Bugeye maintenance

I always add oil, do I still need to change it?

October 25, 2024 by bugeyeguy

Yes!

Take the photo below as an example. This is an engine that did not get sufficient oil changes. You can see sludge and water that has lived in this pan for too long. It’s a great reminder that you should change the oil on your classic car at least once per year (and more frequently if you exceed 3000 miles per year). We’ve had more than a few folks suggest that oil changes weren’t needed since they add so many quarts of new oil routinely throughout the year (one quart at a time).

We took the pan off this 1098 engine to reseal it and add a rear main seal kit. We were surprised to see evidence of a history of insufficient oil changes. We published this to hopefully help remind the community that oil changes matter. We use Valvoline VR1 20w-50 non-synthetic racing oil, which has zinc additive in it to aid with properly lubricating the internal parts on these old engines.

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Hosed

October 18, 2024 by bugeyeguy

The flexible hoses in our braking systems are often overlooked. The original hoses had a herringbone-type pattern and haven’t been manufactured in many years, so we know all those should be discarded. They tend to swell from the inside and can block the smooth flow of brake fluid, or worse, can rupture, and then you’ll lose ALL braking power.

This one is an extreme example of what can happen if you allow your rubber brake hoses to age without replacement. Swelling like this will allow brake pressure to travel TO the brakes, but not FROM them, basically creating a check valve and making your brakes stick.

The hose pictured below had an age issue, and was also badly chafed.

Take a look at your hoses; they should at the very least be from this century! All the current generation of hoses are date stamped, and I would change them if they are more than 8-10 years old.

*Modern rubber brake hoses are stamped with their manufacture date. This one, being 21 years old (and also damaged) means its time for replacement.*

Should you need new brake hoses, we have a full range of hoses available to suit your Bugeye or Spridget’s needs. Click on the photos below to order, or click here for our full catalog!

*Brake hose kit – all Bugeyes/Spridgets with front DRUM brakes* *(rubber hoses)*

*Brake hose kit – all Bugeyes/Spridgets with front DRUM brakes (stainless steel braided hoses)*

*Brake hose kit – all Bugeyes/Spridgets with front DISC brakes (rubber hoses)*

*Brake hose kit – all Bugeyes/Spridgets with front DISC brakes (stainless steel hoses)*

Speedy

October 18, 2024 by bugeyeguy

Axle seals leak often. This is somewhat common with Sprites and Midgets, and they often trash the rear brake shoes, which dramatically reduce braking performance. As you can imagine, oiling your brakes is never a good thing.

This is what we saw when we removed the RR drum on 06. Oily brakes are bad. Oil contaminates the friction surface on the brake shoes and leads to ineffective braking. This is unfortunately incredibly common on Bugeyes. Notice these wet pads. No braking *to be seen here.*

When you change your axle seals, it’s critical to thoroughly check the sealing surface on the rear axle housing. This is the polished face that mates with the inside of the oil seal. If it is scored or gouged, your new seal will be chewed up promptly and you need to start the repair all over again.

*The red arrow points to the worst damage present on the bearing surface, but small score marks are present throughout the area.*

In the case of the axle above, the scoring is horrible. You should be able to see the gouges.

In many cases, these sealing surfaces are corroded or otherwise damaged. That’s where a speedi-sleeve becomes an essential component. This part effectively gives you a new lease on life.

*With the speedi-sleeve installed, Scoring is no longer an issue and the seal has a nice clean surface to contact.*

Above, you can see the new sleeve installed, which will give the seal a clean surface on which to ride. They are easy to install, simply slide the sleeve over the axle housing and rebuild as normal.

Should you need to perform this repair, click the photos below to order the parts you’ll need, or click here for the full catalog!

*“Wet” Rear Brake Shoe Rehab Kit (all Spridgets)*

*Rear Hub Speedi Sleeve (sold individually)(all Spridgets)*

*Rear Axle Brake Retention Screw (short) (sold individually, one per side)*

Thrown out

August 9, 2024 by bugeyeguy

Here is another installment in the busted throw out bearing chronicles… This car had a bad grinding noise when the clutch was depressed, and here’s why…

The throwout bearing fractured and fell out, causing the throw out bearing housing to grind on the pressure plate. We’ll put in one of our roller throwout bearings! That should last much longer. Check out the video below for more on Bugeye throwout bearings!

Be kind to your Bugeye Sprite gearbox

July 19, 2024 by bugeyeguy

I love old British transmissions. While the lack of synchronizers in first and reverse may dissuade some drivers from them, in practice, when shifted correctly, non-synchronized first/reverse gears are just not an issue. So what is the proper way to shift a Bugeye or Spridget transmission to keep from grinding the gears?

Excessive grinding over the years has completely destroyed the teeth on this gear. This is an extreme example, but it’s not uncommon to see teeth worn or missing as the direct result of improper shifting.

The easiest gear to grind is the unsynchronized first gear. It is perhaps reflex for some drivers to attempt to engage first gear while rolling through a stop sign, which invariably results in grinding. The fix is to come to a full stop and engage first. Alternatively, you can roll through while staying in second, which I do much of the time when driving my own cars. In the video below, taken earlier this year, I discuss a little bit about not only how to shift your Bugeye, but what RPMs to best shift at.

Another thing I have noticed from riding with a lot of new classic car owners is that they will sometimes accidentally catch first while shifting from second to third. The gates are pretty close together and the shift pattern is tight, and if you aren’t careful when shifting from 2nd to 3rd, grinding is the result. It’s easy to avoid doing this; simply keep a tad of pressure to the right as you push the lever forward, and the shifter will jump over slightly so it easily aligns with the synchronized third gear.

The original shift knob is a pretty accurate representation of how tight the shift pattern is on both smooth case and rib case transmissions. If you need a new original shift knob for your Bugeye, you can buy one by clicking the above photo!

The other cardinal rule is to be gentle with the shifter, and to use light pressure. With good timing, the gear box will almost draw the shifter into gear, instead of the driver applying excessive force. The goal is to shift quickly, but gently. Challenge yourself to be 100% grind free.

If your Bugeye’s transmission is grinding, seek help! Either your driving style needs a small adjustment, or something is wrong with your driveline. A failing clutch slave cylinder or master cylinder can cause you to grind in multiple gears, as the hydraulic pressure isn’t enough to fully disengage the clutch. An improper or worn slave push rod can also cause this, as can a bent clutch fork. Each transmission only has so many grinds in it before they fail. If you keep grinding, your gears will (sadly) come to look like what you see in the above video.

Of course, the best way to avoid grinding a non-synchronized first gear is to install a fully synchronized five-speed Ford gearbox, which has the added benefit of an overdrive gear for an improved highway driving experience! Click the photo below to order one today!

Should you wish to retain the original feel of your four-speed gearbox but need to fix or replace the gearbox or any other related component, we carry a full line of driveline components to get your Bugeye back up and running! Click the photos below to learn more about some of our products, or click here for our full catalog!

Brake line of the month

July 12, 2024 by bugeyeguy

More important than perhaps any other system on your Bugeye, the braking system is one that requires constant attention in order to operate at peak efficiency and prevent catastrophic failures. Nothing is more frightening than a car that cannot stop. In addition to the traditional shoe adjustments and leak hunting, there are other, harder-to-spot issues that can create just as big of an issue, like in the photo below, taken during a recent inspection.

Next time you get under your car, take a good look at your brake lines, particularly over the rear axle. On “Marvin,” the car shown here, we noticed a compressed segment, perhaps from an old tie-down strap that had compromised the steel line.

This small, seemingly inconsequential pinched section on this brake line is a prime area for a catastrophic leak to develop. A pinched hard brake line will also restrict flow, causing that brake to not function properly.

We replaced it for the new owner, to ensure optimum strength and integrity of this all important piece of safety equipment.

In addition to the pinched line, original brake lines (or even steel replacements that have been in the car for long periods of time) can become brittle, especially at fittings and tight bends, and are at risk of fracture. This brake line fitting broke off during its removal from a brake union.

As our fleet ages, it’s worth taking a serious look at the overall quality of the hard brake lines on every one of these classic cars from this era. The old steel lines are looking more and more corroded these days, and we’ve been changing many hard lines in our building. The kit that we sell works well to remedy this need and you can find it linked in the photo below. Our hard brake line kit is made from a copper-nickel alloy that is easier to bend and flare than steel, has a higher burst rating, and most importantly, is corrosion-resistant!

Our hydraulic hard line/brake pipe tubing set provides a full kit of copper-nickel brake lines to replace your aging steel parts! Click the photo above to order. Clutch hard line not included, but available separately. Click here for the correct clutch hard line for a 7/8″ slave cylinder and click here for the correct line for the 1 inch slave.

And if you prefer to have us rebuild your hydraulic system, please give us a call. We’ll be happy to retrieve your car anywhere in the country and bring it to our shop for a spa session!