HIF44 needle change question

[iambiggles]

Now this may be a really dumb question, but....

Can I change the needle without draining off the dashpot/damper oil?

I assume that if I keep the whole assembly upright and work carefully I can do it.

Is this advisable? are there any reason why I shouldn't?

Not that I don't have spare oil... I'm just being lazy..... errr... no I mean economical with my time ;)

Cheers

Grant

[KirstMin]

Hi mate, yes you can! Just unscrew the 3 screws and keep it upright and you should be OK.

Did you get a BDL in the end? I've just ordered one from minispares as a short term fix before getting rolling roaded in 2 weeks time - I've got a morspeed stage 3 head and fast road cam in the post as we speak

let me know how you get on...

Kirsten

[iambiggles]

Hi mate, yes you can! Just unscrew the 3 screws and keep it upright and you should be OK.

Did you get a BDL in the end? I've just ordered one from minispares as a short term fix before getting rolling roaded in 2 weeks time - I've got a morspeed stage 3 head and fast road cam in the post as we speak

let me know how you get on...

Kirsten

Cheers!!

Yeah the needle came in the post this morning.

I ran your setup through WinSU and it says you'll need a BDK (alternatives are BDD or BDR) with the stage 3 head and a fast road cam (kent 266). So thats hopefully a good starting point for the Rolling Road session

I'll let you know how I get on... do the same and I may well got the same route - I was planning on going 1380, but I dont really need to as the engine runs well....... plus I have a 5lt engine going into my Rover P5 shortly, so eny more cc's would be extravagant - LOL

[KirstMin]

Excellent, I am glad you posted that because I have changed my order with minispares to BDK

very exciting!

[iambiggles]

Excellent, I am glad you posted that because I have changed my order with minispares to BDK

very exciting!

No worries it says you should be looking at about 80bhp (at the crank) with that setup - so it should shift nicely ;)

[KirstMin]

it says you should be looking at about 80bhp (at the crank) with that setup - so it should shift nicely ;)

I noticed that (just downloaded it). The only unknown is that I am getting a Morspeed fast road cam rather than a kent MD266 - which is the one I was originally going to go for... Simon at Morspeed advised me because in his words it will actually 'feel like its got a cam in it' but still be good at low end revs. I suspect it will therefore be a bit cammier if thats the correct terminology.

I might do a sweep stake with a small prize for closest guess at the rolling road in two weeks!

[iambiggles]

it says you should be looking at about 80bhp (at the crank) with that setup - so it should shift nicely ;)

I noticed that (just downloaded it). The only unknown is that I am getting a Morspeed fast road cam rather than a kent MD266 - which is the one I was originally going to go for... Simon at Morspeed advised me because in his words it will actually 'feel like its got a cam in it' but still be good at low end revs. I suspect it will therefore be a bit cammier if thats the correct terminology.

I might do a sweep stake with a small prize for closest guess at the rolling road in two weeks!

Have you had your RR session yet?

Be interested to hear the results!

I switched to the BDL but its not really cured the problem. To be honest in my case its probably because i've got a 3.7:1 rear end and a 5 speed ford box. What happens is (uphill) it pulls well in 1st, then when you change to 2nd the revs drop off and the power drops hugely - on steepish hills I often have to drop back to 1st.

I'm thinking of swapping back to a 4.22:1 diff (originally had a 4.55:1 - that was FAR too short) or possibly a 3.9:1.

Anyone want a 3.7 diff?? ;)

[Matt]

Anyone want a 3.7 diff??

err yeah, how much!

[KirstMin]

Ello mate, sorry to hear the needle didn't sort out the problem.

I've had a bit of a mare of a weekend and my car engine is in pieces in a barn. The idea was to remove engine, fit performance cam and stage 3 head and re-build. Everything was going to plan until I realised that the new duplex chain would foul 2 bolts and at 5pm on saturday there was no way I could find replacement counter sunk screws. I had to abandon for the weekend I'm hoping to get it back together on Thursday with new needle.

Before you sell the diff, are you sure that this is the problem? Iwould have thought that with your set-up it would be fine... perhaps you are missing some power and a RR session would remedy the problem.

[iambiggles]

Ello mate, sorry to hear the needle didn't sort out the problem.

I've had a bit of a mare of a weekend and my car engine is in pieces in a barn. The idea was to remove engine, fit performance cam and stage 3 head and re-build. Everything was going to plan until I realised that the new duplex chain would foul 2 bolts and at 5pm on saturday there was no way I could find replacement counter sunk screws. I had to abandon for the weekend I'm hoping to get it back together on Thursday with new needle.

Before you sell the diff, are you sure that this is the problem? Iwould have thought that with your set-up it would be fine... perhaps you are missing some power and a RR session would remedy the problem.

Sorry to hear that - but its all character building ;)

I'm pretty sure this is the problem as it pulls fine on the flat, just uphill it doesn't have the torque to pull such a long gear. There is also quite a jump between 1st and 2nd with the ford box so this really dumps a load of pressure on the 2nd gear when you change up.

I've spoken to the Birmingham Minor center and they said that the 3.7 is really for 1380 + engines and a 3.9 or (what I'll probably do) a 4.22 would be better. They've offered me an exchange against the 3.7 - which is nice (sorry matt).

I'm going to leave it for a while though as I'm planning on a full back to the metalwork respray next spring, so the engine will come out to do that properly. I'll use that opertunity to switch heads (stage 3) and cams (as it happens I have a sneaking suspicion there is a non-standard cam already in, hence the big pull from 3000 revs) to a kent 266 or mg metro type. I'll then swap out the diff at that point.

Since I'm only using it around town the 4.22 is better as I don't care about motorway cruising speed or quietness (also I have a shedload of that dynamat stuff - so if in doubt - soundproof - LOL).

Good luck with yours though - hope you get it al together soon as your engine spec look likes the way I'm going too, so be interested to see results.

[KirstMin]

Cheers mate - i'll let you know on Friday if it's sorted! I'll be the one with a on my face!

Glad you told me the info about the diff coz I am on the original one at the minute and will be changing it soon. At the minute in 5th I'm on pretty hight revs at 70mph.

[iambiggles]

Cheers mate - i'll let you know on Friday if it's sorted! I'll be the one with a on my face!

Glad you told me the info about the diff coz I am on the original one at the minute and will be changing it soon. At the minute in 5th I'm on pretty hight revs at 70mph.

What year is your mog? the ealy ones had a 4.55:1 ratio (this is what mine had - accelerated well, but too quick through the gears) - later ones went to 4.22:1 (Morris 1000's I think - can't remember the year)

The Birminham Minor Center have recon 3.9's and 3.7's at about £240. The 4.22's are cheaper I believe.

Look forward to seeing the results.

See ya

[bmcecosse]

At that price it might be more cost effective instead to go for a nice set of 15" Minilites to increase the rolling radius ! The countersunk screws from the brake drums can be fitted where the duplex fouls - but difficult to be sure they are tight enough - you need to make good deep countersinks, and lots of Loctite helps ! You should also inspect the chain - some have a 'joining link' which protrudes slightly on one side - make sure this side is AWAY from the screw heads!

[Cam]

What year is your mog? the ealy ones had a 4.55:1 ratio (this is what mine had - accelerated well, but too quick through the gears) - later ones went to 4.22:1 (Morris 1000's I think - can't remember the year)

Diff changed from 4.55:1 to 4.22:1 in September 1962 when the 1098cc engine was introduced (not including commercials).

[KirstMin]

At that price it might be more cost effective instead to go for a nice set of 15" Minilites to increase the rolling radius ! The countersunk screws from the brake drums can be fitted where the duplex fouls - but difficult to be sure they are tight enough - you need to make good deep countersinks, and lots of Loctite helps ! You should also inspect the chain - some have a 'joining link' which protrudes slightly on one side - make sure this side is AWAY from the screw heads!

Thanks for the info BMC - I wish I'd known all these little 'excentricities' before I pulled the engine apart.

I have the timing cover with the kink in it but with the duplex gears I dont need the tensioner, is it best to do up the bolts for the tensioner anyway or leave them off?

I believe iambiggles like myself already has 15" minilites. But with the profile tyre I have the same RR as the standard wheel. Maybe this is also adding to iambiggles problems if he has a higher profile though.

[bmcecosse]

Up to you if you use the tensioner or not - I certainly don't use it with duplex. But yes - put the bolts in the holes anyway !

[Cam]

Kirstmin, If you are using the 1098 front plate then I don't think the Ital (tensioner) type timing cover will fit without drilling and tapping holes. Like BMC, I don't use the tensioner with the duplex chain and so I use the standard 1098 oval timing cover and the 1098 engine front plate. Then you can use the existing front engine mounts and towers.

Also, I would not like to use the drum screws for the same reason (you can't tighten them enough). I'd wait and get the proper ones.

[iambiggles]

I believe iambiggles like myself already has 15" minilites. But with the profile tyre I have the same RR as the standard wheel. Maybe this is also adding to iambiggles problems if he has a higher profile though.

Nope - I switched to the Minor Development 5" x 14" wide "traditional" wheels with 175/70R14's - Pretty much the same RR as the standard wheel (give or take a wee bit).

We've decided what we're going to do is switch to a 4.22:1 on the rear and when the engines out for the respray, tear it down for an overhaul and replace the cam with a high torque one (possibly a Swiftune SW5) and stick on a ported head (not sure what spec as yet - I'll talk to a few engine builders) to get as much low down torque as possible, as this is purely an around town car and that will make it the most driveable.

[KirstMin]

iambiggles - sorry for hyjacking the thread mate!

Kirstmin, If you are using the 1098 front plate then I don't think the Ital (tensioner) type timing cover will fit without drilling and tapping holes. Like BMC, I don't use the tensioner with the duplex chain and so I use the standard 1098 oval timing cover and the 1098 engine front plate. Then you can use the existing front engine mounts and towers..

Cam, I took the working engine out of my car and pulled it apart at the weekend. I've swapped the cam and followers and was simply putting it all back together in reverse order when I had the duplex chain problem. So I assume that we are talking at cross purposes because if it was all OK before I took it apart it should all go back together without tapping holes...? I now understand that the tensioner is not required on the duplex chain so my question was related to the 2 bolts that hold the tensioner in place - should I simply leave them or screw them back in. Screwing them back in seems like a good idea though!

I can't see why I would need the oval timing cover if my kinked one fits just because I have removed the tensioner element but if you think otherwise then let me know coz you know more than me!

Also, I would not like to use the drum screws for the same reason (you can't tighten them enough). I'd wait and get the proper ones.

These screws are what ALL the morris parts places sell with the duplex kits - Bull motif and birmingham to name a few (ive been on the phone to them) so I would hope that they are selling things that are not going to fail/cause leak! I will endevour to tighten them up though and use loctite - I dont think that in the torque table in my manual that they are actually that torqued anyway?

Cheers guys

[Cam]

Right you are Kirstmin. Yes, if just rebuilding then everything should go back as was. If you only have the screws with the kit then get some threadlock (from Halfords or other motor factor) and put some on the threads before you screw them in.

These are the ones I am using:



Just use the same cover that you removed then as with our without the tensioner it will be ok. For some reason I thought you were changing the 1098 for a 1275.