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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - success with clutch problems

Yahoooo! you folks stepped up to the mark again, with your suggestions,
I sorted out my clutch problem, looked at some archive stuff from Aus. re bleeding slave, I took the steering wheel off, crawled in removed rubber plug, fitted clear plastic hose to bleed valve, then hose into jar, got my next door neighbour to watch the jar and top up master a few pumps to get the air out, job done 10 mins. I'm chuffed, after all the stuff I've read about this job being an nightmare.

My midget has the same access problems as my old Frogeye sprite, I remember having trouble fitting my prop shaft in the tunnel and getting it into the gearbox, a friend who used to race Frogeyes, gave me a tip that they used to use, go back about 6" from gearlever cut an opening out on top of the tunnel aprox, 8" x 5" made up a metal plate shaped to suit top of tunnel fit with four self tapper, once carpet on you would not know.
Then if you need to change prop, getting it into the back of gearbox is a doddle, this gave me an idea for the slave on midget, the hole is so small to get at it, so enlarged hole and cover with plate, hole big enought to get in and access bolts etc. yipee, sorry about the saga folks, just wanted to share my delight at getting this job fixed.

cheers Jack
Jack New Forest

Good news, Jack.

If it's any comfort, the clutch slave on the 1500 can only be bled from underneath, as there is no access via the tunnel. :-(

On the other hand, the propshaft has a flat flange on the front vs. just a spline, and is very easy to fit thanks to an access hole in the floor pan. You can even get to the bolts/nuts through the gearstick hole.

Sort of a trade off, I guess! Like trading the weak carbon release bearing for a roller-type, but using weak crankshaft thrust washers... can't win for losing!

Best of luck,

-:G:-
Gryf Ketcherside

http://www.spritespot.com/gallery/toomanyspridgets/panhardb

I cut the same sort of hole and used the same size blanking plug. Handy for the handbrake lever, too.
rob thomas

Yes Gryf, the 1500 do have some positives, you just wonder when someone designs a car, do they think hey! how is the owner going to change this or that component!
Example my wife's Renault megane scenic car, brake servo went, you can see it, you can even see two of the four bolts which hold it in place, but you can't see the other two, two Mechanics and three hours later having had to disconect and pull the engine forward and down, job fixed in five minutes to actually take out servo and replace, three hours labour cost for two mechaincs arggggg! French cars!!!!

Well done Rob, good idea makes life easy, as I said before why did they not think of that when designing the car, maybe we need to re-design the midget body with lots of little access holes Ha! Ha! thanks for the pic.

cheers Jack.
Jack New Forest

Yes, Bl**dy French cars. My son has a Citroen C3 (don't ask why) and both headlamp bulbs blew together. If you read forums on the Citroen, apparently on this model if one goes the other goes out in sympathy. It was completely impossible to get into the rear of the lamp units to change the bulbs, and he had to resort to a local auto electrician. 30 labour to change two bulbs. How ridiculous.
Mike Howlett

Yes Mike I know how he feels, I got rid of my Renault for those reasons, but my son's Ford Fiesta is not much better, driver's headlight lamp ok to change, but nearside one, you have to remove front grill and even then it's a knuckle ripper arg!
Well just of up the golf course (Bramshaw new forest) lovely and sunny, have you got snow yet? sorry that was mean! that's why I left Greenock all those years ago, rotten weather!.
When I get back might tackle putting my new halogen headlamps in the midget! hope I don't get problem!

cheers Jack.
Jack New Forest

It is not necessary to cut holes in the tunnel to insert the propshaft, but it is easier if an assistant shines a torch up there, or use a headtorch. If the front u/j is particularly floppy just wrap a bit of masking tape round it to hold it steady.
David Smith

It is also perfectly possible to hold the front floppy bit of the shaft in one hand and reach your arm in full length to guide it in from the rear. If you have ever watched any episodes of "All creatures great and small" you will get the idea!
Guy

We don't get snow in Troon, Jack. But it is cold and windy and showery. I am from Surrey, but have lived here for 30 years and I still hate the weather. The winter is endless. The compensation is cheaper houses (although not so cheap in Troon), less traffic and free parking when we go to the shops. Then the NHS is much better here, and of course just an hours drive takes you to some of the most beautiful scenery the UK has to offer. T'missus doesn't want to move, but if it were just me, I think I would head south again, not to Surrey (far too busy) but further west. Somerset or Dorset or somewhere like that.
Mike Howlett

This thread was discussed between 10/03/2011 and 11/03/2011

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS is active now.