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77 Midget- ENGINE RUNS BUT WHEELS DON'T MOVE -help

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Felipe

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Hello everyone,
please help me on this one.I need to know if the clutch is bad or the tranny...
so the engine runs but when I put any gear in nothing move.Inside of the transmission I can hear a slight noise of friction not loud at all... I can shift into any of the gears without pressing on the clutch-??
This is my first little English car project and like said is a Midget 1977 that I got from a tow yard...
yesnod.gif

Thanks before hand any help is really apreciated.
Felipe.

[ 04-04-2003: Message edited by: Felipe ]</p>
 
Be sure the clutch arm on the bell housing (from the hydraulic slave cylinder) is not stuck in the "down" position. This could happen if the slave cylinder "froze" or the clutch arm is damaged. The affect would be the same as holding the clutch pedal down.

Also, be sure that the driveshaft is connected!

If these are OK, you will have to remove the engine and transmission, no matter what the problem is. It is likely to be the clutch, but the trans could also be at fault. Even if the problem is only a bent or damaged shift fork/linkage, you will need to remove the trans (and engine) in order to repair it.

Before you start on any job like this, be sure you have spent some time looking at an MG Midget workshop manual. They are available from amazon.com, bn.com, etc.
 
I agree with the others here... I would say that the clutch is shot, the slave cylinder is seized, or the transmission is toast. I hope its the slave cylinder, (so you don't have to pull the engine/tranny) but if you DO have to pull the engine/tranny, it will give you the opportunity to identify and correct a lot of problems at one time.
 
hi thanks,
it actually turned out being eiher the diff. or(an axel?)
I hadn't looked, to see that the tranny & driveshaft were both turning...
only the wheels are not??
I will probably have to change the whole back axel, right? unless is only one or both of the axels that are broken inside.
thanks again, Felipe.
 
If the propeller shaft (or drive shaft) is turning, but the wheels are not, the first place I would look would be the differential. (sometimes called the third member) I had one let go on me once. There are two small gears in the diff that tend to shatter when people try burning rubber. (I was young and didn't know any better.)

Anyhow, Midget differentials are incredibly expensive if you buy them from VB or Moss. (around $1,000 if I remember correctly) If you can find a Midget in a junkyard, or a differential on ebay, that might be a better bet.

I don't know about the availability of parts to rebuild the differential, hopefully someone else has an idea.
 
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