Bugeye maintenance

Tach drive jive

March 28, 2025 by bugeyeguy

Today would be a good day to take apart your tach drive gearbox and lube it. If they get dry and seize, here is a video of what can happen…

In order to prevent your generator from taking flight thanks to this newly-created propeller, simply remove the gearbox from the back of the generator, remove the screws to open the case, and pack it with grease, then reassemble.

*A strong smear of red wheel bearing grease and your gearbox is lubricated for many miles to come!*

If you are too late and find yourself with an inoperable tachometer, we have tach cables and gearboxes for sale in our catalog, as well as an upgraded electronic tachometer to eliminate the mechanical equation! Click the photos below for more information or click here for our complete catalog!

*Tachometer drive gearbox (all Bugeyes/Spridgets with mechanical tachometers)*

*Tachometer cable (all Bugeyes/Spridgets with mechanical tachometers)*

*Electronic tachometer (Bugeye through ’67)*

Getting ahead

March 14, 2025 by bugeyeguy

We’ve built a lot of cross-country cars that have departed our shop for a long voyage, and one of the biggest liabilities we face is the possibility of a head gasket failure. See the gasket below… this one came in on a poorly running Bugeye but looks like many we have seen before.

We’ve learned from experience that the union between cylinders two and three is a very thin strip of gasket material. I don’t care who told you that the fat head gasket they give you was superior, but if it’s only one layer, you really need to upgrading to a tri level gasket to make your head gasket bulletproof. For an extra 80 or so bucks, it buys a lot of peace of mind. Get one, other than a small up front investment, there is no downside. You’ll sleep better at night.

We’re building a tri metal gasket into every 1275 engine we build… It may be overkill, but it reduces stress. We have seen a lot of head gasket failures. We’ve never had a tri-layer gasket fail, so this is an important reliability upgrade to keep your car on the road! Click on the photo below to learn more and to order one today!

*Multi-layer steel (MLS) heavy-duty head gasket (1275 engines)*

Unbearable

March 6, 2025 by bugeyeguy

Watch the video below to see a wheel that rolls but also wobbles in and out. Wheels should not do this. These wheel bearings are calling out for help!

We see a lot of this. And it needs to be made right, so the car tracks and drives precisely, without slop in the front end and vibration at speed. Tapered wheel bearings are your best bet for this repair. They are adjustable and durable. The original caged ball bearing design is nearly guaranteed to be worn after 65 plus years. Do yourself a favor and upgrade to tapered bearings. They’re safer, and will help you get the most from the nimble handling of your Sprite!

Our tapered wheel bearing set replaces your old, worn, inferior caged ball bearings in your front hubs with modern, more reliable tapered roller bearings. These are a must for any Bugeye or Spridget! Click the photo above to order a set today!

We sell those in our catalog, you can find them by clicking the photo above, or click here for our full parts catalog!

Oily knee

February 28, 2025 by bugeyeguy

If you’ve been around British cars long enough, you’ve had oil leak leak on your right knee while you’re driving. A spotted right knee is a badge of honor.

*A leaky oil pressure gauge can ruin any pair of pants in a hurry.*

Our cars have mechanical oil pressure gauges, and that means that oil is pumped from the engine directly to your dashboard, and hence, this line is one possibility for pants leaks. Lots of the Sprites we see in our shop have plumbing issues with their oil pressure gauge lines. It all needs to be right or your engine can bleed out.

*This junction is crucial to a proper oil pressure reading, and to keeping your leg stain-free.*

Start with the proper fitting in the block. Then attach the correct right angle union to receive a rubber high pressure line. This rubber piece is vital so you have a shock absorber in the line. Then comes the correct copper line that goes to the gauge. Make sure to run the copper line through the correct hole in the firewall as shown. Best to have it in a rubber grommet so it can’t chafe on the metal firewall (they can chafe and leak here too!). The correct grommet places the line in a shared hole with the temperature probe tube.

*Both the oil pressure and water temperature lines are fed through this grommet (circled).*

*The location of the grommet in relation to the battery and other firewall appointments.*

That line connects to the oil pressure gauge, which brings us to the source of our leaks. That union has to be tight. A new line might look like it won’t go over the nipple on the back of the gauge but in reality you tighten the fitting nut to pull the two components together and they will seat perfectly (see video that shows the two parts after the nut has been tightened and then removed).

Get it right and your pants will thank you!

If you need any or all of the components mentioned in this post, click the photos below for more information, or click here for our full catalog!

*Oil pressure gauge union at engine block (copper washer included)*

*Oil pressure gauge line, block fitting to rubber line*

*Oil pressure gauge rubber line* *with clamps*

*Oil pressure gauge copper line, rubber union to gauge*

*Combination gauge firewall grommet, water temperature & oil pressure lines*

*Correct Bugeye/Mark II combination gauge with grommet*

*Later Sprite combination gauge, will work for Bugeyes*

The Stain

December 20, 2024 by bugeyeguy

Could it be a coffee stain?

Or perhaps a greasy rodent scratched his back on this crossmember?

According to our Bugeye forensics division, there’s more here than meets the eye. In fact, while I might have considered that neighborhood ragamuffins with dirty feet had been playing in this car, the marks on this cross member align a bit too coincidentally with the gauges above, and I am going with the theory that the car is the culprit.

This Bugeye (Stretch, one of two Bugeyes we lengthened five inches) is wetting his own pants.

These four speed transmissions are equipped with a tiny oil seal, which, when it fails, will allow oil to corkscrew out of your transmission until it reaches the gauge, at which point it hits the speedo and drips out around the knurled nut that holds the cable to the speedo, directly onto the carpet. Unless Jock (the owner) normally has greasy knees, he would otherwise notice a big spot on his pants from a leaking drive.

*This tiny $3 can cause a lot of puddles under your car (or on your carpet).*

*Our GPS speedometer eliminates the mechanical connection and therefore any risk of a puddle beneath your cable! Click the photo to order!*

BTW, this is one more reason we like the GPS speedo alternative… no messy cable! And please go out to you classic British sportscar and massage the back of your gauges to check and see if they are oily and you are about to ruin your jeans, your carpet, or both! Perhaps metal threshold covers are in order (see below)! At least you can easily wipe up the drips!

*Aluminum threshold covers are easy to clean and protect your Bugeye’s flooring from unnecessary stains and wear. Click the photo to order!*

But alas, a view under the dash on Stretch shows dry cables and no oil drips, so there goes that theory! The next plausible culprit is the last guy who filled the transmission! The transmission fill plug is suspiciously close to the inboard stain. Looks like someone failed funnel 101. Note, use a good funnel and lots of rags when you fill your tranmission from the cockpit!

*The only access point to fill your transmission lies under this rubber plug. A steady hand and many protective rags are important, otherwise a spill on your carpet could be in order!* (*Or pump in the oil from under the car if you have a lift)*

Anyway, we’ll put in a new piece of red crossmember carpet to eradicate this stain.

And that concludes, this week’s episode of “The Bugeye Detective!”

Hosed

December 20, 2024 by bugeyeguy

The picture says it all!

Make sure your brake hoses are fresh. Keep the fluid fresh too! Let’s keep those Sprite brakes in tip top shape!

People think that Lucas electrics are the biggest problem with Sprites and classic English cars in general… it’s actually hydraulics that require the most maintenance. Moisture ruins all the components, and age and light ruins the rubber. We recommend changing the fluid every year or two on your classic car, to get the moisture out and to keep the system clean and corrosion free.