1966 2 door saloon Milly restoration project

[panky]

Possibly the bullet connectors tucked down in the wing by the headlamp bowl.

[PhilAllen]

5V might make it glow a little, 12V (battery voltage) would make it work properly!

It’s not obvious from the photo where you’re connecting the meter to earth. It will either be a loss on the supply to the bulb or a poor earth connection. If the meter leads are long enough, connect the meter to the lamp terminal as in the photo and the other wire to the earth terminal on the battery. If it’s not very very close to battery voltage it needs investigating - I’d suggest the bullet connector of the green/ed wire on the inner wing is worth checking as a start point. If that’s ok, check the resistance from the lamp body back to the earth terminal of the battery. I think it earths back through the lamp body, wing and car body so there could be paint got in somewhere and spoiled the connection or coincidence!

Hope that helps.

Phil

[David JM]

Thanks Panky and phil for those really useful comments.

[David JM]

purchased a new side light base from ESM and it solved the issue, lights and indicator working fine now, the wires were a bit wild in the wing, threatening to catch the tire, so i bonded a nut end on inside the wing on the front step. Cable tied the wires neat and tidy. Seriously ready for the road now, I may start looking for the next project.

[mikec4193]

What kind of project are thinking about next??

Just wondering out loud...

MikeC

[David JM]

unsure, either a Willys jeep, Classic camper van, Morris minor tourer or maybe a traveller, mini van, or a Humber snipe.

[David JM]

I purchased two Dr Distributer Condensers for the spare parts box in the boot, I stupidly hadn't taken a peek In the 2 door Hardtop's Distributer, until today, when I showed my son how "when you are at Glastonbury next year, with a car full of mates, your car won't start and it's dark, raining and everyone is tired and wants to head home, his girlfriend Sophie is holding her phone light over the Distributer while Harry changes the old Condenser for a brand new high Quality Dr Distributer one while rainwater dripps off the bonnet down his back" , pop off the two retaining clips and ......oh.

[David JM]

During my first parade checks this morning, the radiator was bone dry. I stood and stared for a few seconds not quite believing what I was seeing, refilled with fresh water only and went for a very careful drive to get the pressure up to check where it's leaking from.


Popped the bonnet during my drive with the engine still running and nothing, no leeking, no sign of water. Looked good, but I was puzzled, why had the radiator been dry, for the first time since I owned it. Drove back home and checked again, same result, nothing, then drive it into my garage and let the engine cool and bingo, bad news but bingo, a hot water leak from under the front of the engine onto cardboard I'd placed on top of a oil drip tray.

[David JM]

checking through the engine bay from above it was clear water leaking out underneath, see pool of warm water in picture,


peering underneath the drips were coming from around the bottom edge of the timing chain case where it joins the block, but this image suggests it could be fed from above, the waterpump gasket maybe, also noted a oil drip down the right of the block I'd not noticed before, so maybe I have a multi gasket failure, odd, it usually comes out of the weakest link'


I may well be opening this gasket set after having it on the garage shelf for several years.


It's all come along at the wrong time, well it would wouldn't it, just when I have the Pickup off the ground and all four wheels off, typical...

[David JM]

went out to the garage after dark, with a torch, the heater return join has discolouration on it (1) and something I only noticed under torchlight, rust on top of the timing chain below the upper radiator hose left by escaping water,(2) and I did push the heater button this week as it got a little cold, this may be my issue, an easy fix if it is, find out tomorrow.

[David JM]

No, not that pipe this one, this is the heavy heavy monster pipe, the leakiest pipe around....

[svenedin]

Bypass hose very likely the source of the leak and would explain why the water is running down the timing chain cover. Changing the bypass hose is an annoying task likely to result in swearing and skinned knuckles. At a minimum, take the radiator out for better access. The silicone type hoses last a long time but they take a lot of force to compress when fitting (a strong flat bladed tool like a gasket scraper is useful). In fact the hose is the same internal diameter as heater hose which can also be used if cut to the correct length. The rubber concertina type are a good, easy in the field fix (because they squash down to make fitting easier) but they do not last long. Some people remove the water pump to replace the bypass hose but that can make even more work as obviously all the old gasket has to be cleaned off and a new one fitted which is not that easy in a restricted space. In addition, the heater return pipe has definitely been leaking where it meets the bottom hose. Undo the jubilee clip, remove the metal heater pipe and clean off the corrosion. Then seat it properly in the bottom radiator hose before securing the jubilee clip. There’s also some corrosion evident where the bottom hose meets the radiator outlet. A complete new set of hoses might be an idea!

Timing chain cover oil leak may just need the bolts nipping up but do be careful as the smaller ones are only secured by the thread in the front plate and easily stripped. The top timing cover bolts are impossible to access with the bottom radiator hose in place on the water pump so it is an ideal time to go all the way round the cover and tighten them all. Timing cover 1/4" UNF 6 Lb ft; 5/16" UNF 14 Lb ft

Stephen

[geoberni]

Contrary to the experience of others, my car has had a concertina By-Pass Hose fitted since before I got him some 8 years ago.

I left it there when I changed the leaking water pump shortly after I got him, as it was in good condition.
It's not leaking and I have a spare one in the boot should it fail whilst out 'on-the-road'.

The original one fitted seems to have been a concertina type; the original parts manual simply lists that as being 'unavailable' and gives a straight pipe alternative.

[myoldjalopy]

Yes, I had one on my car for a few years until a one-time, prolific poster on this forum warned that it was likely to fail one 'dark and stormy night', presumably in the middle of B-F-N. Having endured a few similar situations with failed rotors, faulty charging circuits etc. I decided to heed his doom-laden warning and fitted a more robust piece of heater hose. I still have the old concertina one in the boot though as it makes for an easier roadside fix.

[svenedin]

There are different types of bypass hoses. Some look as if they are concertina type but in fact they are solid and the rings around them are not a concertina but reinforcements.

There is this type which is silicone and long lasting. It is difficult to compress so not easy to fit:

https://www.morrisminorspares.com/cooli ... ps-p829657

Then there is a rubber "original" type 10M228 which again is difficult to compress and robust:

https://www.morrisminorspares.com/cooli ... ps-p829616

The easy to fit concertina type is thin walled rubber and said not to last long. This is the type that is a get home fix and best replaced when the opportunity arises.

https://www.bullmotifminispares.co.uk/p ... ds/12a1093

Stephen

[David JM]

a box of parts arrived from ESM this morning, a water pump and hose set.should keep me out of trouble for a while.

[svenedin]

That's a good idea. Your hoses do look tired. May as well do the lot and then no worries.

I have had a bypass hose fail several times. Only once by the side of the road. I carry an easy-fit spare routinely.

While you're at it give the radiator and cooling system a really good flush out.

Stephen

[David JM]

Thanks for all the information and support everyone.

I gave the radiator a flush with the garden hose, the red brown stuff was very much in evidence, all clean clear water going through now.


most of the old gasket came away with the pump, so it didn't need much effort to clean the remains off the front of the engine block.


the hardest and most troublesome area was getting the generator to swivel back up to tighten the fan belt, had to loosen the lower bolts to let it slide up to give the belt one inch of deflection.


I had to dip the blue pipe into freshly boiled water to get it soft enough to fit over the pipe, after it was heated it squeezed on nice and tight. More tomorrow.

[svenedin]

I don't know what your dynamo is fixed with but it doesn't look like the correct bolts.

Usually the issue is that it is difficult to get enough slack on the fan belt to change it because the dynamo end plate fouls on one of the water pump bolts. The solution to this is to slacken the dynamo bolts x2 and adjuster nut x1 sufficiently to allow the dynamo to move forwards enough that the end plate will clear the water pump bolt head.

The slack on the fan belt should be 1/2" on the longest span of the belt which is not the top span you can see easily but the span between dynamo pulley and crankshaft pulley. It requires some effort to get it tight enough.

Well done so far and I don't want to be picky or irritating but it does look like your thermostat housing is leaking at the join with the block and the housing looks rather corroded. I suspect the car was run without antifreeze or antifreeze that had lost its anti-corrosion abilities long ago.

Stephen


I have used nyloc nuts due to the vibration but ordinary nuts and spring washers could be used.

IMG_2572.jpeg (3.56 MiB) Viewed 33840 times

[David JM]

Well spotted, it does look rather worse for wear doesn't it, the pipe at the end has crumbled off, new one on order from ESM.