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 - front hub nuts...

Searched the archives and came up with two answers on size:

15/16" or 1"...?

I dont have either socket at the moment.

The other question is on removing the fulcrum pin. I removed the cotter pin that goes through it, but i cant seem to find a way to remove the plug on the opposite end to the grease nipple (which i have removed). Does this plug prevent me from unscrewing the fulcrum pin?
Rob McGeown

15/16ths - I did them just the other day!

Not sure on the fulcrum pin.
John Payne

Hi Rob undo the grease nipple conplete with its base part , and you will see the pin with a slot in it undo this with a wide flat ( sturdy )blade screw driver , some times they seize a bit of heat can help and the worse case is angle grinder , hands up iv not had a seized one but thers plenty in the archive s about the removel of these , hope that made some sense
Darren 2 litre frogeye

Rob, rear hubs, front hubs - it rather sounds like you need to be visitng the toolshop soon; don't go for a 150 piece toolkit containing 119 items you will never use, but just invest in decent quality in the sizes you need. There's a really good toolshop near the bottom of the hill going into Godalming - and I would have thought there should be somewhere in Crawley too.
As an aside does anyone know where aircraft engineers buy their tools from?
David Smith

David
All rols royce and GE mechanics I've worked with (including myself) use only snap-on. I can speak from experience; it's the brand that will be useable for some time, and then still......

Alex "aero derivative gasturbine for power generation"
Alex G Matla

Ah yes, Snap-On "You can't pay more for a tool"...
Not to say that they are not fine quality, especially if you are going to be making your living with the tools; just saying that perfectly adequate tools that will give you a lifetime of service with no complaints CAN be had without re-mortgaging your house. Dunno what you blokes have over there, but my Craftsman tools do just fine with a lifetime warranty when I have abused them beyond conscionable limits.
David "one Snap-on screwhammer" Lieb
David Lieb

I got to give my 2 cents...


Snap-on Is a luxuary, but you will need to do some hairy things with a beer bottle in back allys to make enough money to buy them.

years ago, there where vary good high end tools, MAC, S&K, Snap-on, craftsman, ect. then there was The low end stuff...Buffalo, Post 80s Stanly, mongoose, freedom, ect. alot of real trash.


In todays worlds tools have really improved, and de-proved, tools from Harbor friaght, lowes, home depot, Auto-zone, have really come along way in the last 10 years, yet tool quality from craftman and S&K have really fallen off

What Im saying is dont get caught up in brand names and spending a fortune,,,,there are alot of good quality tools at reasonable prices, what you really want to look for when buying is there broken exchange tool program...IE lifetime warrenty, can you take a broken 1/2" socket in and get it replaced then and there with no questions asked, or do you got to fill out a form send, get it signed by the reginonal dist. store manager, mail it to india, wait 6-8 weeks then call 39 times talking to "BOB" (who knew BOB was such a common name in india) and maybe in 6 months you will get your replacement socket (yeah,,,its going to be a 3/8"s instead of the 1/2" that you broke...but what did you think was going to happen.)

Prop
Prop

Pfff, if you brake a spanner often enough not even snap-on will supply a new one.

Alex"got lots of 1/2-7/16 semi usable spanners"
Alex G Matla

I do have a reasonable set of tools thanks. Just doesnt included larger imperial sizes, big metric i can do.
Rob McGeown

My tool box is 80% Snap-On filled and I have NO complaints about them, (just the staggering price...!). However, I have broken items in the past but NEVER had any problems getting them replaced straight away. I'm also very lucky in that our local Snap-On rep lives just down the road in the village, so an evening call for that odd size just isn't a problem....

Others that I have found good are of course Britool, MAC, the French Facom and the German Starwillie.

Mark.
M T Boldry

Right ive doen the archives to death on the Fulcrum Pin issue.

It looks like my fulcrum pin is siezed to the king pin as if i turn to fulcrum pin the king pin moves with it. The cotter pin is out. I want to spend as little as possible but may resort to new king pins. I will keep the pans as they seem fine.

Should i cut the fulcrum pin either side of the king pin and will this still allow me to remove the ends of the fulcrum pin to reuse the pan?
Rob McGeown

If the kingpin "wobbles" while it is still attached, via the fulcrum pin, to the pan, than the bearing surfaces in the a pan will be shot, and that will need replacing...
David Cox

To answer you're first post, Rob, you don't need to remove the wee plate at the other end. BUt you probably know that by now. Does sound like your kingpin & fulcrum pin are a touch too friendly, not something I've had to deal with. maybe fold the kingpin til it contacts the wishbone & use an impact driver (CHT101, ~£10 from machinemart) to loosen the bond? or would the shock of that fubar the threadform? Someone will have an opinion.

If you do end up needing new wishbones I've just put one of a pair of Barry King's uprated ones on, lovely!

As for tools, I'm becomming a firm believer in the Halfords pro range. Lifetime warranty on everything except moving parts (ie ratchet pawls). And given that your average Halfords employee doesn't generally care too much I doubt you'll have a problem replacing broken sockets, spanners,... AND they're open on a sundya which is always when these things break. Just cover the spanner with a rag before slipping it into the scaffolding pole for leverage, ensures no tell tale marks! The chroming seems sturdy, even after a front suspension rebuild its unmarked. The price is pretty reasonable but it gets even better if you have a trade card - I get silly discounts on tools esp. And no, I'm not in the trade! Just showed them a bunch of receipts from the motor factors.

-Craig
C Robertson

I have nothing but good things to say for SnapOn and all the other major professional tool brands. They're all quality tools designed for the professional and the cost usually reflects that level of quality. For home use I found that as far as sockets and ratchets go, the ratchets are where the majority of failures occur so I invest in quality ratchets and then use much less expensive sockets. They're so cheap that if one cracks I can toss it and use another. Usually a cracked socket won't cause any damage to the fastener or your knuckles like a ratchet that fails and slips or an open end spanner that spreads and rounds the fastener. I use better quality open end spanners as well for that reason. In the past few years here in the US there have been several tool brands that have been selling good quality tools at very reasonable prices. Crescent, Kobalt, and Stanley are pretty good tools for the money compared to Sears or Snap On.
Bill Young

>>> I have nothing but good things to say for SnapOn... <<<

Most of my tools are of the "SnapOff" variety... ;-)

Seriously, I've built up a basic set of all the tools I routinely use on the midget, and I keep them in a soft bag in the boot. I keep special stuff like hub pullers, compression tester, timing light, torque wrench, etc. stored in the garage. Much as I'd like to have a set of really premium tools, I've been happy with my mix of Craftsman and lesser brands. I try to use them sensibly, and I can't recall the last time I broke a tool.

-:G:-
Gryf Ketcherside

I like tools, especially Snap-on / Mac, i've spent a ransom on tools over the years, but i use them to within an inch of their life, sometimes a bit more..
Brad (Sprite IV 1380)

Ok so i bought the right tool and the hubs and stub axles are off.

The king pin has very slight forward/aft movement maybe 1mm or less.

The king pin itself seems in very good condition as does the stub axle, and when on the hub had no wobble.

2 questions:

1. What do i NEED to replace and
2. What would i replace ideally?

Oh and how do i get the disc off the hub? Bolts undone of course.


Rob McGeown

anyone? i want to get parts for this weekend...
Rob McGeown

Rob, where did we come in, do we know why you took it all apart in the first place? The 1mm movement between the kingpin and the A-pan, is it in the fulcrum pin threads or will a new cotter pin fix it?
Ideally you renew wheel bearings, brake discs and pads, A-pan and fulcrum pins, and inner bushes. But it might be safe and MOT-able as-is.
Oh, to separate disc from hub I place it studs downwards with the edges of the disc on two stacks of house bricks (wood blocks are better) and drive the hub out from the back with a suitable v large socket as a drift.
David Smith

Hi Daivd, thanks for the reply.

Its coming apart to check condition and replace what needs replacing. Has been standing out side for a very long time, plus 2 years in my garage.

If i can avoid it, id like to leave the bearings and stub axle/king pin assembly. I wll need new fulcrum pins - does that mean new wishbones?

When together there was little if any "wobble" in the hub.

Ill be doing all bushes and brake discs/pads.

Shall i just clean it up and put it back together and hope for the best?

The king pin is seazed to the fulcum pin (with the cotter pin removed), but i think i can free it to replace the pin.
Rob McGeown

Rob - the problem with the A-pan is that its female threads, that the fulcrum pin screws out of (if it does), can get quite badly corroded, so that your new pin - while it engages with the threads alright - slops about a bit. I've paid money for so-called reconditioned pans with this problem.

You won't know for sure until it's been taken apart and put back together again.

Grease helps, of course.
Nick

So it could be i just need a new pan and fulcrum pin then. Im guessing than as the stub axle and king pin are well greased and done show signs of wear they could be good to reuse.
Rob McGeown

yep a sesible approach..
David Smith

well its amazing how one side can be totally free and fine, yet the other wont budge. The LH fulcrum pin cam straight out, no fuss! I did notice that there were no sims and no large washer at the top of the king pin/stub axle...?

So for the LH its a clean up and new bushes and washers, for the RH new pan and fulcrum pin and hope they fit well cos i cant afford brand new set that are matched.
Rob McGeown

This thread was discussed between 27/04/2009 and 01/05/2009

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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