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MG MGA - Saved by the Bell

You know that Uh-Oh feeling when you first hear that new and unexpected noise from your baby? Well a couple of months ago I keep hearing a faint tinkling sound from the front end when I would hit a small bump. The sound was not all that ominous, but none the less troubling. Repeated forays under the hood and underneath were not turning up anything that could tinkle like a small bell. Not loose rivets on the crankshaft or generator pulleys. The fan blades are all tight. No loose washers, nor were the a-arm thrust washers loose. The front wheel nuts where tight and no wiggles in the suspension. The hood prop clip was a bit loose, but not the culprit.

This afternoon I finally noticed that the left side caliper brake pad retaining pin had come loose so that the spring steel retainer could sound off when I hit the right size bump. Fortunately neither of the brake pads moved and the retainer pin and retainer stayed more or less in place. It only took a couple of minutes to put things right. I guess you could say I was saved by the bell.

Safety fast, John



John Backman

John,I had something similar happen to me many years ago when I was Kart Racing (also known as Go-Karts to those who have never raced them).

I was about to begin a race in my 210cc two-stroke(with 4 speed gearbox) and I had been busy checking everything over before the start.
When I set off on the warm up lap the engine was pulling really well (which was unusual with a tuned Villiers engine). Everything felt great and I had got a really good feeling about the race, that is, until I reached the first corner and I had my own "Saved by the bell" moment.
I hit the brakes hard as usual and was instantly rewarded with a very hard whack on the back of my crash helmet which made my head ring like a bell!

I looked around to see who had run into me but there was no one really close by?

Then when I looked down I noticed the brake pads that I had just fitted to the rear brake caliper were actually lying in my lap!

Oops! Some idiot forgot to put the pad retaining pins in!

Yes, it was me!

I never made that mistake again.

Colyn

John, I found my MGA pad retaining pin a little loose when I last changed the pads. I simply bent the retaining spring a little more and it seems to have sorted things out.
c firth

Bending is not the answer. You should find a hole through that retaining pin for a split pin.
Pete
PeteT

Pete, by "find a hole" do you mean that there already is a hole in the pin, or that you have to drill one?

If I recall, the standard pin is not long enough to drill a hole through on the outside of the caliper.

Colyn
c firth

Pete,

My retaining clips and pin came from Moss (180-290 & 180-280). The pin does not have a hole for a split pin and is shorter than the width of the caliper. It takes a small drift or punch to push the pin into the locking position. As Colyn suggests bending the spring steel retainer a bit will ensure that it securely seats between the shoulders of the pin to hold everything in place.

I suspect that I did not have one end of the pin seated correctly.

John
John Backman

Oops - I take it all back folks! This old chap is getting confused with his MGF!!! Of course the clip holds it in place... Sorry!
Those pads of mine have been in there so long and working perfectly, I can't remember when I was last in there.

I guess your pin simply hadn't been correctly positioned within the pins shoulders John. There's no other way it could move. Interesting audible warning though.
Pete
PeteT

This thread was discussed between 12/01/2015 and 13/01/2015

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