Curiosity and all that...............

[jagnut66]

Hi,
Well I was warned by another member that if the engine tap at the back of my 948 engine didn't release water when turned on that it would be a head off job to unblock the waterways and so it was.
On the plus side whilst I was cleaning up bits with the wire brush I discovered the engine number under the rust:
9MUH353597[frame][/frame]
It was suggested that this was an Austin engine because it had a mechanical fuel pump fitted (since blanked off and sold), other than confirming it's a 948 engine if anyone can decipher the number further I'd be interested to know, it appears to have been originally painted red, if that means anything??
Unblocking the waterways involved a long drill bit and a hand auger through the hole at the side where the tap connects, it took a while but I got there and flushed it through. After some cleaning out and freeing up the tap seems to work and seal up again too, so it went back on, though I have a new replacement put to one side in case.
Although, like others on here, I'm not too impressed with the quality of some modern parts. The tap on the bottom of my radiator was seized up but I had a new one, so I undid the old one and put it on the bin pile, wound in the new one, opened and closed the tap mechanism a couple of times to see it worked okay and....... snap!!
[frame][/frame]
Faced with no other choice I removed the new one, retrieved the old one, put it in a vice, tapped it with the hammer to free it up, then hammered the turning handle flat / straight (as it was distorted when on the car - another reason I assumed it was knackered and just replaced it) and tried it, it turned and moved freely once again, I then jetted it with water to clean it out and refitted it. After all that abuse the old 'knackered' one now works a treat.......
.... they don't make them like they used to!!
Unfortunately one thing I cant fix with a hammer and some elbow grease is my exhaust manifold.
This is the curiosity part. In my wisdom I decided to undo the two halves of my manifold, for those not aware the manifold on earlier cars separates, inlet and exhaust. I did this firstly out of curiosity, secondly I thought it would be easier to remove as two separate items and I could (and have) keep the carb and inlet manifold together and put to one side, rather than dismantle it, as the carb has been recently rebuilt / refurbished.
The first two studs cam out easily, which I thought was a good omen....the second two snapped! And too close to the manifold body to be easily extracted!!
[frame][/frame][frame][/frame]
Anybody got a spare exhaust manifold with studs??.....

While I had it all apart I have replaced the water pump, the engine had been cooled by plain water, hence all the rust and crud, I intend to properly flush it through with Holts two part cleaner, which I have used before and find works a treat, before refilling with the appropriate anti-freeze. I'm then fitting a new thermostat (there was nothing under the housing by the way) under a new housing which has a hole in the top for a sensor for a temp gauge.
Something that surprised me is that there is no hole in the engine block for a temp sender on these engines.
I had expected the old water pump to be thoroughly rusty and worn out but again the old parts surprised me. It is actually in quite good condition and cleaned up rather well, also the pump rotated smoothly and without any slack or wobble, so it has been reprieved and gone into my spares stock. One odd thing though, it seems to have some sort of adjuster (?) screw on top.
Is this the original pump, surely not? [frame][/frame][frame][/frame]
Finally a small memento of it's time in Tasmania, Australia, the manufacturers stamp on the radiator......[frame][/frame]
I have treated the radiator to a repaint but will be sad when it finally comes time to replace it, as I will loose this but these things are cheaper to replace than rebuild.

[POMMReg]

c10/59 948cc HC.

Looks like head has been skimmed - flush engine ID plate rivets flush - though cannot explain the "red".

Certainly, some sumps on late APHM & early APJM units were "red".

Mechanical or electrical fuel pumps another area needing work in book!

Hope this helps.

[RobThomas]

Interesting that one head stud is also red. Maybe painted red after a chem dip and rebuild?

Also, wasn't there a rule down under that engine blocks had to be stamped into the block rather than having a flimsy ali tab riveted on?

The screw on the pump is a blanking device for the greasing port. The sidevalve had a similar item on it.

[ManyMinors]

c10/59 948cc HC.

Looks like head has been skimmed - flush engine ID plate rivets flush -

The engine number is on the block, not the head. The reason the number is stamped into the block and the original plate and rivets removed, is that it is an Australian car and it was a requirement in Australia that car bodies and engines had a more permanent stamped number rather than a removable plate.

[RobThomas]

I guess he means "block skimmed" which would explain why the rivets had been cut off. Seems a bit crazy to rivet a plate on and then have it cut off but maybe that's what they did?

Did the engines in CKD cars come assembled or in pieces?

[jagnut66]

c10/59 948cc HC

If I understand your information correctly then: c10/59 means the engine dates to roughly October 1959 and HC = high compression unit?
Or am I completely wide of the mark??...........

I have the engine number listed as not known on my current log book and the engine size still states 803cc, whoever imported it obviously didn't look for an engine number or assumed it lost.
I am tempted to inform the DVLA of the correct details as I'd like them to show on the log book, however now we can no longer deal with a human being I am concerned I'll be opening a whole can of worms and end up with a Q plate.............
Thanks for your replies.
Best wishes,
Mike.

[ManyMinors]

Did the engines in CKD cars come assembled or in pieces?

I believe that the engines were complete, painted and ready to fit The engine number plate and rivets was removed in Australia and the number stamped in instead.
On some models, the engine was then repainted a different colour as well - a pale metallic green on the Mini for example - on top of the usual BMC engine green that we're familiar with.

[POMMReg]

Apols, I should have noticed the Oz link, 2/60 not 10/59!!

The engine number has been copied from an Australian "compliance" plate - excess usage of "/" - so whoever did the stamping....didn't go by the engine ID plate.

Rough guesstimate;

FB51 8/7*****/07***?or FA51 8/7*****/11***?

Chris

[oliver90owner]

the second two snapped! And too close to the manifold body to be easily extracted!! 

Removal and repair should not present too much of a problem to a competent diy-er or machinist. Might be easier and possibly cheaper to replace. Not easy to extract, if they have been well heated. I would not recommend centre drilling and use of extractor screws - they will remove 'easy'broken off studs but not very tight threaded ones - as a broken extractor makes the job much more difficult.

[jagnut66]

Removal and repair should not present too much of a problem to a competent diy-er or machinist.

These are well and truly heated / rusted into place.

Apols, I should have noticed the Oz link, 2/60 not 10/59!!

The engine dates to February 1960 then. Please can you interpret your last cipher for me though:

FB51 8/7*****/07***?or FA51 8/7*****/11***?

I don't have a clue what this means......................
..................... failed my secret agent course you see..................
Many thanks,
Mike.

[POMMReg]

On a standard "Cowley" Minor of that vintage it will have an oval 2 cell chassis plate, upper (number stamped neatly to the right) and below SEE ENGINE.

Engine nos. stamped as 9M-U-H 355***.

However, Australian CKD Minor's continued to stamp engine numbers ON their "Compliance Plate" - but in the format shown in your illustration - which suggests whoever did the stamping copied it from an Oz CKD chassis plate.

Is it an Australian CKD Minor?

[jagnut66]

Is it an Australian CKD Minor?

Hi,
There are a few items on it with 'made in Australia' on plus the Australian MOWOG stamp on the radiator, so my fealing (and I'm not an expert on the CKD topic by any means) would be yes.
Best wishes,
Mike.