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MG MGA - Automatic MGA

Having just got out of hospital after some pretty extensive surgery on my left femur I got to thinking ( have alot of time to think at the moment) about if anyone has converted their A to automatic or alternatively put in some sort of hand actuator for the clutch?

Hopefully I won't have to go down this road but I will not know for certain for about 3 months.

Thanks all.

Chris Paul Currah

Chris, there was a post about a year or so ago from a fellow in a similar situation about a hand clutch for his TD. I believe he found a good solution, you might check the archives.
Bill Young

Years ago I used to race (I mean go fast) down the street against a friend who had a auto put into his MGA with a Datsun engine. Damm , he use to win every time, My car was either very slow or his very fast. So it can be done.
JEFF BECKER

Wishing you a speedy and successful recovery
dominic clancy

The 3N71B auto trans used in most rear wheel drive Datsun cars would make a good fit. I assume that the adapter plate used on the 5 speed conversion that uses the Datsun trans would work here. Any one Know for sure?
R J Brown

Chris, a friend of mine installed the gearbox and engine of a Morris Marina in his 1936 MG VA. Works like a dream and I think this combination should also fit an MGA without too much modifications. See the VA on:
http://home.zonnet.nl/hauntedsaloon/the%20automatic%20saloon.htm

Rutger
Rutger Booy

The link doesn't work because of the blanks. See:
http://home.zonnet.nl/hauntedsaloon/index.htm

then: MG VA pages; then: automatic saloon

Rutger
Rutger Booy

A true enthusiast would use nothing less than a genuine MG Manumatic.

Should be able to find a Maggot with one somewhere......
Bill Spohn

Thanks all for the feedback.

Found the posting on the TD site in the archive. If the guy can drive a TD with an artificial leg what am I complaining about!!

Have found a number of companies that produce hand operated clutches in the Uk. All seem to be pretty complicated bits of kit (infra red sensors and ecu's etc). With a bit of luck I will not need them.

Any other info on the Manumatic would be interesting. Have done a google search but haven't come up with much.

Thanks again.

Chris.


Chris Paul Currah

Chris, I don't know if this will work but it may be food for thought. Mount a hydraulic master cylinder and lever assembly from a motorcycle to the shift lever, this way you could squeeze and shift. I have no idea if the cylinder bore size is large enough to provide enough volume at the clutch slave or if a servo would need to be added to reduce pressure required. just something to keep your mind occupied.
John H

The Manumatic clutch was a very complicated item and awful to drive. The company that manufactured them never seemed to get things working properly. It seems that all the cars that were fitted with one (MG Magnette; Austin, Hillman and a few other saloons) were converted back to a normal pedal clutch. I think there's only one Manumatic car still left.

Rutger
Rutger Booy

Manumatic - Was that the setup that had a thing full of iron filings and an eletromagnet of some sort?

Ian F
Ian Fraser

One of the people in the Minnesota MG Group has an A that he installed a 2.8 litre Ford V6 and an Automatic trans. While the car is far from stock is sure goes like heck.
JP Jim

Here is a description with diagrams for the Manumatic. Had to go to the wayback machine to find it. http://web.archive.org/web/20010501125255/www.british-cars.org.uk/kimber/mgccz/clutch.htm
Jeff Schultz

Thanks for that.

Another thought I had was the automatic gearbox from a Mgb with the 18v engine. Probably wouldn't fit without modifying the tunnel.

A rare piece of kit as well.


Thanks again.
Chris.
Chris Paul Currah

I believe I read somewhere that the automatic found in the Austin Cambridge is a direct fit. Of course, finding one of those is probably a bit on the difficult side.

The Datsun as stated above is a good option and has been used on the 1500 with success. You'd either need an adapter plate for the Datsun flexplate to mate it to the crank plus a new rear engine plate or have a new custom flexplate made, again with a new rear engine plate.

The Datsun automatic is basically a BW35 found on lots of cars like the Austin Marina or even the MGC.
Phil

Hi Jeff
Thanks for the pointer to the Manumatic gearbox.

The 'iron filings' one that I was thinking of was I believed fitted to the Standard 10, and called 'Standrive'.

However a search revealed that the Standrive box was basically similar in operation to the Manumatic.

The 'iron filings' coupling continues to elude me.

Cheers
ian F

Ian Fraser

The "iron filings" automatic was the Smiths Easidrive fitted to some Rootes Group cars in the late 1950's.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andymurkin/Hillman/Hillinfo/Easidrive.html

Malcolm
Malcolm Asquith

Hi Malcolm

Thanks for that - it all comes back to me now.

Cheers
ian F
Ian Fraser

This thread was discussed between 10/01/2006 and 16/01/2006

MG MGA index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGA BBS is active now.