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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - 1500 battery shelf

has anyone got any photos of the underside of the battery tray at the front its the part that the heater air comes into the cabin, as mine is battered out of shape and i am not sure what shape it should be
mark heyworth

Mark,
I hope this helps until someone posts better.

This is from Moss's website, shown as for "Sprite IV & midget III-1500 (1967-79)" shown as PART NUMBER: BMH8019, it should give the general idea if I understand what you're asking.

https://www.moss-europe.co.uk/platform-battery-heater-bmh8019.html?assoc=139774

https://www.moss-europe.co.uk/shop-by-model/mg/midget/body-chassis/body-structure/chassis-frame-front-inner-panels-sprite-iv-midget-iii-1500-1967-79.html

Not necessarily for this enquiry but for other more specific info having your vehicle profile available for view can often help and save you repeating the info (I think you have a 1500 but my memory is poor).



Nigel Atkins

Mark, does this help? Its my Frogeye one with the battery tray cut out, part way through restoration. I think the Frogeye one is substantially the same as the later cars for this area, though the actual shape of the slot where the heater box bolts down may have altered for the 1500 heater.

Nigel, try reading the thread title. ;-)


GuyW

thanks but its the under side that is misshaped
mark heyworth

Mark
This may help as well, also a Frogeye.


Bill Bretherton

thanks but its a 1500 and i thought they had a recess to clear gear box
mark heyworth

Thanks Guy - apologies Mark!

So I was right it is a 1500. 😁

Guy I thought you meant I'd got the wrong part until I saw the thread title again, sorry Mark.

I still think being able to view the 'Vehicle profile' is very useful, for those that click the link.

Nigel Atkins

Mark

Any use: http://www.bmh-ltd.com/testlayout.htm ?

Cheers
Mike
M Wood

Mark,
at the risk of me looking an idiot ("very unlikely" I hear your cry, meaning the risk bit) could it be you're thinking of perhaps a hump where the front cross section has been deformed by the bell housing when the engine has been lifted too high on removal and it's started to rise the body from that point.

ETA: having just seen Mike's post, part F18 - BMH8010 goes with models 5-9 which covers models from Oct 66 to Nov 79, and it shows no hump.

Also shows I copied to the wrong part with BMH8019, too many windows open at once and not concentrating, sorry.

http://www.bmh-ltd.com/midgetparts.htm
Nigel Atkins

nigel dont want to upset you but you could be right as i have been looking a a youtube video of a 1500 stripdown and it looks like the bellhousing ahs hit his cross member and done similar damage
mark heyworth

Mark,
I only know this because somebody has done it to mine - and it wasn't me.

Also on checking, to be fair to myself, the Moss parts references are confusing (confused?).
Nigel Atkins

Mark

On my early 1500 the underside of the battery try/ heater cavity is flat. There is not a recess for the gear box.

And yes the bell housing can bash the underside of the battery tray and the cross member when you are installing the engine unless you are very careful
Chris Madge

Mark, yours doesn't have an overdrive gearbox fitted does it? I know that when I fitted mine (rather more years ago than seems real these days!) I had to widen the tunnel with a scissor jack and also "dress" the flange at the front edge of the air duct beneath the battery tray shelf.

I am not now quite sure why, as the main gearbox of the overdrive version is the same as the standard one. It may be that the extra length and bulk of the o/d unit altered the approach angle when inserting the assembly into the car and the extra clearance was therefore needed. As Nigel points out, that edge is often damaged anyway as even with the standard gearbox clearance is fairly tight and accidental contact is easily made when manoeuvering a heavy engine and gearbox on a hoist.
GuyW

Guy with the standard engine and box installation its really tight between the cross member and front of battery tray. Extra length will require a touch more clearance.
Chris Madge

Yes Chris it did.
Fitting an overdrive in a 1500 was a really nice improvement. I always preferred it to my later type 9 5 speed. Both require cutting out the middle of the cross member and making a bolt- in subframe, but even with that removed it's a tight fit installing the combined overdrive/gearbox/engine lump!
Even tighter than with just the standard box.
GuyW

its did not have a overdrive in but it will have when a rebuild it allready done the mod to tunnel etc 10mm plate bolts accross with rear gearbox mount on it.


mark heyworth

Have you got an overdrive ready for it? They are hard to find these days!
GuyW

yes got overdrive box its in this put it in last year just reshelling it


mark heyworth

This thread was discussed between 08/02/2021 and 09/02/2021

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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