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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - oil filter

I've recently bought my first car which is MG midget 1500 W reg, don't know the actual date of registration as some history is missing. She fires up and drives but when I rev the car some black smoke comes out, I don't know what the cause of this may be but someone suggested to change the engine oil. I've read a bit on-line on how to do this and have come across a problem, the oil filter on the Midget uses a bolt on oil filter and I cant seem to find one, all the others are spin on. If someone could maybe give me a link where I might be able to purchase a new filter or advise on how I could use a spin on filter instead would be very helpful.

Thank you
SMH Hasan

Hi

The oil filter on your midget should be the spin on type, there should be a threaded tube which screws into the block which then the oil filter screws onto. Often the oil filter is tightened on by hand but sometimes needs a bit of extra persuasion to come off, there are varying tools to do this but if you don't have one of these and are struggling to remove it, you can just stab into the side of the filter with a short Phillips screwdriver and use the leverage to turn it. Only do this after draining the oil via the sump plug and have some rag handy to mop up excess oil.

If you check out moss-europe.co.uk and have a look at the late midget/sprite tab, then enine tab, then engine externals you should be able to see and order both oil filter and spin on adapter should you require. numbers 41 & 46 on the diagram

http://www.moss-europe.co.uk/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=1376

To be honest though an oil change is not likely to resolve your issue, it is more likely to be worn valve guides in your cylinder head allowing oil down into the cylinders and then being burnt to produce black/blue smoke. Or possibly the carbs being set very rich i.e. allowing too much fuel through, though this would probably be accompanied by poor running of the engine at certain revs.

Hope this helps, but if you have any other info on when it smokes, whether it's black or blue smoke or any pics, post it up and we shall try to be of more help.

Dave
D Prince

welcome SMH,

you've chosen a great first car

although the Midgets from the 60s and 70s Midgets look very similar there are quite a few differences

for £8 or less you can buy a reprint of the original Driver's Handbook that you would have got when the car was new, it tells you all about the car and only needs a very few updates, it also tell and shows you the servicing work required for your car and is more accurate to your car than general web info - (Ref:0058) - http://www.mgocshop.co.uk/catalog/Online_Catalogue_Handbooks_5.html

there maybe quite a bit more to servicing and maintaining the car than you realise but most of it is very straight forward

changing the oil and filter is one small part and not one of the most important, but it's a good thing to do even if it's not the cure to this

much more important:
brakes, front rear, fluid - brakes are always
tyres, their age and condition,
steering,
suspension,
lights,
windows

the Driver's Handbook will set you up well to start
Nigel Atkins

I would echo everything Dave says above.
The 1500 engine has a spin on filter, below the alternator, which can be hard to start to unscrew but as he suggests a screwdriver stabbed into it will give leverage to make it begin to loosen if you don't have a strap wrench.

Black smoke is "over rich fuel mixture" smoke, which suggests an engine tune up is required, ie adjusted to run smoothly as per the book, not "tuned" to give more performance than standard.

Oil smoke is light blueish in colour and changing an oil filter would make no difference to oil burning anyway.
JB Anderson

SMH,
engine tune-up details are in the Driver's Handbook as part of regular servicing

even old thick oil in the carb damper dashpots could be adding to the smoking out of the exhaust again details are in the Driver's Handbook but you don't need as much oil as they put, one of the frew discrepencies, if you get the Driver's Handbook I'll let you have the few discrepencies/updates I know about
Nigel Atkins

Hi
Agree with all the above, but Nigel, are the windows really more Important than the oil, etc?
I assume that was a wind up!

Apologies but couldn't resist that one
Graham
Graham M V

yeap see (and be seen - lights)

you know some of these cars run for years with the same old dirt oil and loads more stuff that needs attention but if you can't see well out of the windows you crash :)

engine oil is the first thing many think about with and old car and as I've just put we know it isn't that important when compared with the things I've listed

number one thing to think about check when lifting the bonnet (apart from it dropping back down on your head) is brakes - if the car can't go it's fairly safe if it can't stop it's not so safe

engine oil is only important after the other stuff
Nigel Atkins

thanks guys your input has helped me better understand how to start working

I now think that it might just be a rich fuel mixture, I swiped my finger on the tip of the exhaust and found the left over to be more powdery than greasy.

I've also just received the haynes manual from amazon.

I will post some pictures of everything once I find my self a decent camera that focuses properly, camera phones are pretty much useless.

thanks again guys
SMH Hasan

Haynes for repairs but Driver's Handbook for prevention (of many repairs)
Nigel Atkins

This thread was discussed between 12/06/2012 and 14/06/2012

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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