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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Help identify gearbox's please.

I have 5 gear box's for sale on ebay and a chap has contacted me to say that they may be from a Morris minor, is there an easy way to tell the difference as I don't want to sell anyone the wrong type.

Item on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320229159016
J Lodge

I had seen them and thought that at least one was from a Minor.
Dave O'Neill 2

I have just been serching the archives it seems the midget 1275 box's had a reverse light switch I will check this first.
J Lodge

J Lodge, that 'Chap' is me. I hope that between us we can correctly identify these boxes for you.

Oh, how good / bad is that front bumper you have on Ebay, I may need one for Carlo's Midget which I have in for some work at the moment.

Mark.
Mark Boldry

JL,

The smoothcase would have come from a 948 engined car (any of them as the are identical externally) and the ribcases from either a 1098 or 1275 (again externally identical, apart from the later 1275 that had a reverse light switch?).

The only way to tell easily if they are Sprite/Midget is to check the first gear ratios, by selecting first, turning the input shaft and counting how many turns it takes for a complete turn of the ouitput shaft.

Smoothcase 'Minor'/Frogeye 1st 3.628

Smoothcase Sprite MkII/Midget MkI 1st 3.200

Ribcase 'Minor' 1st 3.628

Ribcase Sprite/Midget (All) 1st 3.200

There are also some differences between the ribcase 'A' and 'B' set gears and the helical angle, which makes for less interchangeability, but the ratios are the same.
Richard Wale

Richard et al, not the only way; if you remove the clutch arm and inspect the input shaft through the hole you will see a number stamped on the shaft - if it's 22G229 then it's a Midget box (M1000s are usually 22G172). Also you can whip the side cover off and count the teeth on the input shaft - Midget=20 and M1000=19. Of course if the box has a rev light switch then it's a good bet it's Midget - unless a PO went to the trouble of swapping the remote onto a Minor box.
HTH
David Smith(davidDOTsmithATstonesDOTcom

David,

Depends on what you call 'easily'???

In the BMC Parts List book, the 1098 Minor/A40 ribcase input shaft is 22G 171 - did it change at all?

For the 948 Minor/A35/A40/Frogeye smoothcase, the input shaft was 2A 3359 originally, superseded by 22A 141.

Richard
Richard Wale

Thanks Gents, Mark the bumper is good and straight but the chrome is tired.

Sadly ebay won't let me edit my listing or end it 12 hours from the end of an auction which is really helpful!
J Lodge

Didn't bid on the bumper as Carlo's although slightly twisted, is in superb condition and I felt it may be a better and straighter one, not an urgent requirement.

I see the gearboxes went for a good price.... I would have been happy paying that for them too had they been verified as Spridget ones. Well done.

Mark.
Mark Boldry

Thanks Mark, I have told the winning bidder that 3 are from minors and he still seems happy. still have a fair amount of spares to get rid of though, I can't bring myself to throw them away but ebay is hardwork!
J Lodge

Can some help identify a laygear part #22A 350. It looks like a Midget laygear but I can't ID the number. Thanks for your help.
J Bubela

A few seconds with a search engine reveals that laygear to be Cone Synchro Mini 1961-62. more info at:
http://tinyurl.com/28kjwe
David Smith(davidDOTsmithATstonesDOTcom

Thanks for your quick reply. May I ask what search engine you used? When I googled it, I got welders, planes and little blue pills. John
J Bubela

yep, I use the free version of Copernic....
http://www.copernic.com/
David Smith(davidDOTsmithATstonesDOTcom

This thread was discussed between 22/03/2008 and 31/03/2008

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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