MG Midget engine rebuild

[Fergie 307]

Not sure what benefit you would get from balancing the crank etc, unless you plan to tune it for a lot more power. In a regular use engine you probably wouldn't see any benefit.
One of the best things you can do is fit a Lumenition or similar electronic ignition.

 

[Cozzer]

.... (and change thrust washer pin - apparently it's a weak point).....

Oh yes!
After putting up with a screaming clutch for too long, I arranged for a new job fitted at a supposed MG specialist.
It's an engine-and-gearbox-out job as you know, and had taken a little while to budget for the cost.

The day came to pick her up from the garage, and to say I was gutted is an understatement - the screaming was still as evident!

They'd not bothered to replace the thrust bearing...

 

[RonnieI]

Is that a typo or what they ended up in?

Probably a melling pisstake!

 

[Tris]

Had a rubber bumper model back in the day. Local garage owner used to build rally engines so got the block bored out to ~1600, head skimmed and ported, and a high lift cam to suit. Uprated the diff too. Fast road spec I guess you'd call it. Great fun but totally pointless.
Sadly it rusted out as they do and couldn't afford a reshell

 

[meccarroll]

I like the Midget, I have a 1977 rubber bumper and did the clutch myself. I did have to take the engine and gearbox out but it's not that hard once you have the bonnet off. It's amazing how cars have developed over the years they are software driven now and far too complicated for the likes of me.

 

[Cozzer]

I like the Midget, I have a 1977 rubber bumper and did the clutch myself. I did have to take the engine and gearbox out but it's not that hard once you have the bonnet off. It's amazing how cars have developed over the years they are software driven now and far too complicated for the likes of me.

At the same time as I had mine, I helped a pal do his clutch on his rubber bumper 1500. He'd got hold of a 3 legged scaffold-pole affair with a block-and-tackle unit at the apex. Two of the legs just about cleared the wings, but it was a sweaty moment trying to persuade the gearbox to leave the vehicle! The "hoist" couldn't move, of course, so it was a case of rolling the chassis back and forth in an effort to separate everything!
We thought that was bad until we had to re-sling it a few days later!
Swearing didn't help....