Great Spridget Day yesterday

[Jim_Gruber]

Got Bugsy fired up yesterday and we went for a long drive. After working through a cruddy battery terminal and Bugsy saying I really don't want to go, Bendix Drive locking up due to low battery( always need to have that wrench handy for the starter in the car as you never know when it will act up)Bugsy finally got going after futzing with him for 10 minutes or so. All stuff due to lack of driving lately.

Got Bugsy out on the road and up to 75 or so. No sign of wobbly wheel syndrome any more. Road grooves did not redirect the car any more and Bugsy now stays where he's pointed. New wheel bearings definitely seems to have solved a lot of issues.

Weather 55 and sunny. With tonneau on and windblocker in place I was toast warm and in fact needed to turn off the fan. Looking forward to Spring and many, many fun drives this year. Put probably 30-40 mles on while droing errands and took as many fun curvy roads as possible. I love this car and why we tolerate the crap we go through to keep them running.

 

[Midget78]

Hey Jim. Im glad you got it rolling again and were able to enjoy the "spring tease" we had. Im up north here in Ohio by Cleveland and even when we get these spring days here and there I always try and spray the body and underneath off to get that road salt dust off. Up here when things dry out everything looks white from the salt residue that is left behind that likes to munch on metal. This may be adumb question but Im not familiar with the 68 Sprite, "What is a Bendix Drive that you referred to that was locking up due to the low battery?"

 

[Jim_Gruber]

On the starter is a little square nut that sticks out of the end of the starter. When you engage the starter the Bendix Drive is a screw that turns and pushes the teeth of the starter into the flywheel. Once the engine starts there is sufficient speed , spin force that enables the Bendix to "unscrew itself" / retract from the flywheel. In my case yesterday, battery was low and I had some issues trying to jump from my charger. Bnedix tried to engage and got stuck. This will happen to almost all Spridgets at odd times. Solution is a universal Spridget tool, a 6" adjustable box wrench carried in the car at all times.

Symptom, turn key, hear solenoid click, starter does not engage and turn engine over. Try again same results.

Cure, find the wrench stowed on the package shelf, open bonnet, locate starter on PS of engine right below the distributor. Square 1/4" or 5/16" knob, I think it is 1/4" sticking out of the starter about 1/2". Adjust wrench and turn square knob in clockwise several turns till it gets to be about 1/4" out. Now you can start the engine.

Issues with Bendix happen irregularly, this is the 3rd time in 9 years of owning Bugsy. Not worth the PITA of removing starter, disassembly and cleanup of Bendix Drive. A visual of how a Bendix works can probably be found by Googling.

 

[Midget78]

Jim, thanks for the information. I learned something new today. I have a 78 Midget and havent heard anything before about the "Bendix Drive" so I had to ask. I have actually yet to "see" a Sprite around where Im at and would like to look one over. I just met a guy a little ways away south of me that has one that hopefully I can look over when the weather breaks. I have that curiousity between the Sprite Model or the MG Model and which is the better of the 2.

 

[JPSmit]

I have that curiousity between the Sprite Model or the MG Model and which is the better of the 2.

No "better" here, just badge engineering. Initially the Midget had a higher standard of Trim but even that stopped. Best description of the difference I ever heard (on this board) was, if you are in a bar and trying to impress a woman, you're going to get further saying "would you like to see my Austin-Healey than, would you like to see my Midget."

 

[RickB]

How about: "Wanna see my Sprite? Or would you rather see my MG?"

:laugh: