MG midget engine questions

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wayno
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MG midget engine questions

#1

Post by wayno » Thu Mar 12, 2015 6:14 pm

Does anyone on here know about the MG midget 1500 engine(Triumph engine)?
I have one that threw it's thrust washers, and I would like to put another set in it, but I really have never done this before, and I need to understand how to do it, and need to know what to look for when I take the center main cap off(I think that is where they are), I need to understand what damage could have occurred when they were thrown.
Anyone have one they have worked on?
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Re: MG midget engine questions

#2

Post by DRIVEN » Fri Mar 13, 2015 4:52 am

My parents had Spitfires when I was a kid but I never worked on them. I remember them being super reliable but not all that powerful. I did some poking around online and it seems that thrust failure is really common and sometimes they get spit out since the thrusts aren't part of the main shell. Doesn't seem that it's a complicated repair -- just some measuring to get the clearances right. Looks like they come in oversizes to compensate for wear. Only possible complication would be damage to the crank.

I'm probably not telling you anything you don't already know.
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Re: MG midget engine questions

#3

Post by wayno » Fri Mar 13, 2015 12:50 pm

DRIVEN » Fri Mar 13, 2015 5:52 am wrote:My parents had Spitfires when I was a kid but I never worked on them. I remember them being super reliable but not all that powerful. I did some poking around online and it seems that thrust failure is really common and sometimes they get spit out since the thrusts aren't part of the main shell. Doesn't seem that it's a complicated repair -- just some measuring to get the clearances right. Looks like they come in oversizes to compensate for wear. Only possible complication would be damage to the crank.

I'm probably not telling you anything you don't already know.

I figured out that I could likely just put another set of thrust washers in if there is no damage to the crank, but I bet there is damage, as one of the washers got really hot, and the other is beat to shit.
Image
I will probably put the engine on the stand today and look at it closer.
I really don't know which main to remove yet either, I need to find a photo of the engine that shows all the parts, I have not found one yet.
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Re: MG midget engine questions

#4

Post by DRIVEN » Fri Mar 13, 2015 4:59 pm

Probably the one with the big gaps on both sides :rofl: .

Keep us posted.
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Re: MG midget engine questions

#5

Post by wayno » Sat Mar 14, 2015 9:08 am

I ordered a set of stock trust washers yesterday, they said I should get them Tuesday, I will install them and see how much end play I have and then figure out what size I really need, it's only 12 dollars shipped, so I just went for it.
If I cannot get this to start and run cheaply, then I will pull it apart and sell what I can, and scrap the rest, if I can get it running, then I will install it in this.
Image
“The difference between genius and stupidly is that genius has its limits” Albert Einstein

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