Hi Bob. Welcome to the list. Yes, 1500's are on the list too. CHeck out
mine at the site in my sig.
As far as I know, all North American (including Canada) 1500 Midgets
came stock with electronic ignition, known as a Lucas OPUS unit. These
were known for dying,and in fact BL had a warranty replacement at the
time of a different electronic unit, the CEI unit. A Moss Motors catalog
will show the diference. In your case, your original OPUS unit probably
fried, and the PO (or his mechanic) replaced it with an earlier
distributor. Nothing wrong with that, as it is a direct physical swap,
though the advance curve is probably different. You could use the points
gap for a '74, as I think it'd be fine. For spark plugs you'd be better
off starting with the stock 1500 plugs.
I'm not sure on the orifice thingy - I removed most of the emissions
stuff on my car in the quest for more power. But on the back of the
filter housing, you're talking about the 1 1/2" tube? If so, this was a
heat riser valve. There was a round housing with a flapper valve on a
bi-metallic spring. One end wasa connected to the air cleaner by a short
length of rubber hose. The other end wasconnected to a heat-shield type
of bit over the exhaust manifold by a length of flexible aluminum tube.
This brought warmer air into the carb when the engine was cold to warm
up the engine quicker on cold days.
I'm fighting the left-lean too. I've replaced my rear springs, and am
about to replace the fronts. I believe the front springs may have more
to do with the lean that the rear ones. At least in my case, the car
feels stiffer when turning left than when turning right. But as others
have pointed out, the unibody can take a set over time.
Good luck!
-=Chris
Chris King
http://home.comcast.net/~kvcbk/
<-----Original Message----->
From Bob
Sent: 7/5/2004 1:51:29 PM
To: spridgets@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Questions on a '75 Midget
I'm new to the list, having just purchased a '75 Midget a few months
back.
I've putzed with the car for a bit and have a few questions:
1. Is this the right list for rubber bumper Midget 1500's ?
2. The car came with a Lucas 25D distributor mounted on it. Is this
standard for the '75 Midgets brought into Canada? (I have a '76 BL
Manual
and it makes no mention of anything but electronic ignition.). Would the
point gap and plugs be the same as the '74?
3. I have had trouble getting the car to idle slow enough. I rerouted
the
piping on the carbon canister as shown in the '76 manual, but still
idles
fast. Checked the choke and no change. I think I have it narrowed down
to
lack of orifices at the carburetor purge pipe and the carbon canister
(too
much air bypassing the carb damper) - anyone know the diameter of the
orifices so I can make a couple? Also, where does the pipe into the back
of
the filter housing go to (no mention of a connection to there in the '76
Manual).
4. The car leans ever so slightly to the left - how best to check if I
need
to replace the front springs or the rear springs?
That's about it for now (more to come I am sure!).
Thanks.
Bob
'75 Midget
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