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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - 1275 clutch

Is the pressure plate for the 1275 5 speed conversion the same as the standard 4 speed pressure plate but with the thrust pad taken off?
R Mcknight

I'd like to know this also as preparing to fit type 9 shortly.

Did you use a hybrid friction plate?

Rob
Rob aka MG Moneypit

Yes bought a new friction plate from Morris Minor Centre in Birmingham, but had a new pressure plate sitting in garage so cut the pad off and fitted the clutch. Just want to confirm before I fit it all back.
R Mcknight

Hi
Use the 1275 standard pressure plate / cover.

If using a carbon thrust retain the thrust pad.
If using a roller thrust remove the thrust pad.
If using a carbon thrust remove the imput shaft tube back as far as the oil seal.(dont damage the seal unless replacing which is a good option as is the gasket.
If using a roller thrust retain the imput shaft tube.
If using the carbon thrust use a pivot bracket with a single pivot hole.
If using a roller thrust use a pivot bracket with a slot.
Both types of pivot post should be available from Morris Minor Centre (Birmingham) Ltd.
Another system is a concentric thrust.
The driven plate for a 1275 conversion is a 6.5in diameter hybrid to suit the T9 splines. Again available from MMC.
Alan
Alan Anstead

Or use a 7.5" ford clutch.
Lawrence Slater

That might be ok for a 1500 or 1098 but not 1275.

I'm fitting a concentric slave clutch. Do I remove the pad or leave it on? or do I wait to see what clearance I have before deciding?

Rob
Rob aka MG Moneypit

Rob
No experience of concentric so cant help.
Alan
Alan Anstead

Thanks Alan, I'll trial fit and see how much clearance I have before deciding.

Anyone else got a concentric, maybe the Burton one?

Rob
Rob aka MG Moneypit

Simple instructions for concentric :)

remove guide tube from gearbox input shaft *

remove pressure pad from diaphragm

bolt it all together nicely

Always new seals on gearbox

*you have to in order to fit the clutch concentric unit




"There are many ways to skin the concentric cat grasshopper, I think they are all good"

Your own build or Burton's build, it will be a good idea well executed
bill l

"That might be ok for a 1500 or 1098 but not 1275"

Were you answering me Rob?

I've got a 7.5" ford clutch mated to a 1275 in mine. I also use a burton concentric slave. Can't supply a picture yet, as didn't take one back in 1990 when it went in. But I seem to recall someone here having the same thing, and having a pic of it. Maybe Arie?
Lawrence Slater

Here you go.

Courtesy of Brad1380.

You need to drill the flywheel for the different bolt positioning, and maybe skim it too. Peter May can supply this I believe, but no doubt it can be done in plenty of other places too.


Lawrence Slater

And if using a concentric, use locktight on the mounting bolts. That's right, isn't it Bill?
Guy Weller

Shhhhh!
Dave O'Neill 2

Sorry, Lawrence. Should have looked more closely at the last word (clutch) which I read as plate.

Yes, modifying the flywheel to take a Ford clutch assembly was one of my considerations but I decided on the easy approach. Buy a hybrid clutch plate.

Rob
Rob aka MG Moneypit

Guy, I concur...............

(Wanders off muttering into his can of Irn-Bru, staring randomly to left, right and occasionally, behind)






blankblankblank................

A clutch plate you can to buy from only one place when you need it?

Has some drawbacks but when you are stranded in France, not wanting the French garagiste to fix it for money up front it might be a favourite ploy.
bill l

Or track down the mythical 6.5" clutch with the 25.4mm x 23 spline which has been mentioned before as bought off the shelf at a factor but whose actual application seems to have never been named so still illusive. Certainly no mention of such in the QH clutch catalogue.

Of course the QH catalogue is not definitive as it doesn't mention the early Ford Escort 165mm clutch plate with 19mm x 17 spline which I used when fitting a 4 speed Ford box to my A series with 6.5" diaphragm clutch cover. It does list such a beasty though for smaller Fiestas.
David Billington

Thanks Alan , Good useful info , One thing I did notice is that the Clutch friction plate looks to be made of thinner gauge metal than the standard Sprite. Also the Sprite has 4 fairly thick radial cushioning springs but the conversion plate has 6 weedy looking springs. Don't know if that's a bad thing or not.

Also any other source for the roller thrust apart from Morris Minor centre Birmingham?
R Mcknight

Peter May sells them too

Nothing wrong with the clutch take up on my MMC clutch plate, I think the total sprung cushioning effect won't be much different.

My old MMC plate was subjected to some seriously bad malpractice before it tore apart.

I was happy to put another one back in.

After searching Birmingham's store of garages and spares shops that owed me favours for the 'mythical' 6.5 inch one...
bill l

The "mythical" clutch plate was mine So as far as I am concerned whatever it is, it isn't mythical as it has served now for over 60,000 miles. It was produced for me by a helpull motor factor opening a series of boxes until he produced the one. My total failure was not to establish exactly what it was designated for at the time. I was just pleased to take what was offered. I do know that it was just slightly oversized as when offered up to the flywheel it was larger then the surface polished by the previous 1275 plate. It still (obviously) cleared the clutch cover.

I have in the back of my mind that the Avenger plate also fits, and as these must by now be pretty scarce as NOS maybe that is what mine is? But I have a never seen discussion here by anyone who has used that one either!

If or rather, when, mine needs replacing I won't be wasting time but will just go straight to MMC and pay up!
Guy Weller

Guy I coudnt find an Avenger plate separately to get a test fit

Mythology beckoned from then for me

:)
bill l

The Avenger plate I have is 7.1/2 inches diameter, or at least it was until my friend Steve Kiel turned a bit off it on his lathe so it would fit my 7.1/4 inch 1098 clutch. I bought it NOS from Ebay. The original one I got from MMC Birmingham about five years ago.

Bernie.
b higginson

At 7 1/2" that sounds too big even to fit as an oversized unit into a standard 1275 clutch cover - which mine is.
Guy Weller

On all the conversions that I have done or been involved with (10+)no one has complained about the clutch plate from MMC. That said I have no ideas re their usage or mileage.
For my own cars my Sebring rep is now 10 yrs old and given me no reason to complain.
My frog uses the same plate but under a stock 948 cover again with no complaint but it is a more recent conversion and its mileage is lower. Both use carbon thrusts.
Alan
Alan Anstead

There are quite a few currently on Ebay. Both the ones I have used have been 7.1/2 inches. I didn't think there was (is) another size because all the listings I have seen say that it is suitable for various Avenger models and engine sizes.

Bernie.
b higginson

I wonder if this maybe like my Ford 6.5" clutch driven plate I use with my 1420cc engine, I remember it being early Ford Escort but QH don't list it in their catalogue I have. A brief search though does find http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HE1011-New-Borg-Beck-Clutch-Cover-Ford-Escort-MK1-940-1100-1968-1973-6-1-2-/151302626553 which is likely what I have. I can guess Ford decided to standardise on the larger 7.5" clutch for cost savings or increased clutch life. Maybe Hillman did the same and the clutch Guy has is an obscure early one which isn't easy to find details about. Further searching hasn't found anything for the Avenger so maybe this needs and old school motor factor with some old reference books.
David Billington

Also on eBay is

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Fiesta-MK1-900-Escort-1100-Mk3-clutch-cover-by-QH-Q10023-/221502997007?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item33929b820f

with QH part number

and http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HE1011-New-GKN-Laycock-Clutch-Cover-Ford-Escort-MK1-940-1100-1968-1973-6-1-2-/151297102944?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item233a029460

and http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-ESCORT-MK1-940-1-1-NEW-CLUTCH-COVER-PRESSURE-PLATE-/360877482810?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item5405f9633a

Rob
Rob aka MG Moneypit

But unfortunately, as eBay item

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AP-BORG-BECK-Clutch-Friction-Disk-FORD-Escort-Mk1-940-1100-68-73-165mm-Plate-/221489358759?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3391cb67a7

shows it is 20 spline.

So the search continues!!!!

Rob
Rob aka MG Moneypit

This thread was discussed between 28/07/2014 and 30/07/2014

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