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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Engine out

Hi
I have a 1275 RWA car.I need to take the engine out to sort out the engine bay and several oil leaks .I do not need to take the gearbox out but am reading conflicting advice about what is easiest to do engine and gearbox together or just engine.Any advice gratefully received

Thanks

Mark
M Teal

Personally I always take the engine and gearbox out as one. Can't face trying to get access to the bellhousing bolts and then to try and split the gearbox from the engine whilst the gearbox is still in situ. I would take the bonnet off to ease access. Jacking up the rear end can assist when manoeuvering the engine out of the bay.
Neil K

Seems everyone has a differing opinion as usual. :)

I can not abide removing the gearbox with the engine, it simply makes it a difficult task IMO, (prop shaft., draining oil etc etc).

I always remove the engine by itself. It is a very easy job and as indicated by Neil after removing the bonnet the engine comes out easily. The hardest part is to get the front pully over the chassis rail :)
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

I agree, I much prefer to take them out together. I dislike having to worry about inadvertantly straining the gearbox input shaft. I think it is quicker anyway.
Guy

I do 'em together for exactly the same reason as Neil, bonnet off , big angle on the engine with the crane, bag over the back of the gearbox or loop it on with a cable tie or similar, bring the whole lot out like a kind of weird birth.

Rob Armstrong

My agreement was with Neil, not with Bob on this occasion.
Guy

LOL.

Nah. Take the engine out on it's own, unless you have some pressing desire to lift high, and loose g/box oil.

Bellhousing bolt and nuts are easy peesy.

Why make extra work, unless you enjoy it. :)

Lawrence Slater

I did my first clutch change on a midget 30 years ago - engine out without gearbox - less than 6 hours start to finish.

I have tried engine and 'box together, but prefer to lift the engine on its own.

On my race car, the engine could come out in under an hour.

If you don't need to remove the gearbox, why do it?
It will add a lot of time to the job.
D O'Neill

Engine and box together for me. I tried it engine only once but it just didn't seem right - then it came to putting it back in and that definately didn't seen right!

If you've still got paint on your crossmember and you want to keep it that way I'd do it all as one. (you'll probably still remove paint from somewhere though!)
John Payne

This is like the tea or coffee question.

I prefer to remove engine only...(!)

A
Anthony Cutler

I've done both ways.

But

Engine only is my preferred method with the type 9 installed.
Bill 1

Ive done it both ways

Id say take alook at your tool collection...and decide based on that

Im in the camp of pulling both....as its a bear for me to mate the trans and the engine back togather when installing...but as robert says, we all have our own preferances

Ither way... They both have there pluses and minuses...its what you feel comfortable doing

Prop
Prop

Engine and box together!
It is easy and can be done in under an hour on a std midget with the bonet removed (clutch trouble we had done it twice already that day)

Engine only makes locating the inputshaft very tricky and I don't like to ruin that bush.
And engine only removal is tricky with a normal crosmember
Onno Könemann

Another vote for both!
not so much for getting it out, as putting it back in. I had a right bug*** of a time getting the input shaft aligned on a 1500 recently and took the box out in the end! 5mins later box and engine were one and straight back in no prob's

MGmike
M McAndrew

Mark, you said.
"I do not need to take the gearbox out -- "

I would say, if you DO need the g/box out, and you have the height clearance and a decent lift, then maybe both together. But only to save you getting under the car to remove the bellhousing bolts. Otherwise I can't see the point.

But if you ARE NOT going to work on the g/box, and or have less height clearance and or smaller lift, then engine on it's own.

Pulling the box means g/box oil drain, and having to refit the propshaft back in it's hole in tbe end of the g/box. Not a job I like much.

Mating the box and engine in the car, is as simple as pie. The engine hangs on the hoist, whilst you gently tilt the engine until it slides in against the bellhousing. It's all about placement.

But Like Anthony said. Would you prefer tea or coffee?
Lawrence Slater

That's settled then :0)
Gary & Gaps

Which is tea and which is coffee?
Neil K

Good question.

Before 2003, I used to drink coffee; so that referred to engine only.

After this, I went on to tea only (Early Grey); so now tea refers to engine only.

Hope that's clear. Make sure you don't get it the wrong way round.

A
Anthony Cutler

And would you like decaff and or full cream or black? lol.
Lawrence Slater

Sorry I only drink tea and for me that says engine and box.
Several flavours though lapsang ceylon asam etc
Onno Könemann

Now I've had my lunch it is Tea!
Engine only is my preference unless you want the gearbox out as well then take them out together.
The gearbox input shaft is no more difficult to locate than the prop shaft.
Dave
Dave Brown

Uhm. I think next time I might try a cup of coffee then! Variety is the spice of life!
Neil K

Here's another option...

Even if I need to remove the gearbox as well, I still prefer to remove them separately.
Dave O'Neill2

An alternative method is to remove the vehicle (one sudden, determined tug) and leave the engine and box where they were.

A
Anthony Cutler

or leave the engine and take out the gearbox, but this I understand is a lot more tricky.
Gary & Gaps

There's always someone who insists on hot chocolate!
Matt1275Bucks

Or Ovaltine in Ant's case !
Neil K

Now this is just funny. LOL.

Is this allowed on the technical side? :)
Lawrence Slater

technically quite important to me

I hate tea in a cold garage

but I don't hate coffee in similar circumstances

hot choccy not an option, not over keen ;)
Bill 1 :)

Easy: Coffee for one, tea for two.

Engine only is a one man job, engine+gearbox not really because it's quite difficult to push down the gearbox under the scuttle AND at the same time lower the hoist.


But with a little assistent.
You do have to trust the crane operator enough not to crush your hand, but as he is my son I trusted him...



Alex G Matla

Depends how much extra time you want to spend on that cuppa. Engine only is much quicker. You have to split the bellhousing anyway, so all the time spent draining and releasing the gearbox is extra work. Once did it in a field when the clutch on a fellow MG-er died in the middle of an event. Rope over a tree and a couple of helpers, done in no time.
Paul Walbran

And engine only means you can leave the bonnet in place, just remove the wiperarms for that extra inch.
Alex G Matla

Thanks for all your help guys.I will let you know how I get on,hopefully at the weekend.
As for the tea and coffee debate,never tea,always strong espresso before venturing into the garage,or anywhere for that matter !
M Teal

This thread was discussed between 15/11/2011 and 16/11/2011

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