MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Twisted or what?

Took the diff out today prior to a ratio change.




Looks like another new half shaft is needed. These are about 4 years old, done about 10,000 miles.



Good job it lasted to classic Le Mans and back last year!


SR Smith 1

what's under the bonnet?
David Smith

" another new half shaft "

They look a bit shiny. Are they 'modern' replacements?
Dave O'Neill 2

Just a standard 1500 bored +60 with a maniflow exhaust manifold.


They are "modern" replacements, from the MGOC I think.


Is it time to get some better quality ones, and if so, which ones?
SR Smith 1

Get in touch with MGOC and send them back. Originals last 40 years+
Lawrence Slater

Peter May halfshafts

Cost the earth and give me loads of confidence

Yours look scary bad
bill l

Used originals on Ebay. I reckon they'd be good value compared to the MGOC crap ones.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MG-midget-Austin-Healey-Frogeye-Sprite-Austin-A35-EN17-Half-Shafts-/171647032781?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item27f6f5ddcd
Lawrence Slater

I've got 2 old OE ones in the garage, one gets carried as a spare on any long trips!


Looks like it nearly got used last year looking at that twisted one.
SR Smith 1

Looks like they got another 10 miles on em.

If I rcall correctly,

you want shafts from 69-71 as they are the strongest... check with Daniel stapleton, he has the inside track on this in his popular book

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

69-71 is a pretty small window.

The strongest standard halshafts were the BTA806 which lasted until the end of production and had the groove in the end.

It looks like the 'modern' versions have the groove, but who knows what they're made from?
Dave O'Neill 2

I want to say EN40 is what the new shafts are made from same as the old crank shafts

I think peter mays says on his web site
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Perhaps its time consider another type of rear axle, possibly a narrowed Ford one or has anyone any other ideas?
SR Smith 1

good originals will be fine on a fairly standard spec car; looks like this is another case of 'cheap far eastern junk' being sold by the usual suspects.
David Smith

I am running a 1380 on an original axle with original halfshafts and punishing them.
Switching diff this afternoon so I'll take a pick of the ends.

Keep your fingers crossed
Onno K

I may be doing the MGOC a disservice here, will hunt down the invcice in the archives. But sure they came from them.



And btw Lawrence the orignals don't always last 40 years, I had one break on a Le Mans trip in '96, the car is august '78, you do the maths!
SR Smith 1

They don't need to be twisted to be a liability to use. I had an pair which had visible cracking from the root of the splines so got replaced before they broke.
David Billington

SR
Not very good looking axles
Any axle that is machined fat right down it's length to the splines like that is always going to twist at it's weak point, as it has
Axles need to be machined at a reduced diameter, roughly halfway between the max and min diameters of the spline or smaller The machining should start tapering in before the end of the splines and continue at this diameter for at least 2 1/2" to 3" up the axle and then gradually taper out to blend into the axle
Apart from that they look nice and shiney
willy
William Revit

2 old and abused ones nice and straight.

To bad the 4,2 dif I was going to replace for a 3,9 turned out to be a 3,9 as well!
I always thought I had a 4,2 since it accelerated so well, must have more power than I thought ;)

A 3,7 diffs spare anyone??


Onno K

Onno I have one on the classifieds list.
David Smith

David

Your advert appears quite a way down the list.

You must have altered an existing ad rather than posting a new one!
Dave O'Neill 2

just revived the last ad from ages ago as I found I have another spare diff.
David Smith

William, what you describe is called Growlerising in these parts!
john payne

10 points John
I just tried to explain simply without sounding too---

cheers willy

I've even resorted to , or the bank has, to having axles gun drilled to get a bit of whip in them but it costs big time
William Revit

This thread was discussed between 24/01/2015 and 27/01/2015

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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