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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Frogeye Smooth Gearbox

Could you help please, if I bought a ribbed gearbox for my frogeye would it alleviate the need to double de clutch.
L Macaulay-Chapman

Not necessarily.

Do you have to double declutch on every downchange, or just into first gear?
Dave O'Neill2

Dave,
Into second and first
L Macaulay-Chapman

You won't get over the first gear problem, as they all have crash gears. You either double declutch or wait until you're stationary.

As for second, it is most probably a worn synchro. They wear on ribcase 'boxes too, so you can either have your own 'box repaired, or buy a known good 'box, either smooth or ribbed.
Dave O'Neill2

Dave,
Thank you for the info, may look int a five speed option.
L Macaulay-Chapman

Don't
It requires cuting up your frog body and will leave you with a nasty gearbox that has the gear stick in the wrong place.

Get your box refurbed and enjoy.
And one shortcut in to 1st without double de clutching is to just touch second gear and then slip in to first.
Always handy when you've almost slowed to a halt at the lights.
All other driving can be done from 2nd upwards
Onno K

Do!(consider a T9 conversion).
Converted my 948 Frogeye (and several other Frogeyes & Spridgets).
The car is much nicer to drive over long distances.
You dont 'cut up' the bodywork merely remove a 7" section underneath. Nothing nasty about the gearbox and the gearlever position is not a problem and can be moved if it is. There may be slight cutting of the transmission tunnel around the gearlever which is covered with carpet.
Alan
www.masckent.org

Alan Anstead

Due to slight differences in the bellhousing, of the smooth and ribbed gearboxes, the swop is not necessarily one box out and the other in if converting a 948 engined Frogeye.
Alan Anstead

Hi

I was wondering what condition and level of modification your Frogeye currently is?

My reason for asking is that original Frogeye Sprites are now expensive, and even rough ones are pricey compared to other Sprites and midgets, so type and level of modification and how they impact the desirability and price for resale may be an issue.

Originality enthusiasts like a 948cc engine with dynamo and smooth case gearbox, period engine mods, original interior and steel front. Later Sprite/Midget 1275cc engine and four speed rib cased gearbox is often seen as an acceptable modification; but for some people a Ford Sierra gearbox from the 1980s/1990s in a car built by BMC from between 1959 to 1961 is a mod too far. But in a highly modified car, or non-original features or something like a Sebring Sprite such a gearbox would be great.

Sorry to raise this. Frogeyes have been modified for years, it is a pity that so many are considered 'too nice' for such radical/non-period mods, or seen as 'too valuable' to do so often by former owners who once had them when they were young, and the cars were old/inexpensive and maintained on a shoestring, and are now able to buy and restore these cars in less impecunious manner.

Go for it! Just keep the metalwork you cut out, carefully store the original engine and gearbox, dynamo and cable rev counter drive and rev counter for when you sell the car; and take pictures and notes of the conversion including a photocopy of the logbook to show the 948cc engine number and engine was with the car.

Or sell the car, buy a converted round arch Midget with a K Series engine and 5 speed box, and pocket some money.

Or sell it and buy something classic better suited for relaxed cruising?

Cheers
Mike



M Wood

Mike
Mine is 948 with dynamo and most of the original bits. Apart from not having the gearlever turret there is little to show its 5 speed. Still on (A40) drums.
Alan
Alan Anstead

better than a Ford, use the Datsun transmission: it is all aluminum (so it is lighter weight than the very heavy Ford one), and it has a smooth bell housing (which gives rather the impression of what some would think "should" be there), AND it does not require such cutting the body to fit (the shift lever ends up in a good location for use)

but, it is more expensive because the Datsun transmission is less plentiful




Norm


Norm Kerr

Norm,
The problem is that the Datsun 5 speed is virtually unknown in the UK. When the Datsuns were sold in the UK the 5 speed box was a special order option and almost all of the cars sold just came with a standard 4 speed box. So now they are very rare here. There have been occasional reports of people importing 3 or 4 at a time from the States.

The reason that the Datsun gearbox is such a nice replacement for fitting to an A series engine is that it was obviously made to mate to the Datsun engine, which itself originated as a copy of the A series engine. Engineers from BMC went out to Japan to set up the tooling and train staff there during the early '50s to get their post war car industry up and running. Much as we did with VW.
Guy W

I converted three Spridgets - one Sprite & two Frogeyes to Datsun 5 speed gearboxes for three friends, who clubbed together to have the gearboxes and kits imported from Rivergate. I am aware that one car, having been sold on on the death of my friend, has now developed a gearbox problem and the new owner is experiencing difficulties sourcing the parts.
Alan
Alan Anstead

This thread was discussed between 01/01/2014 and 06/01/2014

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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