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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 - % speed conversion fitting kit spares

Header should read 5 speed ( DOH )

Just bought a project sprite and its fitted with a type 9 5 speed conversion . However its missing its 1275 engine and with it some vital conversion parts. Need the spigot adaptor and the clutch as they went with the engine . Although these kits are sold by a lot of people is there only one firm making them? Who is best for supplying spares for this kit?

Think we covered the clutch issue on here recently, is it standard 1275 Pressure plate? And what was the centre plate from? I have the clutch thrust its a roller design does this run against the clutch pressure plate thrust pad , or does the pad have to be removed so the roller thrust runs against the diapram fingers.

Any body got a set of fixing instructions they can scan and send?

Thanks Roy
R Mcknight

Roy,
the kits thrown together by the midget so called 'specialist experts' that I refer to as l*ying b*stards varied over the years as did their fitting instructions and they'd mix their installation procedures and parts

if you're lucky enough not to have their kit then you might have a DIY kit or I believe the Morris Minor Centre done 5 speed conversions (on Moggies), possibly this is where 'LB' copied the idea and parts required

I believe 'LB' got some of their parts s/h from eBay as many kit cars do the conversion
Nigel Atkins

Speak to Jonathon Heap or Will Corry
Pete Moreland-Moore

Roy I doubt that there will be a definitive version but when I repaired-restructured-rebuilt my type 9 set up I was only able to find the driven plate at Morris Minor Centre Oldbury, under J2 M5.

That was about £60 and they were also able to supply the centre spigot conversion that sits in the flywheel for about a tenner.

I had made many many fruitless attemps to find another way using a suitable driven plate from elsewhere, as I say, fruitless.

I will say that MMC's parts fit properly and perform the way it would say on the tin if there was a tin.

I use my standard Midget clutch cover plate, I think I may have had to remove the centre rubbing disc from the fingers.

The thrust bearing I use is built into my Ford Granada type concentric so if you use the Midget method it may not need modifying at all.

An archive search in 'technical Midget and Sprite' under "concentric ford guy" will bring you several threads that may help you.
Bill1

Roy
If you ring me or e-mail me.
if you no longer have my contacts go thru www.masckent.org
Alan
Alan Anstead

The centre plate I used came from MMC Birmingham and is from a Hillman Avenger. My car is 1098cc and I used my original pressure plate, but I believe the Avenger plate is good for the 1275. It has 23 splines to match the Ford 'box.

Bernie.
b higginson

Bernie
Your 1098 plate is 7.5 dia the 1275 is 6.5 and not compatible.
Alan
Alan Anstead

Sorry Alan. My mistake. I thought that the 1275 flywheel had to be machined in any case, so that the Avenger plate would fit. If not, which plate does fit the 1275?

Bernie.
b higginson

The MMC plate fits the 1275 flywheel with no modifications, it was designed to.

I could not get my hands on an Avenger plate to try it for a fit, for love or money...

I imagine the 1275 flywheel would need redrilling if you want to fit a larger diameter plate and cover.

I gave up and went with the inevitable, at £60 it wasn't worth any more faffing about if I wanted Lara back in service quickly.
Bill1

The pressure plate needs the pad removing and then the roller release just pushes on the fingers.

You will also need the special fulcrum for the fork to fit to the bell housing.

The roller release should have a centre that just fits and slides nicely along the gearbox input shaft sleeve. Some people cut the sleeve down but it doesn't work as well like that. I think that is how the MMC kits were but they may have changed them now.

The spigot adaptor fits into the flywheel and has an oilite bush in the centre. Make sure the one you get is a tight fit in the flywheel, I ended up having to have one made as Frontline kept giving me ones that were a sloppy fit.

The driven plate supplied by Frontline, whatever it is, is still going strong in my car which is amazing for the stick it gets.
john payne

As Bill states the 1275 uses the 1275 cover with the MMC 6.5 hybrid plate. The 6.5 plate will also fit within the 948 cover if anyone is fitting a T9 to a 948,
earlier conversions use a carbon thrust necessitating cutting the T9 input sleeve. Its best to specify whether carbon or roller is to be used as the yoke support / pivot mounts are different the carbon having a pivot hole whilst the roller pivot uses a slot although a roller can be used with a pivot hole if the imput sleeve is removed.
Alan
Alan Anstead

Thanks Alan will be in touch . Also found this link about 1275 to type 9 box

http://biker-lofty.co.uk/hobbies/boltonmods/5%20speed%20to%201275%20midget.htm

Yes John I have the special slotted fulcrum bracket and a roller thrust

Roy
R Mcknight

With that slotted fulcrum bracket its important to set it up right. Firstly make sure your fork has a decent or new bush fitted. Then the bolt you use needs to be long enough so that the plain shank goes just through both legs of the bracket. You don't want any threaded portion in the slot. Then a washer or two and a stiff nut plus extra locking nut just in case. I set it so that the legs are just tightening onto the fork then lock it off. Grease it well!
Make sure it slides nicely up and down the slot as you operate the clutch fork.
It's a bit of a heath Robinson set up but it works ok as long as you do similar to above.
john payne

Mine has a 7.5 inch ford escort clutch plate and cover. The flywheel was drilled to take it.
Lawrence Slater

Roy,

I looked at that page and thought that with the ball release bearing it would have been worthwhile fitting the Ford drawn cup needle roller spigot bearing as well. That's what I used in my big mains 1098 crank with a Ford box. Should last well but I think concerns have been expressed on the BB that riding the clutch won't do the thrust bearings any favours in the A series.
David Billington

The Morris Minor Centre (MMC) who developed this kit - first for Minors and then Sprites and Midgets have more than one spigot bearing adaptor they can sell you. The guy to speak to at MMC is Mike Lennon. Alternatively there are books with this exact information in ...
Daniel Stapleton

worth also saying that riding the clutch is never good for anything and is a bad practise, to be avoided.
David Smith

I'll add to that by this video and if you watch it to the end you'll see how much wear/abuse a standard clutch release bearing can take

but I can tell you from personal (nasty, expensive and should have been avoidable) experience that you want to get the clutch arm and release bearing set up properly or you'll soon have problems

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d173K60GSU8&feature=c4-overview&list=UU40j4KqUJPMVv4FQ29ro-xQ
Nigel Atkins

I've recently bought a kit for my 1500 and it seems that both Moss and Frontline sell all bits and kit spares separately.
N.C. Nakorn

I fitted a Moss / Frontline Type 9 to my car about 5000 miles ago, lots of support from both companies.

The only problem I had was the 2 aligning dowels, had to make new stepped ones to fit the engine backplate and clutch housing holes.

Oilite bushes are fine but soak them in engine oil for 24 hours on your central heating radiator as that helps force the air to come out of the bearing. Don't machine these bushes that closes up the pores that let the oil flow.

The roller release bearing supplied with this kit is far superior to the carbon release bearings which seem to have a very short life these days.

I agree with Dave Smith's comment, riding the clutch in queues causes unnecessary wear in the spigot bush.

Neil
Neil Farnfield

This thread was discussed between 12/12/2013 and 22/12/2013

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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