee, my 75 Midget now has dual 1.25 carbs and a manifold from a 1300 Spit. New carb needles have been installed and the motor runs well except..........it idles at 2000rpm! I've sprayed down the intake connections to head and carbs with WD and couldn't detect a leak. Other info: The motor may have accidentally ingested foam air cleaner material( I wont say how but it was stupid). The motor idled at the proper rpm when I first got it going then... MORE
Ginny, 40 year motorcycle man here.... over 200K miles on bikes. Depending upon the bike, your windshield can be either Lexan of Plexi. If it is the cheaper Plexi it will become cloudy (a white-ish haze) and eventually it will begin to show stress fractures. Lexan doesn't do that. Sounds like you have Plexi in which case, there is nothing you can do about the cloudiness because it is inside the Plexi and won't polish out. Strong sunshine is the culprit. Novus and the other plasitic polishes work fine to a point. You will need to know if there... MORE
Ginger... While I am sure there are glass shops that can do this professionally (ass-u-me(ing) it's saveable, you might do a web search on Novus Plastic Polish. I've used this stuff for years along with MeGuire's Plastic Polish. All "good stuff"! :) Cap'n Bob Basic :{) "Robert E. Shlafer" 36614... MORE
Next Wednesday, the B17 and B24 that fly out of Connecticut will land about 2 miles from my house at War Eagles Air Museum, Santa Teresa Airport. For $400 bucks I can get a 30 minute ride on either plane. Anybody done this? Worth it? The 30 minutes is start up to stop, and after gaining altitude and leveling out, passengers are allowed to move about the plane to sample each manned point, with the exception of the pilots seat I assume. Since I am in the middle of trying to get both the TR4 and the Midget back... MORE
Anybody know anything about a Bear Series 2 engine analyzer? The community college my wife works at is having a surplus sale, sealed bids, on a bunch of junk that includes this analyzer, a drill press, two lathers, a milling machine, a welder, and a compressor. I went by to look at them yesterday but was informed by the AH in charge that I needed an appointment. I will go Monday at 3:00 and report back if anyone is interested. The stuff is in El Paso, TX. I'll try and remember to take the digital camera. Robert B. Houston... MORE
Enter the 10-digit numbers: Your Number: Called Number: Robert B. Houston Texan in NM 73 Midget and others John Bernard Books (The Shootist): "I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people and I expect the same from them." rbhouston@... 36577... MORE
For any of you who want to get your projects manual labor work done real cheap, like sanding, degreasing, bodywork, you name it, I've found the answere. A good friend of mine found this, don't know what he was searching for when he did, I'm afraid to ask. Greg http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ViewItem&item=5570137620&ssPageName=ADME:B:EF:US:1 "isettadude" 36561... MORE
Gelcoat stress cracks need to be sanded until gone. The best way to do this is to use a thin, contrasting color paint (lacquer types work well) to paint the surface and penetrate into the cracks. Then, using wet/dry 220 grit sandpaper with water, sand the surface until all the color you added is gone. Rinse and repeat...as necessary, if needed. You may find the cracking is localized due to the top design (not stiff enough in some areas compaired to others - story of my life) and you might need to remove more material in the cracked areas... MORE
I also have two tops that have thousands of small cracks/checks in them. They both are painted. I believe they come from flexing as when one person takes it off and moves it around, they are quite flexible. What is the best way to deal with this? How do we avoid this in the future. We can't be the only two people with this problem. Also, I don't know if either one is factory, how do you tell and is a new rear plastic window available, as well as rubber. Thanks, Bob in San Diego "Robert D. Gardner" 36547... MORE
Hi Folks, Recently my uncle passed away and I now am suddenly becoming more involved with the family farm, he was running it up until now. First thing is the barns need a massive cleanout. Neither my dad or my uncle ever threw anything away. Me either for that matter. I was there today working and I found a small stash of Spridget parts there I forgot I had. Main thing is a whole 1/4 elliptic rearend drum to drum with 4.22 gears. Springs are cut, but everything else is there. I also saw a heater blower and a... MORE
Well, Dave.... The biggest/best change you can make is to bring up the compression ratio next time you have the head off, unless you're taking it apart for piston/ring replacement. Taking the head from 21cc down to 19cc should be good for just under 8.5-1 and were you to go to 8.8-1 pistons next time around, the combo would be good for between 9.0-9.3-1 or so. You could take the head down to 16.4cc but now you're down to min. thickness for the head (strength, cooling, head-gasket issues, etc.). Besides mechanical stuff, better breathing will help. Vizard outlines in... MORE
Guess I have to ask if you don't trust him to ship you the correct unit, then why are you ordering it from him? A visit to the "Petronix" website says "Ignitor kit #LU-142A retrofits pre-1974 Austin Minis and Sprites, MG Midgets" Biff Jones '59 Bugeye 'Kermit' '61 AH Sprite 'Ole Gray' in "The Healey Book" '71 Midget 'Freebie" http://sprites2.homestead.com/ "Biff" 36506... MORE
hi all im new here so i thought i would introduce myself. my name is David i live in Georgia . i own a 1970 mg midget that has been modified to race in autocross. it has a 2.8 chevy v6 with 12.1 comp. a solid lift .454 lift cam a edlebrock intake with a holley 390cfm carb and a 175 shot of nitrous. its fun and fast. im goin to rebuild it and put it back on the street (sleeper) . i like everyones pics and comments keep up the good work . "david" 36431... MORE
Don't heat it with a torch. It will never come out then. The washer you see in there holding the piston in is plastic. Put it in a vice, take a drill with a very small bit and CAREFULLY drill a few holes into the plastic washer in a few different places and use a pick to get it out or just drill enough holes until it breaks apart and then carefully take the pieces out taking care not to harm the inside of the cylinder. I have been there before. Once it's out the piston will follow. Good... MORE
1. skip vice, it draws the heat out. Use a cinder block, or something like it to just set it on and heat. Acylene/MAPP gas & Oxy also works well and is hotter. We are talking a large chunk of metal and small rubber seals. 2. or hotter. 3. Or large pliers to pick up while hot and rap against a piece of wood on the ground to knock the piston out. Works great. Bob, Troutdale, OR "Robert Webb" 36425... MORE
ROFLMAO - I don't know if it is, Bob, since Rick didn't share that specific detail during our email trail. If that was part of the repair scheme, it was done pretty well, since both headlights looked similar in in the fenders (or "wings" for our bretherin in that other part of the world). Metal "eye" from a stove...that is funny! "Jim" 36409... MORE
I am certain that one of the more mechanical listers will say this is a bad thing to do, but here's what I do in situations like this: 1) put the item in a vise or somehow have it supported so that you don't have to hold it 2) use a propane torch to gently heat up the piston, making the rubber gooey enough to break free 2A) Don't let the rubber catch on fire! WD-40 is flammable, I think, so have a bucket of water or fire extinguisher handy just in case! 3) using heat-resistant gloves and a... MORE
Jim, Is that the same car that we lived through the building of from Rick in Las Vegas, where he welded in the metal "eye" from a stove for the headlight mounting in the front fender? If so, I feel like I know the car, and congratulations to your friend for keeping it in the family. He needs to join the list and tell his side of the story of the saga of driving it home. Cheers, Bob in San Diego "Robert D. Gardner" 36405... MORE
I CAN SEE i'M GOING TO HAVE TO THROW AWAY THAT USELESS OLD tHERMODYNAMICS BOOK. "joe blxfstz" 36355... MORE
Which according to Terry Horlers book they don't. How do I know? I have just been to Gaydon and consulted the achives there and have seen the build records for real myself. My car is listed as being Teal Blue, built on the 17th Jan 1975. Whats more there are more than a few Teal blue 1500 if the build records are right. Mine was not the last VIN to be so painted but was the last one dispatched. According to the records it had an autumn leaf interior, all this ties in with what I have on the... MORE
it depends what you aim want to achieve, but if it includes any sort of A series upgrade David Vizard's Tuning the A Series Engine is well worth while. Better to look on eBay is it can be a bit pricey. David "David Jacobs" 36187... MORE
I have a bugeye with a 1098 enine. When I got the car I purchased the Haynes manual for sprites and midgets. It seems to give memostof the information I need. I was wondering if there was enough in the way of additional information or tips to make it worth buying the "Tuning the A Series Engine" book or one of the SU carbuerator books. Thanks Bob rlirwn@... 36186... MORE
Sure you can use a generic fuel pump. All the car parts stores sell them for about $30. I wouldn't use nylon fuel lines. What reason could there ne not to use metal ones? As far as using the cam from your 1098 - why? It's probably worn some, so why not just go for a new one, say a Kent 256 or 266. You'll get improved performance, and they aren't very expensive. Be certain to use new lifters. Why do you need new rockers? The old ones can be rebushed easily. "joe blxfstz" 36151... MORE
