This weeks feature is an mg midget buying guide originally published. Mg midget the mg midget is a small twoseater sports car produced by the mg division of the british motor corporation in several generations from 1961 to 1980. The product featured is a high quality after market replacement mg midget 1500 gearbox 1st 2nd outer synchro hub. Thanks also to jim dougherty of new orleans louisiana for testing this method and providing input.
This was a spare gearbox that came with my car it turns over by hand so is not seized. An everyman roadster, the mg midget is the perfect starter classic. The 1500 midget took the spitfire engine gearbox unit complete, the only difference was the exhaust manifold and the thermostat housing, which were unique to the mg application. It was based upon the successful austin healey frog eye sprite but with significant body changes and similar sprite versions continued alongside to 1971. This was a spare gearbox that came with my car very nippy little sports car, very clean condition. Mt4 engine for rhand drive or a tn for lhand drive would fit nicely and provided you cast up some mg cam covers would look good. I have a desmogged 1979 mg midget i purchased this past spring.
Preface i have a desmogged 1979 mg midget i purchased this past spring. This is a factory original rebuilt transmission bl for mg midget 1500. If you hear a loud clicking noise in 1st or reverse that increases tempo with engine speed, that would be a broken gear tooth on one of the straight cut gears, most often the smallest gear ring on the laygear. Complete ford 5speed gearbox kit with short remote for the midget 1500cc. The gearbox has its own oil supply which leaks out on the driveway in the same manner as the engines oil supply. We carry a wideranging catalog of used mg transmissions for all applications including gas and diesel engines. Trevs 1975 mg midget overdrive and twin su conversion. It makes for a nice period conversion and is in many ways nicer with the 1500 engine than a type9 5 speed. Mg midget 1500 gearbox bearing rebuild overhaul repair kit ebay. The engine does not need to be removed with the gearbox attached, but some find it easier depending on circumstance. These boxes use real bearings in all the critical places in contrast to the smooth case box that uses simply bushes. If the gearbox tail bearing is okay, but you have a simple oil leak, the gearbox rear seal can be replaced after removing the propshaft and the output flange on the 1600 type unit. The product featured is a overhaul rebuild and repair kit for the mg midget 1500 overdrive gearbox.
Mg midget and sprite technical 1500 engine removal just checking i had everthing disconnected read to lift engine out and reading the good book it says to remove the carbs is it nescersary as i cant see them being in the way of anything. Ive got my gearbox out on the bench and im in the middle of stripping it down. Mg midget 1500 for sale in uk 62 used mg midget 1500. Competitive, high quality parts, spares and accessories for all makes and models of classic british sportscars for over 30 years. Gearbox and clutch 21 section iii suspension and steering. Unfortunately, many people, upon hearing that the gearbox uses engine oil, mistakenly assume this means oil is fed to the gearbox from the engine. If your car is a 1500, then a viable alternative is to fit a triumph overdrive gearbox rather than a 5 speed. The opportunity finally came last october when i saw an advert in the mg owners club magazine for an overdrive gearbox. The increased output combined with taller gear ratios resulted in faster acceleration 12. The idler gear has 17 teeth and the reverse gear on the laygear has teeth.
The only 5 speed kit i see for the 1500 1978 midget is the moss kit. Comprising the official drivers handbook and workshop manual. We have established a good reputation for fair dealing and endeavor to maintain it. I also went through a phase with 1960s era air cooled vws, and its the same story. Mg midget austin healey sprite aseries engine and gearbox. Jul 11, 2011 the mg midget and b even those made in 1979 with ugly rubber baby buggy bumpers are designed, engineered, and built with, at bottom, late 1950s technology. The idea of this site is to share my experiences of putting a ford sierra mk9 5 speed gearbox in my 1976 mg midget 1500 bridget. Initially introduced as a better appointed version if the austin healey sprite, the midget saw many facelift changes and four different engine sizes.
Mg midget, rubber bumper model, 1979, fitted with a 5 speed gearbox, fitted brake servo, circa. Autogear limited only supply premium quality aftermarket gear sets, crownwheel and pinion units and synchro rings, maximising high performance and durability at top speed, rally and race application. Mg midget spares and parts including midget panels, electrical and lighting parts. Im planning to change the manual transmission oil on my 1970 mg midget. So question is was the socket cleanedout and new seal put in when the fluid and filter was changed. Autogear limited only supply premium quality aftermarket gear sets, crownwheel and pinion units and synchro rings, maximising high performance and. Mg midget full 5 speed gearbox kit 1500cc frontline developments. Mg midget on the other hand is notorious for whining noticeably in 1st and reverse gears. Ts imported automotive mg midget replacement parts.
It has had a smoking issue since i bought it, and i tried all the easier, noninvasive fixes such as sea foam additive, marvel oil additive, timing, retiming and retiming again. Seems pretty low in 1st so there is lots of room to increase the final drive ratio. Introduced 1961 1979 224843 cars all versions the mg midget car revived the midget moniker first seen with mg m type midget of the late 1920s. The triumph 1500cc unit fitted to the gan6 midget and spitfire has also never been renown for longevity, partly due to its poor bottom end oiling, weak cam chain, poor rocker shaft material and cheap cam followers to name a few design shortcomings. Jul, 2015 a new gearbox july, 2015 by ianbeningfield in gearbox, in the garage leave a comment all season id been plagued by gearbox problems with so many events in may there was no time to do anything about it but after hullavington i had a 2 week break before the next event at harewood it was time for a new gearbox. It has been carefully gone thru and found to be in excellent operation condition with no appreciable wear. Mar 20, 2011 ford left and mg midget right clutches.
Buy used mg midget transmission from our network that offers up to a twoyear warranty on qualified units. The rubber bung in the picture is from that era, it goes nowhere. I did it myself without using any proprietary parts. Getting something out of a 1500 lump in the midget page. Midget 1500 engine for sale in uk view 63 bargains.
Our used engines and transmissions are covered under a 1year warranty from the date of purchase, included for free. Mg midget 1500 gearbox bearing rebuild overhaul repair kit. Mg midget and austin healy sprite, 195880 haynes repair. This can cause problems with dirt getting onto the pins in the socket and upsetting the gearbox software. Early cars had 998cc versions with 1098cc for the mk2 midget and mk3 sprite. Hillman avenger 1500 clutch shown fitted to midget flywheel with alignment tool has the correct 23 spline x 1 diameter and is only 6mm bigger than midget clutch. The ribcase gearbox is the strongest of boxes for the sprite, midget and morris minors application and can be one of the most dependable parts of your car. With stock of over 50,000 lines in a purpose built distribution centre, we manufacture and distribute classic british car parts to both trade and retail customers worldwide. Are there any other options available 5 speed or od. Mg midget 1500 1st edition competition preparation manual by.
Mg midget full 5 speed gearbox kit 1500cc frontline. Mg midget and sprite technical 1500 gearbox woes bbs. For the 1600 type gearbox with flanged output shaft, any radial motion of the flanged coupling indicates a failed ball bearing. They just looked like so much fun and the drivers always seemed to have. Based on the 4 speed manual gearbox transmission this item fits the following car manufacturer and models. Purchase from us and get an industry leading warranty on used engines and transmissions. New bellhousing or adaptor plate on 1500 models spigot bush. Diff gear would be your cheapest and easiest option if you want higher gearing. Mg midget engine rebuild and overhaul parts including pistons, bearings, cams, oil pumps etc. However, the body was never meant to take it so there are some modifications to be made.
Afaik it was the same basic gbox unit on all 1500 s bob t. Yes, you can fit an overdrive gearbox if you can find one. The mg midget and b even those made in 1979 with ugly rubber baby buggy bumpers are designed, engineered, and built with, at bottom, late 1950s technology. Discuss the austin healey sprite and the mg midget. Before there was the mazda miata, there was the mg midget. Mg mg midget 1500 rebuilt transmission gearbox ebay. Buy your used mg midget transmissions from us and save time and money.
Most british transmissions either come out through the interior of the car cars with removable transmission tunnels such as triumph gt6, spitfire, herald, tr2, 3, 3a, 4, 4a, 250 and 6, austin healey 100, 1006 and 3000 or require the engine to be removed in order to remove the transmission from the car cars with fixed transmission tunnels. Both the 1500 overdrive and any variant of the t9 require the cross member to be cut out. In 1962 motor said of the handling, drivers new to the car are inclined to. Midget shell differences, 1500 vs swa page 1 mg pistonheads.
The consensus back in the day was that the usual gl4gl5 gear lube then used in most manual trannys was incompatable with the yellow metals in the synchros, so regular motor oil was specified. Mg midget and austin healy sprite, 195880 haynes repair manuals. Mga with original engine, gearbox and banjo type rear axle. The first version was equipped with the 948 cc engine and was tested by the british magazine the motor in 1962. Whats more theres also a stronger gearbox and front disc brakes are now fitted. Austin healey sprite, mg midget, first time driver, car insurance rates, rolls. The 2nd gear synchro will be slow when cold, but the gearbox will last longer. Typically the chap who was selling it had bought it to fit into his midget. This is my attempt to install a spitfire jtype overdrive into my mg midget 1500. Mg midget and austin healy sprite, 195880 haynes repair manuals haynes on. Mg midget 1500 5 speed conversion 5 speed mg midget home. Introduced 1961 1979 224843 cars all versionsthe mg midget car revived the midget moniker first seen with mg m type midget of the late 1920s. The original specification was to use 20w50 engine oil in the spridget.
I have a 1974 with a 1500 spitfire engine gearbox laycock j type od in it a. Xe portfolio 180 awd 2017 vw new beetle 2009 mg midget 1500 1977 mg tf 5. See 7 results for mg midget gearbox for sale at the best prices, with the cheapest used car starting from. Mg midget and sprite technical 1500 gearbox rebuild kit this message is mainly targeted at john barber and anyone else who has recently rebuilt their 1500 gearbox. Two different but similar cars sometimes referred to collectively as the spridget. Mg midget and sprite technical 1500 gearbox rebuild kit bbs. The later gearbox fitted to the 1500cc models are a lot stronger but carry a. Mg midget and sprite technical 1500 gearbox drain plug ive been stalking this board for years and found it a valuable source to keep our 79 1500 midget on the road, now though im stumped and actually need to ask a question as i cant find anything in the archives. Mg midget although the name was originally given to previous models dating back as early as the 30s, the title midget is now generally accepted to refer to the vehicles manufactured in 19611979. Getting something out of a 1500 lump in the midget.
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