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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Mystery bearing balls

I keep finding loose balls out of a bearing under my 1978 midget 1500 when it is parked in the garage. They are only little, about 1/8" or 3mm diameter. The car runs well with no strange noises, and it keeps passing MOTs. Has anyone any idea where they could be coming from? I'm guesing maybe the prop shaft UJ, as they are so small. Just surprised that there are no symptoms when driving.

Any ideas gratefully received.
Cheers,
Ben.
B Whiteley

Unless the '78 is markedly different from the '76 propshaft then the UJ's have roller bearings, not ball bearings. Also not rear wheelbearings cos they're too small (not done front wheelbearings so not qualified to comment on them!). hate to say it but maybe gearbox?

-Craig
C Robertson

Any idea of which end of the car they're coming from? If near the front then my guess would be the steering column. That's the only place I can think of in a Spridget where you'd have a ball bearing with that size balls.
Bill Young

I was wondering about the gearbox. Looked at the picture in the manual and the rear bearing looks like the balls are bigger than these balls. Can't imagine how any other bearing balls would get out of the gearbox on to the floor. Steering column may be a possibility as it had a new plastic spacer fitted last year to remove play in the column. I shall have a better look this evening and report back.

Thanks for the suggestions.
B Whiteley

Trolley jack ball-bearings?

A
Anthony Cutler

are they oily or greasy? Do you have a child that owns a BB gun? :)
Trevor Jessie

They are a little bit greasy or oily, but not much. No BB guns in the house, but I do like the idea of them being out of the trolley jack. Fingers crossed!
B Whiteley

Any bicycles in the garage?
Dave O'Neill 2

Ben, perhaps someone is "Gaslighting" you by simply leaving a ball bearing now and then on the garage floor for you to wonder about.
Bill Young

Ha... sounds like when my friend Bruce Morton finished some engine work on his son's Midget, buttoned everything back up, and was sweeping out his work area when he found the Woodruff key from the crank pulley amid the crud on the floor.

Gryf "You only THOUGHT you were finished" Ketcherside
Gryf Ketcherside

So that's what happened to the wheel bearings from my bicycle last time I had it apart! I knew that a couple of them flew off somewhere, but I had no idea they went THAT far.... Sorry about that.
David "always buy extra bicycle bearings" Lieb
David Lieb

could be cyborg robotic mouse turds...LOL


Prop
Prop

Could be from the lower end of the steering column.
tomshobby

Not sure about Midgets et al, but if under my B I would think detent spring balls from the gearbox. Depends how many you have found, in my box there are three.

Of course the securing bolts would have to have popped to allow that.

Not rolling off a bench/out of something non Midget stored in the garage?

Regards
Roger
Roger T

Mystery Solved. The ball bearings were coming out of the car crawler. Serves me right for buying garage equipment from a well known cheapo supermarket. Half marks go to Anthony Cutler for his suggestion of the trolley jack.

Thanks for all the suggestions.
Ben.
B Whiteley

Hi Ben

BTDT

Was rebuilding my box solo (left dismantled on my parents' garage floor for ~3 months whilst waiting for parts); came home/Sheffield on Saturday to re-build; needed to drive back to Malvern on Sunday.

So finish the job late Sunday pm (no manual to refer to) and was about to test-drive the car when I spotted a ball-bearing on the garage floor. Not what I wanted to see. The box shifted OK. Could not engage 1st and 3rd together; nor 2 and 4th. Had the right feel when shifted into gear. So went for a test spin.

Plenty of swishing noise in 2nd and 3rd... my brother told me this would go away (which it did). But still could not account for the ball-bearing.

Drove home OK, listening to every noise made my my car (and other peoples'!).

A couple of nights later a friend called and said... you b*gg*r: you've let my jack wheels leak ball-bearings. Much relief at my end of the phone.

He called back some days later to say his jack was leaking bb's in his garage before he lent it to me, so relationship restored.

So that's how I know about these things!

A
Anthony Cutler

Aye, there's no substitute for experience, as they say. Glad the box is alright. You don't want these jobs taking any longer than they have to, now the evenings are getting longer. I'm wanting to get a few things finished off so I can get out in the car and enjoy this sunny weather we're having. Not often we can claim to have the best weather in the country here in Cumbria!
B Whiteley

This thread was discussed between 17/02/2010 and 02/03/2010

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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