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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - engine movement

hello all
in another thread [about gearbox bolts] it was said that their ommision lead to an engine lurching forward to such an extent that the water pump broke into the radiator. My question is this: Given a very original 1275 engine/gearbox arrangement [with all the bolts!] .. what is the maximum SIDEWAYS movement that could be expected. By how much could the engine rock?
thanks! dave
David Cox

David. It was a thick cored radiator we had installed just to clarify the above!

Andrew
Andrew McGee

that's reassuring [!] but my question still stands

Thanks!
David Cox

where are you measuring? the rotation axis will be at or close to the crank, so greatest movement will be at the top - rocker cover, air cleaners etc. Up there it will move a good inch either way with soft mounts. I note that new mounts are soggier than old original ones, I scavenge good used ones from abandoned projects, find them better than repro crap even if only 1 in 10 is usable...
David Smith

David,

How could you gauge it?
As mentioned in the other thread, my engine and gearbox are subjected to above average stresses compared to a car which is driven within the legalities of the road traffic act and I have not suffered any movement severe enogh to hit anything else in the engine bay.
I suppose that you could play around builing up layers of plasticine around the engine bay to see if any of them get deformed by movement of the engine and gearbox.
By the way, I do have two bolts which go through the side of the transmission tunnel (but I assume that everyone has those). While not being that strong, they should restrict a fair amount of movement.
Gary Lazarus

If you run a 45 Weber with a deep K&N filter, the outer edge of the filter cover will foul the sloping edge of the inner wing. I've cut a chunk out and then fabricated a shaped replacement to kill the hole; you need to know how much it moves to gauge how much to chop out. So you chop a small bit, cover it with gaffa tape, drive it and look for contact. Chop it a bit bigger, and so on. Or you can just heave on the head and see how far it moves.
David Smith

David

I have some NOS engine mounts which I bought from Roversport about 20 years ago. They have what appears to be a Firestone 'F' moulded into them.

Let me know if you need any.
Dave O'Neill 2

oooh yes please Dave, if you are going to Silverstone can you bring a set and find me in a pit garage?
David Smith

Ditto to David. If you have some more then yes please can I have a pair also!

We have about 8mm clearance from the distributor cap to the steering column (American Spec collapsible column fitted) and less than 3mm of clearance from the K&N filter to the inner wheelarch. We'll be fitting a Peter May Engine Steady bar soon, but it all helps.

Andrew
Andrew McGee

Me too please Dave - can I have them before Silverstone? Engine currently out and being rebuilt before then.
John Collinson

David, I'm not going to Silverstone, unfortunately.

Andrew, I'll be at Harrogate Exhibition Centre tomorrow (Saturday) if that helps?

John, I can probably get my brother to take a pair to Portloe when he is next down there...I'll have to check when that is.
Dave O'Neill 2

Thanks Dave

Was planning on working on the race car tomorrow sorting out the electrics, however one of the Dutch guys I (we?) used to race with in FISC has just called to say they are on a whistlestop tour of the UK and will be in York tomorrow so we are off to see them....

Now.... Harrogate is actually on the way to York (ish) from ours. So, yes that may be doable. If you can take two pairs with you and I could get the other set to Dave at Silverstone.

Not sure about the timings tho.

Send me an email on racecar_555(at)yahoo(dot)co(dot)uk and we can sort it from there.

Thanks

Andrew
Andrew McGee

thanks Dave and Andy, my ones will get to me at S'stone.
David Smith

Rubber Mounts safely transferred into our tenure till Silverstone Dave. Thanks to Dave for coming all this way up to hand them over :D
Andrew McGee

This thread was discussed between 13/05/2010 and 15/05/2010

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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