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MG MGA - 1500 Front Disc Brake Conversion

Hi all I am going to convert my 1500 to front disc brakes using the Moss conversion kit. Just wondered if anyone who has already done this could offer any advice.
I notice the kit does not include new wheel bearings or seals, I assume it would be a good idea to change these at the same time ?? Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks Paul
p anderton

Paul

Are you wire wheels or discs? I did my ww 1500 about 12 years ago without any hassle. One issue you may have is the length of the flexible pipes to the calipers. You will need to check you can get full lock. Otherwise you may need longer pipes or relocate the anchor post. there have been some reported issues with the caliper adapter plates although I have not experienced any problems.

This is my experience: http://www.mgaroadster.co.uk/mga_1500_disc_brake_conversion.htm

Steve
Steve Gyles

Hi Steve thanks for the reply. I had seen your web site and it does look fairly straight forward. The current Moss kit comes with new hoses. So would hope they are long enough. Looking in the WS manual I was just thinking the seal should be changed and maybe the wheel bearings. however I don't really want to fit new cheap imported bearings if mine are a better make. Or I will try and find a good supplier. What do you think?
Thanks Paul
p anderton

front bearings rarely seem to wear out, but I would always replace a seal when its is easy to get at because of other work
dominic clancy

Forgot to say I'm on wire wheels and the kit contains the MGB callipers. I might wait and see what the bearings seem like. Yes it does make sense to change the seal. Are there any that are better than others?
p anderton

Paul

As Dominic said the bearings seem to hold up well. I just transferred them across to the new hubs and fitted new seals. I did mine before Moss had put their kit together as a package. I sourced all the stuff (probably same supplier as Moss or may have been Moss parts) from Bob West.

As an aside, I had an issue with Moss a few years back when they 'nicked' my photos from my website for their instruction PDF without the courtesy of asking! I would have been delighted for them to be used but it would have been nice to have been asked first. All resolved now, but they did a bit of grovelling at the time. They have since taken their own piccies!

Steve
Steve Gyles

Thanks. Do you think there is any benefit buying the seal from Bob West or are all suppliers selling the same stuff?
p anderton

Paul A

I won't go into the detail again but there are previous discussions on the site at least one of which is recent

What I would say is talk to Bob West about the whole project before you buy anything. There are various options, and the 'whether it is worth it anyway' question.

Paul D
Paul Dean

I didn't do a disc conversion, but I installed the hubs/bearings/seals new recently. The bearings ARE quite durable, but I had to cut one of the inner bearings up in place, and remove it in pieces. A picture of the bearing stuck on my spindle can be seen on Barney's site.

I used a set of new condition splined hubs that my dad bought nearly 3 decades ago but never used, and new bearings and seals from Moss. I had a problem with the new style rubber coated seals that seem to be sold for every application these days... I would drive it into place in the hub, and they would just push back out on their own. It was the damndest thing.

I wound up cleaning the surfaces very well with brake cleaner on a rag, and then gluing the seals into place with RTV, leaving the assembly clamped between a piece of plywood, and a plastic disc from the seal driving kit over night to cure. Seems to have worked, and the seals stayed in place. The original style of seal had a non rubber coated metal outer shell, and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have had that problem with them.

Barney has some parts interchange information on his site with different seal numbers, but when I tried to find any of them, I found they were no longer available. As near as I can tell, the front hub seal is unique to BMC applications, and the seal being offered by Moss, et al. is the only one currently available.

-Del
D Rawlins

Actually now that I think of it more, I bought new seals from another vendor, because I kind of beat the Moss seals out of shape a little (likely would have worked fine, but still) trying to get them to stay put in the hubs. But the new seals were the same exact part as the ones from Moss.

It was a little like playing "Whack a Mole" but with grease seals.

-Del
D Rawlins

This thread was discussed between 02/03/2015 and 06/03/2015

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