I have a stripped Midget!

[drooartz]

With big thanks to Jeff for the loan of the hub puller, I was able to get the rear hubs and backing plates off tonight. I also grabbed the entire handbrake assembly. With that all done, my parts stripping on the MG is complete. Still on the car is the steering rack, master cylinder, steering wheel, and a few odds and ends of electrical bits. I'm not taking any of those bits, so I'm considering it done.

Still have to get hold of the PO and get the rest of the bits that came with the car. It was a very interesting project, went from just wanting the motor/transmission to acquiring a couple of shelves of greasy parts for possible use. In the end, I took:

1275 engine and all ancillaries
H2 carbs and intake
exhaust pipe and manifold
ribcase transmission
3.9 rear end
2 axle half-shafts
front suspension and disc brakes
rear drums, hubs, and backing plates
hand brake mechanism and cable

Pretty much everything that would bolt up to a Bugeye without any cutting (hence leaving the later separate master cylinder). Thanks all for your motivation -- I'm glad now that I mustered up the courage to pull all the bits off.

 

[Baz]

Drew doing the happy dance!
Good job sir, I doff my lid.

 

[drooartz]

A few photos from the fun:

If you don't have any, go out right now and buy a set of the auto dollies. So useful--I've got the MG up on 3 of them, with a few 2x6 boards. Even without most of the suspension the car can still be rolled around. Very handy.

 

[drooartz]

My write-up of the entire removal process, on my website:

https://www.drooartz.com/index.php?page=36

I had a lot of fun, and learned a bunch. Now to gather the rest of the bits and find them new homes!

 

[jlaird]

Glad it was warm enough in the garage to do a bit of work Drew. Now you get to clean up all those nasty parts or wrap them goon in saran wrap to keep em till you need em.

 

[Bugeye58]

Good on ya, Drew. Now the fun <u><u>really</u></u> starts! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
Jeff

 

[Baz]

Now you get to clean up all those nasty parts or wrap them goon in saran wrap to keep em till you need em.

Blob of Cosmoline in the package won't hurt for parts that are moveable, have linkages or are scratched.
You worked so fast on that Drew, your creeper has flames on it! Cool.

 

[drooartz]

I'm really looking forwards to the next bits, since now I get to start cleaning and building new bits. The Midget has been good to me, but I won't be sad to see it go so I can have my garage space back.

BTW: Barry, I like your sig image!

 

[tony barnhill]

How solid is that shell?

 

[drooartz]

It's in really good shape. There has been some body work done to the rear quarters, looks like the bottom parts were replaced. I'm going to try to get it cleaned up in the next week or so, and I'll have a better chance to look it over and note any issues. Haven't done any real close inspection yet, since I'm not interested in keeping the tub.

 

[Steve_Lawrence]

Drew,

If the metal replacement looks like it was done properly, and the rest of the shell checks out to be in good shape, I'd be willing to pay a fair price for it. Weather permitting, I could run up your direction almost any weekend to get it out of your way. The Dear Wife even gave her permission. (I wonder what it is that she is going to want in the near future?)

I think getting a good body, doing all of the pretty work and then moving good parts over/replacing bad parts would be a nice way to do a restoration (or hot-rod if that's the way that I end up going). My '74 doesn't need a ton of metal-work, but it does need more than skin-deep on the left A-pillar. I guess what I'm saying is that I'd like a new body to work with , but I don't NEED it if someone else thinks that they do.

Steve

 

[drooartz]

I'll be looking it over this week, and will get some detail pictures posted.

 

[GB1]

Drew:

Great, that looks like a nice shell!

Patrick

 

[bugimike]

It all goes to prove: "A good donor car is a terrible thing to waste!" strip it DOWN!!

You did not mention taking the hydraulics (clutch and brake systems) I hope you did, you will probably find a use for them in the future. One thing I did notice in your write up that I would not have advised to others, though I've heard of many doing the same, is lifting the engine out using the valve cover securing bolts. They are a part of the whole valve-rocker assembly, which is bolted to the head with rather thin studs. While it will work, damage to the whole rocker assembly could result. I prefer to use the forward exhaust manifold stud on the left (carb) side and the top,right rear bellhousing bolt on the right rear of the engine.

 

[drooartz]

I took the brakes and the clutch slave cylinder, but not the master. That won't fit in a bugeye without some cutting, and I've made a hard and fast rule about no cutting. Took pretty much everything else, though...

And I wouldn't do the valve cover bolts again. Don't think I broke anything, but it's certainly possible. By the time I was really getting nervous about it, the engine was 1/2 way out, and I had to finish up.

 

[Trevor Jessie]

I use the cover bolts all the time. Never had a bent one yet or any other problem.

...wait, did I just jinx myself?

 

[ncbugeye]

Estimate the compression force required to compress one of the valve springs by hand. Multiply by 8, and add a major fudge factor to take account of the rapid compression and decompression of the springs when the engine is running at about 5500rpm in third, then add in the flexing of the rocker shaft and the heat, and the fact that all this goes on for hours at a time.

All those added/multiplied together easily exert more force on the rocker shaft studs than the static 350lbs or so that the engine/gearbox weighs as you slowly and carefully winch it out over a period of, say, 20 minutes.

ncbugeye's PO left me one example (normally you'd need two) of the BL standard bracket, I'll post a picture tomorrow.