I've just about completed my first 1098 engine rebuild and have purchased a refurb end rocker cover.
You can see my predicament the rocker cover had a breather to the carb and the tappet chest cover also has a breather.
Hi,
Both: I am now persuaded, since I only had one breathing point for my engine before, that two is better.
I would attach your tappet chest breather to your Carb and the rocker cover breather to the small metal 'nozzel' on the back plate for the standard 1098 air filter housing.
Also, if you are going to use the car regularly and for any long distance travelling, the fitment of an oil cooler.
The MGB 13 row oil cooler and MG Midget pipes (bought with a fitting kit) are a straight fit. I got mine off eBay for a quite reasonable price.
Though that suggestion may upset a few 'purists' on here, it is completely reversible, involves no welding and is (in my view) good for the engine.
Best wishes,
Mike.
NB: I have a MG Midget 1275 engine fitted to mine, so the 10 row Midget oil cooler might be sufficient for the 1098 engine. Perhaps someone more expert than me would be able to comment on this?...............
1954 Series 2: 4 door: "Sally" -- Back on the ground with (slave) wheels, now being sprayed by me, slowly......
1970 Triumph Herald 1200: "Hetty" -- Driven back from Llangollen in Wales (twice.....)
1952 Morris Minor MM highlight with sidevalve engine still fitted, wants work, so joins the queue for now......
Your engine looks like mine. It has the tappet cover oil condenser/breather. This connects to the inlet manifold (which is not in your photo) via a PCV (pollution control valve). You can buy a "Y" piece or "T" piece to connect both your rocker breather and the tappet chest breather via the PCV.
A 13 row oil cooler is a great idea IF you are going to be using the engine HARD.. If it's just for pottering about....then no. The 10 row cooler may not pass sufficient oil when it is cold/thick on a wintery morn.... I suggest it's too small...
Thanks for the info BMC, mine does some motorway work / long journeys, which is why I felt it was necessary.
I also have a 10 row Midget oil cooler which is nearly new, based on what you've said I'll pop this on eBay.
Your engine looks like mine. It has the tappet cover oil condenser/breather. This connects to the inlet manifold (which is not in your photo) via a PCV (pollution control valve).
Never heard of the 'pollution control valve' before, do you have a picture?
1954 Series 2: 4 door: "Sally" -- Back on the ground with (slave) wheels, now being sprayed by me, slowly......
1970 Triumph Herald 1200: "Hetty" -- Driven back from Llangollen in Wales (twice.....)
1952 Morris Minor MM highlight with sidevalve engine still fitted, wants work, so joins the queue for now......
The valve to give it its correct name is the Pollution Control Valve (PCV) Pt No: 13H5191.
It aids the control of pollution by allowing engine fumes (blow by past the piston rings and valve guides) from the crankcase to enter the inlet manifold and so be consumed in the combustion chamber. Well at least that is the theory.
If you have a well maintained engine there should be very little if any blow by past the rings or valve guides.
If you want to fit an oil cooler, I'd fit a temp guage first to confirm you really do need one. Also oil takes longer to heat up than the water in the radiator. If you do need/fit an oil cooler I'd also fit an oil stat as below to help things warm up quicker:
When BMC / Leyland fitted the PCV - it was indeed the Positive Crankcase Ventilation. Only later did the more widespread use of similar valves adopt the Pollution description.. Thermostat etc is a bit OTT... You could tape the cooler when not being used hard... Or - look for the water/oil exchanger that was fitted to some Metro models in place of the normal oil filter. This may suit your purpose rather better.
Last edited by bmcecosse on Mon Oct 13, 2014 12:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Most people have a thermostat in their cylinder head so an oil stat with an oil cooler is far from OTT. Look out, steep hill coming, must get out and tape my oil cooler up
The idea behind the suggestion was that it could be taped up perhaps in winter... I never did this -running a very essential cooler on my rally Minor all the time... But I do think only hard pressed engines need a cooler - and the water/oil exchanger is probably best for a reasonably standard engine..
I don't think a standard (ish) engine needs an oil cooler, especially the traditional air/oil type, unless a thermostat is fitted as well. Over-cooled oil is definitely not a good thing.
We have the water/oil cooler from the MG Metro, plumbed into the return hose from the heater (always on) to the bottom of the radiator. If you plan to fit one, the MG Metro filter head is too long and pushes the filter element out too far, so that it fouls the chassis rail. The standard 'spin on' filter head is too short; the oil cooler sandwich fouls the block, so a 3/8"/10mm spacer is need to allow the oil cooler to clear the block and filter body to clear the chassis rail. Another problem is that the standard filter head fractures after a while with the extra weight of the oil cooler sandwich, and probably the tightness of the sandwich (happened twice). There is a 'solid' head, which is much stronger, and was fitted to, I think, some of the later 1098 Spridgets, and this has worked very well.
With a water temperature around 85°C, the oil sits around 90°C unless the weather is really warm, and motorway driving, then up to ~100°C. On a track day it will go up to ~120°C, but that is well within the normal operating range for a fully synthetic oil.
I support IslipMinor's comments.
I'm running a '63 Trav with an almost standard engine, the only non-standard items being a 89C thermostat and the use of Wilkinson's 20/50 oil. For the last five years it's had an oil temperature gauge and I strongly urge you to fit one before you consider a oil cooler. From my note book I see that in an air temp of 20/22C after a "warm-up" of 10 miles to get to the A303 and then a further 25 miles at 50-55mph (true) I typically get a water and oil temp of 180F (82C), and in the same conditions at 60-65 mph a water temp of 190F (88C) and the oil at 200F (93C). I've only got the oil to 210-212F (99-100C) at a sustained 65+ mph (again true from GPS) which on motorway uphill stretches required the foot continuously to the floor. (As the engine's a bit of a oil burner/leaker these figures are with the oil at lot less than the "MAX" level. At the MAX level the oil temps are about 10-15C less.)
Of course, in ordinary driving, shopping, towing things to dump, cruising around etc where speeds are rarely above 60 mph I rarely see more the oil at more than 80C and in the winter I'm lucky to get above 70C. The problem with the 1098 is far more overcooling (with the internal condensation problem) than overheating.
With the 1275 engine which is a quarter larger and (presumably) at least a quarter more powerful and with the associated heat output all into the same radiator and same(?) sized sump, the temperatures will be higher and then coolers will come in their own.
Regard, MikeN.
Morris Minor, the car of the future. One day they will all look like this!
Little did I realize that just the mention of the word 'Oil Cooler' would start such a heated debate!!..............
Some interesting bits of info in with it though, basically I'm sticking with one on my 1275 but as and when I get another Minor with a 1098 (or less) I won't bother with one.
I will say that though the 1098 did run out of puff going up some hills at short notice (she climbed okay with a run up), she did manage motorways, cruising between 70 to 80, without the assistance of one. Although these runs may well be what helped to finish the 1098 off - oil consumption was getting heavy towards the end - though she didn't smoke (sensible girl)!
1954 Series 2: 4 door: "Sally" -- Back on the ground with (slave) wheels, now being sprayed by me, slowly......
1970 Triumph Herald 1200: "Hetty" -- Driven back from Llangollen in Wales (twice.....)
1952 Morris Minor MM highlight with sidevalve engine still fitted, wants work, so joins the queue for now......
