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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Broken Half Shaft

I'm pretty sure that I have a broken half shaft. I was shifting into second when a loud noise came from the rear and the midget wouldn't go. Luckly I was only 1/2 mile from home. It will go into gear but when I let out the clutch I get a 'whining grinding' kind of sound from the rear, sounds like the passenger side. I'm going to check it out tomorrow. I'll post then with some pictures.
By the way, are all Midget half shafts interchangeable?
Jon Saylor

Oh that really bites, sorry to hear that...yes the half shafts are interchangeable, but you want a matching pair, and you want to use the shafts on the same side as the came off...right to right, left to left, also you want to try and get the shafts form 70-71 as they are the strongest made shafts.

Good luck and take photos for us.

Prop
Prop

"Oh that really bites, sorry to hear that...yes the half shafts are interchangeable, but you want a matching pair, and you want to use the shafts on the same side as the came off...right to right, left to left, also you want to try and get the shafts form 70-71 as they are the strongest made shafts."

I've replaced the half shaft on the driver side TWICE. each time I only replaced one and I've never bought one new. They seem to hold up ok. Never really asked what year they were from when I got them on ebay. I keep thinking, maybe someday I'll spluge and get a LSD so that when I break an axel I can stll limp along a bit.
S.A. Jones

Jon,
I've broken 2 passenger side shafts.

The ones to look for have EN17 cast into the rounded end at the hub. These are the later and stronger originals.

There's lots in the archives about "handing" the shafts. ie replacing a left shaft with a left shaft, but as these break the most, I suspect most of the survivors where originally drivers side.

Used EN17's go for about $25 to $50 and are always on ebay. Oldgreynorm usally gets about $30 a pair and has fair shipping prices, and great ebay feedback.

Peter May, Moss and the like sell competition shafts for about $250/ea.

Hth. Phil "don't forget to clean out the pumpkin or it will rot"


Phil

Aren't wire wheel and steel wheel ones of slightly different lengths?

Guy Weller

As Guy hints wire wheel and steel wheel shafts are a different length

Onno Könemann

Thanks for your replies. New problem though, the passenger side half shaft will only come out about 1/4". I even took out the lug nut studs thinking that they were hanging up on the shaft a bit but still not coming out. Tried to pry lightly on the shaft but still not coming out more than about 1/4".
The driver side came out just fine.
No photos to post just yet.
Jon Saylor

Got it out. Here's a photo of what I found. I loosened the pumpkin and then pried a bit more on the half shaft and it came out.


Jon Saylor

Another shot...


Jon Saylor

Jon,
Anything built after they stopped making Sprites will be good, especially from the 1500 models (the extra torque demanded better shafts). Yes, there is a difference between the halfshafts for wire wheel vs disk wheel axles. Some tell you not to swap sides, others will assure you that it makes no difference. Probably made more difference with the softer early shafts. Someone recently posted a procedure for cleaning the diff... ISTR that involved filling with kerosene and spinning it around a bit.
David "trying not to need this advice" Lieb
David Lieb

I will look for the newer half shafts. But in the mean time, I need to get the broken end piece out of the differential wheel!! It's just STUCK! Any suggestions?
Jon Saylor


There is a process that you can use to further strengthen Spridget halfshafts that was developed by an MG guru named Growler that many will remember from his posts here.
The process is referred to as Growlerising and I have no experience with it, but I'm sure others have.

http://community.webshots.com/user/growlersouth

Phil "Growler, are you there?"
Phil

Thats not broken, Thats complete failure...LOL

broken is when you got 2 seperate pieces,,,not 800 little bits that used to make up something...

hang in there...davids right get 5 gallons of K1 and that will help break down all the gunk where all the little shardes have taken up new residence waiting to be released after you have done the re-pair...may even want to stick a big maginet near the drain hole to catch the fine stuff

Prop
Prop

"Thats not broken, Thats complete failure..."

Yeah, and I was just shifting into second from a normal start from a stop sign! No warning either. I will completely clean everything out as you posted. I have the pumpkin on the bench right now and can't budge the broken end piece out!!
Jon Saylor

Jon,

It's likely the cracks had been developing for some time and it finally gave way. I've had a shaft fail at the outer end once, luckily another time I pulled the halfshafts to inspect them and the cracks along the splines were clear to see with the naked eye so they got scrapped.
David Billington

Jon

You should be able to drift out the stuck piece with a short length of 1/2" x 1/8" section steel strip which just fits past the crownwheel, IIRC.

And a hammer.....

Andy
Andy Pie-Crust

Jon this didnt want to come out without a fight either

I think that as the metal distorts at the spline-face the bent bit just swells enough to completely fill face to face across the splines.

Persevere with the "tapping out" it will come out soon

This one snapped from "neutral into first" at a road junction just as I went to cross a line of traffic, suddenly a fist full of nothing...


Bill sdgpm

Moss UK only list one half shaft, part no.BTA806 (807 for wire wheels). Is the quality of this all right?

Tore
Tore

This thread was discussed between 31/05/2009 and 02/06/2009

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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