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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - how to top up shock absorbers

hi.1st post so il say hello before i begin. can anyone give me advice on how to top up shock absorbers (front and rear)and can it be done without removing them.thanks.
roy judd

not sure if theres a diffrence but its a 77 midget 1500.
roy judd

roy,

The way i do it, Is I get a seringe..for injecting meds into the body...and use it

If you go to a professional wall paper store they have suringes with a huge needle for injecting paste in bubbles under wall paper...those work perfect, just remove the top hat nut and squirt it in ....just dont inject yourself with the oil

I use motor cycle fork oil..I want to say 20w...but ask someone else 1st for the proper wieght

Prop
Prop

thanks prop i shall give it ago and see what happens.il leave it a couple of days before doing it to see if anyone says 20w as well. i heard other people say the same oil so i dont doubt your right. roy
roy judd

I use 20W motorcycle fork oil. You can go up to 30W if you want a firmer ride. DO NOT use engine oil! You need some form of anti-wear, anti-foaming hydraulic oil, which fork oil is.

I topped mine off last summer, but was never satisfied with the feel, so a couple weeks ago I removed them & did the job properly: drained & flushed out old oil, cleaned orifices in the valves, refilled & bled out the air.

It made a HUGE difference! It took about 1 1/2 hours per shock (removal, fill & re-install), but well worth the effort.

The little beast rides like new!

As my budget allows, I plan to upgrade with shocks from Peter Caldwell (World Wide Auto Parts).

Dave
Dave Rhine ('78 1500)

I am so glad to see people are servicing shocks. when I had my B ( before I entered the Spriget world ) so many people though telescopic shock were the only way forward. I fell victim to the hype. Topping up with good 20w or 30w if you have slightly more meat on your bum to take it, makes all the difference in the world. If you are going to take them of (mega easy job) you can do a better job and it will give you chance to get the tooth brush out and a lick of paint. I have only owned my Midget for a week and have found the advice on here second to non. This weeks job for me is to remove the heater battery and master cylinders. serious clean up and engine bay painting. Total rewire next weekend. ( I am an electronics engineer having worked on Tornados and C130's , so at least that will be one bit done right on my little car.

Diving a Midget around Herefordshire is better than wining the Lotto
N Sayle

Roy & N

Welcome to our Spridget world.

And yes, there are many very knowledgeable posters on this forum (myself excluded).

I've had my car for less than a year & doing a rolling restoration...the longer I have it & drive it, the more I love it.

I often wonder why it took me over 30 years to get another one (co-owned a Bugeye/Frogeye race car back in the day).

Properly serviced lever shocks are fine for the road, racing may be another matter altogether, but our old Bugeye had levers with some kind of extra thick oil in them...I don't remember what it was now.

If properly maintained, these shocks last a LONG time.

Good luck guys & enjoy your cars, they're super fun to drive.

Dave
Dave Rhine ('78 1500)

It is a good idea to fill them in place, since the concept is to fill it until it starts to dribble out of the fill hole. DO NOT OVERFILL! The airspace is essential, too.

Be aware that you are not likely to have a wrench that actually fits it properly, since these were made by Armstrong and MG had no way of telling them to convert to UNF.
David "Might as well start off with that adjustable spanner" Lieb
David Lieb

im guessing the car needs to be jacked up with the wheels of the ground before topping them up?. thanks for the help guys. and dave im enjoying my midget more then you would beleive.iv wanted 1 since i was 9 and waited 25 years to get 1.
roy judd

I bought shock oil from PAECO www.paeco.com in Alabama some time ago. They sell 3 grades of oil. I bought the lightest and the heavy grades to mix if needed. Someone on your side may also sell different grades of oil. I also have two small pump oil cans with flexible nozzles to get the oil in the shock with out making a mess. Moving the arm up and down will help to bleed out the air.
J Bubela

Well, there it is...that's probably the reason mine didn't feel right when I filled them on the car...I didn't move the arm to bleed the air.

Thanks, for the info.
Dave Rhine ('78 1500)

This thread was discussed between 21/03/2010 and 23/03/2010

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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