MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

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 - Carburettor Needles for a Frogeye

I wonder what needles you would try for a mildly tuned 948. Since I put it back together several years ago, I've just been content with the standard GGG needles, but now I'm dismantling the fuelling side, and it might be an idea to try something new.
Peter Burgess has done the head, and supplied a 266 cam, but I never went back to him for the rolling road.
Still on a standard pair of H1s.

Any suggestions?
Nick and Cherry Scoop

Hi Nick

Good to see you posting again.

I'm struggling to find any specific information specific to H1s.

I've had a look in my Haynes manual, which does cover Frogeyes, but only lists the standard needle for H1s as GG. However, it does list rich and weak options for HS2s and it lists the GG as the weak option. It might be worth trying either the GY or AN 'standard' needles for those carbs.

As you can see from the attached graph, GY and AN are very similar to each other and slightly richer than the GG. Ignore the ABT and AAQ, they were from something else I was looking at.

The chart is from here:-

http://www.mintylamb.co.uk/suneedle/

and you can compare profiles of different needles.






Dave O'Neill 2

I’ve got an old ‘Car and Car Conversions’ book ‘Tuning Su Carbs’

Dating back to 1968 !

It lists H1 for Sprite - Rich EB, Std GG, Weak MOW.

Richard B.
richard b

GG was also in my early BMC tuning book (1961) for the std setting but GM was slightly richer but not as rich as EB
Bob Beaumont

Thanks Dave, and Richard and Bob.
My original Mk1 Workshop Manual gives only GG, with no options. But Haynes says MOW (weak) and EB (rich), agreeing with Richard.
I believe the GGs have been in place for a very long time, in fact they may have been there since 1960. The previous owner (1960-2004) recorded everything he did on the car, and needles aren't mentioned in any of those 44 years. I certainly haven't changed them since 2004. I might try something new; at least I don't have to dismantle half the car to get to them.

Sorry I haven't visited for a while. Been operating in a parallel life, and the avatar I left in Sprite World proved not to be very communicative.
Nick and Cherry Scoop

Nick--I'd do yourself a favor and just go to Peter for a roller session before you start changing things about.
I can see where Dave's coming from with his advice using the GG needle for reference --but it also needs to be noted that the midget specs there are different to your car. The engine is 10%+ larger the carbs are H2 compared to your H1----Also a lot depends on air cleaners and exhaust etc.----It may well be that with your engine spec that the GG needles are already a tiddle rich(or not) and going for richer needles for example could be heading in the wrong direction--Having said that though, because of the age of your needles/jets even replacing them with new will most likley give a different result. Otherwise it's a complete guess. If you're overhauling the carbs I wouldn't bother changing the needles just leave the old ones in but replace the jet tubes, then when you do go visit the rollers there's no need to go deep into the carburettor knowing the jets are new and should just mean changing needles to get 'the' result you're after.
It may well just need a new pair of GG---only the rollers will know.
willy
William Revit

Thanks Willy. I wish I'd thought of that. The jets were replaced by the first owner in August 1980, so they're just coming up to their 46th birthday.
Admittedly he did then take her off the road for twenty-four years, but after I got her I put a lot of miles on. I'll see if I can afford new jets.
Nick and Cherry Scoop

Nick, although I am living near Amsterdam, I also went to Peter B with your specifications. Afterwards it drove super and 18 km/liter!

Flip


Flip Brühl

This thread was discussed between 01/07/2026 and 04/07/2026

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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