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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Hydraulic clutch conversion

I know that it's possible to use either a saab 900 or a ford escort slave cylinder, but how is the fitment? I've also seen that burton power provides a mounting plate, slave and release bearing has anyone had any experience with that or even maybe this ebay item listed at 180592125455.

What did you all do?

Cheers
Alex
Alexander Sorby Wigstrom

I think everyone that has done this is using the Ford Type 9 gearbox, assuming you are talking about the co-ax / concentric clutch slave.
Daniel Thirteen-Twelve

Daniel, Alex has a type 9; he was asking about shortening the gear selector extension a couple of weeks ago.

Alex, I have the ford concentric clutch slave. Basically I turned a block of aluminium to make a mount that the ford unit then bolts to. I worked out the thickness needed by measuring the depth of the bell housing less the measurement to the clutch fingers. This then holds the clutch cylinder in constant light contact with the pressure fingers so that there is no lost movement as with the conventional set-up.

I believe that Burton Power sell much the same thing, with a selection of different thickness rings to build up to the total that you need for your particular clutch.

Guy Oneandahalf Sprites

Alex,

I suppose the short answer is there are books with this stuff in....

The Burton kit works very well though you might want a non-standard flexible hose length so buy the kit without the hoses.

If I could have done this job again I'd be inclined to have the 'feed' line from the master done differently. I'd have a bulkhead fitting in the bellhousing and hav a rigid line from inside the bellhousing to the co-ax. The from outside the bellhousing I'd run a short flex line to pick up the original clutch hard line.


Daniel Thirteen-Twelve

Daniel sorry if I were a bit diffuse in formulation the question due to English not being my native language :) But as Guy says I already got a type 9 soon to be fitted. But as of now I'm indecisive to witch clutch and which concentric slave etc. to use. And funny you mentioned using a bulkhead fitting since my brother suggested the same thing and I though it wouldn't be necessary and we had a rather lively discussion about that...Damn him for being right.

I also have that book (awesome book!) you've listed although I thought I might ask here which components everybody else who's done it used, since a students budget is always a bit short and the saab concentric slave I had and were going to use turned out to be well know for running a leak.

And Guy, Thanks again! Just yesterday I got home to my folks place for the holidays and it just so happens that this is where the magic happens, so I got to work right away. Your instructions for the tailhousing worked like a charm, although I were a daredevil cutting out a bit more than you did (a whopping 8cm!) and did the welding differently, all that's left now is drilling and shortening the axle and I think I've got an idea on how to do that without removing it from the actual gearbox :D

I've taken some pictures and think I'll post a thread here about the result as reference as soon as I'm done. (if successful, haha)

I'll also look in to that ford slave you mentioned.
Alexander Sorby Wigstrom

Alexander,

Take care when drilling the selector rod (axle) to get the angle of the hole accurate or the geras won't select properly. I drilled the new hole before cutting off the surplus shaft so that I still had the original to guide me.

The concentric Ford unit works well, but the difficult bit was making the hydraulic line connections to it. The incoming pipe is OK as it is tapped to a standard pipe size. But one has to remove the ford bleed nipple and fit an extension pipe so that the bleed point is outside the bell housing. The thread size for this one is smaller than standard and I had some difficulty in getting the fittings for it. In the end I used a pipe union off a diesel injector.
I have an idea that the Saab unit uses the normal pipe sizes for both inlet and outlet so that may be easier. Bill may appear in a while to confirm this.

I will send some photos.

Guy
Guy Oneandahalf Sprites

As Guy suggests I may be here any minute now

I used the Saab concentric and so far have had no trouble with it in several years

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16060787@N08/page4/

This link is to a flickr set that I posted about the trials and tribbles of the job, starts with the useless MG slave externally then shows the trial fitting of the modified Burton base plate that I got for £5.00 on ebay

Unfortunately you have to start at the last picture 'cos I havent got round to reorganising the layout

The Burton base plate is designed for the Ford style unit and has to be modified to fit the Saab one

Although I'm happy with this I would do what Guy has done if I were to do it all again, using the Ford parts
Bill 1

I'm not sure Bill. That pipe size issue was a major problem for me until I cobbled together the pipes off a diesel compressor pump. But other than that it has worked well with no problems in over 15,000 miles. Dead easy to bleed as well!

The other issue is the ratio - i.e. how much pedal travel you get. I understand that Bill's is very on /off not progressive. I wonder if that is down to the Saab part. Mine is quite smooth. Luck of the draw as I couldn't find any data to calculate this so just hoped it would work out ok.
Guy Oneandahalf Sprites

Think I'll be able to work something out from your input guys, also great with the illustrations Bill. Guess it's time to go scout for some parts.

Thnx
//Alex
Alexander Sorby Wigstrom

Mine is also a Burton-kit and works great sofar.
Had the hoses made on length localy.
Dont forget to get the brederhose stick out of the belhousing too for easy bleeding. ;)


Arie de Best

I use the Saab concentric, seems quite progressive on my car. No real problems with it although it's been replaced once as the seals wore out. No fuss with the pipe work, two copper lines out, then aeroquipe to the master cylinder.
Paul MkIMkIV

I think the lack of "progressive" on mine is down to the thickness of the spacer block

I couldn't get access to my mate's lathe 'cos he's busted it (No machine shop experience and he's buggered the chuck) and we're (I'm) waiting for parts

He doesn't buy new stuff, it's against his religion as is using t'internet :(

If I get on his lathe soon I'll shave it back to give the bearing a little slack and see how that goes

fitting the later type clutch master has certainly helped a bit with the HARD pedal though
Bill 1

Bill,

That makes me curious, what did he do to bugger a chuck?.

Does remind me of a technician at the tech college in Plymouth that told me of one student getting some machining experience and he engaged the half nuts with the lathe running quite fast and crashed the toolpost and carriage into the chuck. IIRC the lathe was scrapped, the student was let off for the rest of the day as he was in a bit of a state of shock.
David Billington

The worst I've done with a lathe chuck is to start the machine with the chuck's T-wrench still in its hole, after tightening onto the workpiece. The wrench was thrown down onto the lathe deck with an almighty bang, but no harm was done and I learned something useful.

-:G:-
Gryf Ketcherside

Bill,

I know I'm an hour down the motorway but you are welcome to use my lathe - fairly tidy 10" swing - or pop it in a jiffy bag and I will gladly turn it down for you.

R.
richard boobier

He managed to turn it on with the four jaw opened out to its utmost

One of the chuck grooves lost a corner and the jaw from there managed to crack off a corner of its thread and mangle the thread lead in

The chuck itself will still be OK but he is too mean to buys a set of four jaws for a while

The "new" price kinda worred him into almost a hair whitening... :)

Richard thanks for that, but no worries I will probably help him sort out a set myself. I need a constant "run over the road to scrape another 0.020" off again" capability

eBay can be kind at times

Mind you there are times when a 10" swing could be useful, thanks mate I may call on you one day

I now have what seems to be air in the line to clear out before Sunday week

Never ending story, should have used a new Master rather than relying on honing the bore out when I swapped the pedal boxes.. ho hum...
Bill 1

This thread was discussed between 21/12/2010 and 24/12/2010

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