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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Got my new gearbox

Well I now have my new gearbox fitted, and now there is no rev drop when the clutch is depressed.

My release bearing had had it, and was metal on metal with the clutch causing the drop.

I am now following running in procedures so I am limited to 45mph :(

only 500 odd miles to go :)

Any general advice on bedding in the new gearbox etc?
R Williams

Just drive it fairly normally, that's all I ever did. Didn't the supplier give you any specific advice, since they rebuilt it?

How much was it and who from?
Lawrence Slater

Only advice was to follow the running in procedure as outlined in the handbook.

It's quite a nice box though!

My drive is now on to get the car back together for the meeting this weekend
R Williams

I think it is probably important not to treat the new box too carefully otherwise it may not develop the characteristic coffee grinder noises we associate with a well matured Spridget.

With no radio, what else is there to listen too?
:GraemeW

4th was still a bit noisy at ~50, maybe its just a characteristic.

Or I am paranoid

Or I expect too much from 5 year old technology

Or a mix of both :)

Roller bearing is nice too, most of the noise I hear will go when the cover and carpet is put back on :)
R Williams

Not saying how much and who from then ?

5 year old technology? ;)
Lawrence Slater

£480, heathrow transmissions

12000 mile / 12 month warranty whatever comes first

I meant 50 :) stop nit picking :P

I also have to fix an oil leak and failed brake light switch for this weekend as well as put my interior back together.

The new foot well carpets don't fit properly either :(
R Williams

When you start to worry about the fit of the footwell carpets it indicates that a) you are nearly there and b) you need other interests in your life. How about sky diving - you go faster than in a midget.
Guy W

Congrats ...thats great news, and a great price also....did you have to trade in your old gear box

Before you install the new carpet consider installing dynamat or its knock off cousins...it really makes a differance in sound deadening

Im glad that worked out for you

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

go for a 500 mile drive this weekend, look for some where interesting to visit about 250 miles from where you are now

that's what I done when I ran in my previous Spridget gearbox, I went to a zoo and as I turned the car in the almost empty car park I heard something give a loud ping, I stopped the car to get out and check and almost lost an eye as it was part of the hood frame that had snapped and hung at the top of the driver's door aperture - 6 months before I'd had a new hood fitted to the existing frame, when a replacement frame the hood didn't fit as well as with the previous frame

I picked up a new car once late Friday afternoon and told them I'd be back Monday afternoon for the 1k-mile oil and filter change, Saturday we drove up to Scotland, stayed the night, had a look at a museum and drove back down

I've run a good few engines/gearboxes/cars/brakes/tyres/etc. that I like to get them out of the way ASAP to properly drive the cars

don't worry about the carpets it's good to have air gaps to dry the floors out

£480 is a very good price for a fully reconned g/box I think
Nigel Atkins

I am putting the interior back together this week.

I have to change the brake light switch and fix an oil leak for this weekend.

Otherwise many miles will be done asap before the warranty runs out :)
R Williams

<<How about sky diving - you go faster than in a Midget.>>

Stop better too!
GraemeW

A serious thought.

Why not use the switched current off the "new" brake light switch to turn on a relay...?

We (many of us) have found that the "new" brake light switches available these days tend to burn out in a very short time, putting the switched current to a lower rated load (the relay's switching coil) can keep the switches lasting far longer.

Wiring the relay is very easy too.




Bill1

another problem is not that they soon fail but they only work when the pedal is pressed very hard

so check for that first as I don't think the relay will overcome that (?) (unless the electrical engineers say I've got that wrong?)
Nigel Atkins

R williams.
Did you put the gearbox in yourself? I just did one on a frogeye and my back still isnt right. All that bending over is a killer!
Steven Devine

I wouldn't use those warranty miles too fast, like in 6 months for example. After all, those boxes are only good for 12001 miles anyway. LOL. ;)
Lawrence Slater

You say its noisey in 4th. You should read some road tests done in the 1970s when Midgets were new (Autocar, Motor etc.). They all say the gearbox was noisey so not really anything to worry about- its original!
Chris H (1970 Midget 1275)

Rylan's car was new in the 60s when they were also noted to be noisy

Rylan,
are you sure the noise you hear isn't the rear axle rather than the g/box, have you checked the oil level in the rear axle or better still changed the oil - even with fresh oil in the g/box and rear axle you could easily still get noise from both but the oils in both do more than just keep the noise down so keeping them topped up and thorough oil changes (get the oil as hot as possible and leave to drain for as long as possible) are very necessary

radios and carpets are all very well but you're probably understanding better now why I put to keep your money for maintenance until you've done 12 months of regular year round use
Nigel Atkins

Rylan said, --- "most of the noise I hear will go when the cover and carpet is put back on"

Exactement!

It's no surprise at all that you think it's noisey. They ARE noisey. That's why you need some sound insulation. Get it back together and stop thinking about it for a few years. :).
Lawrence Slater

"another problem is not that they soon fail but they only work when the pedal is pressed very hard"

Nigel,
You're not wrong there. My old "original" brake light pressure switch turned on the lights with the lightest of pressure but when it finally gave up the ghost and I fitted the new piece of junk, you really have to stand on the pedal to get any illumination. I was a bit worried at MOT time but clearly my friendly local mechanic pushed nice and hard. For safety reasons however I would like things back to normal. Anyone got any ideas short of trying another new switch?
Matt1275Bucks

Matt,
keep returning the switch to the supplier for a replacement until you get one that works, I'd even try asking for three replacement at once and say I'd only keep the one that works and return the other two (but I have age, charm and good looks on my side)

I put my current brake light switch in three and a half years ago with every intention of return it and its replacements if it didn't work so of course Sod's Law it's been fine

hopefully(!???) suppliers with faster moving stock have run through all the really bad switches by now(?)

Rylan,
if you passenger in other Spridgets and/or have other Spridget owners (that regularly use their Spridgets) passenger in your car you'd have a better idea if your g/box, rear axle or anything else that might be causing the noise is worse than usual (allowing for the difference a flimsy bit of carpet, and perhaps soundproofing on some cars, could make)

once your mind is settled then you can get on with driving your car and ignore the noise (subject to the normal checks) and drop the top (or stow it in your case) as those sort of noises disappear with the roof down

plus the sooner you get the gearbox fully run in the chances are the less you'll notice the noise, if only because now you've got used to it
Nigel Atkins

When I converted to a 3 master cly set up, IIinstalled an in-line brake switch

It connects in the brake pipe after the master cly...it was easy to install, and works perfect, and very durable

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Here is what im talking about

Its actually called a "low pressure hydraulic brake light switch" or some variation of that...

On my set up ...I installed the switch on the front brake pipe because the front brakes are much more reliable and utilise brake pressure much better

Its basically just hooked into a "T" fitting spliced into the brake pipe and I wired it into the cars brake light switch wiring...so no odd wiring was required

There are tons of these on ebay and decent auto parts stores that cater to hot rodders

Prop

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?itemId=280876618864
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Prop, that's not dissimilar to the offerings we have on this side of the pond.

You have to remember that in the mother country, we still had a hydraulic switch right up until the very last 1500s with dual-circuit brakes.

These are the switches that are failing.

Maybe you are lucky in that your switches are made locally, using proper materials.


Dave O'Neill2

I couldnt say....maybe its the fancy lucas box thats bad...

Try a box with a differant Color and name other then green color and the lucas name

For some reason I was thinking I had a push botton switch that operated off the peddle lever ... maybe that was a Diffeant project

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Your original switch would have been on the pedal, as you have dual-circuit brakes.

We didn't get those until '77, so we had a hydraulic switch until then.
Dave O'Neill2

This thread was discussed between 22/10/2013 and 26/10/2013

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