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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Manhunt on brake cylinder circlip inventor

So, you guys were right.

Whoever 'invented' the rear brake circlips is an absolute moron. I've spent the best part of the light of this evening trying to fit them and thinking 'yeah, this isnt working'. And then when you do start to get somewhere, they bend and STAY bent. Brilliant. Some good QA going on at that circlip factory.

So, what is the solution, aside from tapping and screwing the cylinder in as I don't have the time, patience or tools to do this.

Shall I use normal circlips?

Thanks in advance.
A very pissed off Rich.
Rich Amos (1330cc Blaze Red '72)

find the man and take his name


I am interested in what the responses are..having this to do as the next job on mine!
dave c

Use ordinary ones if you can be sure they will stop the cylinder moving in and out as well as back and forth a bit*

Or persevere

they CAN be put in proper like!

but it IS and CAN BE a bloomin' faff about

or take the fifth and "screwtapandsmile"


*the reason they are arched is to act as a reasonable "location setter" against the backplate

does this work?

Is God an astronaut?

Or are there wheeltracks on the moon

who the heck knows?

good luck mate
Bill

doing work avoidance by reading these threads!..

I feel a list of the "ten worst jobs on the midget" coming on...
dave c

1. rear brake circlips
2. rear brake circlips
3. rear brake circlips

...you get the jist. Absolutely ridiculous. I've got myself some normal circlips on their way to me and I shall see how well they work.
Rich Amos (1330cc Blaze Red '72)

let us know how you get on, Rich
dave c

Rich. Chris Betson, of Octarine Services, has a tool that makes it easier to install the clips. He has a website and his own help pages on it.

For me, the job was made easier by filing the angles on the inner portion of the U shape to form a sharper angle. Reduce the tabs in that section to about one half the factory depth. Try it at your own risk--too much and the clip may not hold the cylinder in place. But, I have used this modification on the four cars the family is driving and have not had a problem in over ten years of use.

As with any "experimental procedure", if you do decide to try it, keep track of what is happening to make sure that the system is working as intended. The first time I tested the concept, I checked on a daily basis to make sure the cylinders were held securely for the first week. Weekly, thereafter, until the first oil change and chassis lube. Now, I check them as part of the oil change/chassis lube.

Les
Les Bengtson

I used the circlips and piled them on I think 3 each cylinder.

when I say circlip....i mean the little clips you haave to have the special tool (pliers) for...havnt had a problem scence that was 4 years ago....Ive heard you can tap it and put an M1 nut with a small washer and tighten down also.

you should try something really easy next like change out the window regulators,,,,or my favorite rebuild the front rack.....of course theres all ways the MC for the brakes that need rebuilding....thats a fun job also.

hang in there....almost all of us have been there.

nothing a slice of pissa and a cold beverage wont cure

prop
Prop

Prop I've used those clips before too. And put a Belleville(sp?) washer under them. Looks like a wavy shim that springs.
Trevor-Jessie

Thanks treavor,

I was tying to think of the name of that little washer, so I didnt mention it....but yes a great little piece of cheap insurance ...I didnt use it myself, as I was ticked off to completion after spending an entire saterday with that freakin C clip ....but would highly recommend it, if your sane enought to go back to the hardware store one last time.


BTW...shouldnt you be in bed by now.....long trip tomarrow....looking forward to catching up with you thursday morning....Ill be there early pulling parking duty for the car show.....drive safe

safty fast
prop
Prop

I've got my pitchfork and flaming torch right here. Just say the word.

Brute force using a substantial flat-headed screwdriver and lump hammer to drive them over the cylinder pillar does it for me eventually. I've got it down to less than half an hour per side now, ha ha.
Jordan Gibson

Use a standard circlip (not C-clip) and a thin washer, and this becomes a 15-sec job.

Throw the C-clip away!

A
Anthony

I agree with Les - that's how I got mine on. Look carefully at the C-clip profiles that actually fit into the groove, and you'll find that quite a bit can be ground off the entry, to help you ease it on. I just used one of those adjustable aperture squeezy tools (a footprint wrench?) to fit it.

Still there after a year or so.
Nick

Rich,

I haven't the tools or patience either, but my local engineering shop charged me £10 to drill and tap the cylinders and even gave me some bolts to secure them!
My local MOT man was very impresed with the result. Believe me, it's the best 10 quid I ever spent on my car.

Andrew
aj robinson

I replaced mine last summer.
After futzing with the clips that came with the new cylinders for quite a while I dug out the originals and put them on. I just couldn't see how the new ones could possibly fit!
The old ones went right in, they were standard circlips.
Rick Bastedo

I would agree this is a lousy job, I ended up doing the job with a G clamp and a socket, which worked ok, but I wish I had thought of using a standard circlip, especially when I have a box full of them

Neil
Neil Williams

I find if you get one side of the clip in the groove, then use a screwdriver to prise the other side over and in, the job doesen't seem to bad. I did the drill and tap method as it happens, the clip alone doesn't give a secure fixing.
Cheers John
JOHN HALL & JULIE ROBERTS

Theres been big debate over the years as to whether the cylinders are supposed to float a bit or not and thus if its a good plan to pin them or not. I'm not sure of my belief.

I do know that instead of the blasted E-clip a standard circlip worked for me too. Although IIRC I had to make up a thin shim for between the backplate and clip as otherwise the clylinders were very loose.
Nick

I've got one of those Octarine supplied tools for intalling them, nightmare....gave up and used a washer and standard circlip.
PaulMkIMkIV

If the cylinders are supposed to float, you can still drill and tap the cylinder, also open up the hole in the backplate a little, and then put a large washer on the bolt with some threadlock, and tighten it just enough to keep it secured, but loose enough that it will float.

Eh voila.
Tarquin

Having struggled for an hour or two I took one side to my local MG garage and learnt the technique. First grind a semicircular shape in the side furthest from the open end as the clip will almost certainly foul the hub - the half moon fits nicely against the bleed nipple. put one side in position in the groove and using a large screwdriver lever the other side into position pushing down at the same time. Half the clips used will bend but usually you can get it in place in a few minutes.
Now that was all on the bench as I am rebuilding the car - underneath in bad light and contorted body position I suspect will be a different story !!!!!!!
P B Chappell

Reporting back:
Circlips worked a treat and there's very little play on the clinder.

Only problem now is that it got dark as I was doing it and I seem to have lost one of the springs for the brake shoes. ACK!
Rich Amos (1330cc Blaze Red '72)

Or just fit a rear disc conversion, takes less time than fitting a couple of circlips!
Alex Sturgeon

I can endorse the Neil Williams method - clamp the cylinder really hard against the back plate using a G-clamp and then "drift"* the C-clip on with a socket.

* this is "drift" as in drifting the front wheel bearings out of the stub axle i.e. twat it wi' a big 'ammer !!
Malcolm Chapman

This thread was discussed between 24/06/2008 and 28/06/2008

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