Morris Minor Owners Club

davidmiles wrote:yes, if there is any chrome. Mine where bare metal so I painted them body colour, I'll swap them over with new one fine day. In the meantime its body prep for spraying, and lots of elbow grease.[frame][/frame]

Door to wing gap looks tight at the bottom. You can rectify this by using washers- with the edge ground off- behind the wing bolts (thus giving more room for wing adjustment), and pull the lower wing forward to get the right gap. Or lever with a pry bar (wrapped in a cloth!) between the sill finisher and rear bottom of front wing. Then nip up the lower wing bolts.

If you need more gap then use a 1 or 2mm shim between bottom door hinge and A pillar.

Thanks John, good advice, I'll use that on my next project. The gap looks tight at the bottom from that angle but its the same width all the way down. The wing rear edge may be proud slightly giving the impression from that angle of inconsistency. To be honest I'm more worried about that dreadful unsightly ripple in the bottom of the wing and the runs on the rear arch. Maybe some polishing and elbow grease involved in rectifying those paint faults.[frame][/frame]

This picture doesn't catch the slight paint fault on the rear arch, I sanded it down and repainted with lightly thinned then finished with two coats of heavily thinned paint, 50 50 thinners. With some careful polishing it may improve.[frame][/frame]

Let the paint harden for a day or two and then get some rubbing compound on it . If it's to thick to rub out gently sand it with 1200 wet n dry. This should reduce the ridges. If it's too bad, I'm afraid you'll have to sand back and respray again.

Thanks Lou, useful advice, I polished out the ridges going wet n dry, compound, T cut polish, it's nice, smooth and shiney now. Due to small amounts of manouvering yesterday while moving back and forth during the painting, The engine was rather spluttery today, but after a good run she settled down. I did an under bonnet check and noticed the blackening/ sooting on one side of the white ceramic insulation of the spark plugs, I know its a indicator of something that needs adjustment, can anyone remind me what?[frame][/frame]

since the re-build the cylinder head bolts have not been re tightened, the new gasket may need clamping down a touch, the manual quotes 40ft/lbs for the larger nuts and 25ft/lbs for the smaller nuts.[frame][/frame]

Houston, we have a problem, one of the cylinder head bolts just failed, it couldn't take the 40ft/lbs, I should have eased off it I guess. So, can I still run with this till it's re-tapped or will it damage my head gasket?[frame][/frame]

Oops, when you are lucky, it is possible to weld a big nut on it, and unscrew it..
Do not use the engine without this nut, there is never a bolt without a reason.

So my first Idea, try to weld a big nut on it, unscrew, and mount a new one.
Be careful with the heat on other (oil) places.

When this is not possible, the better way is wait till the engine is cold, remove the cylinder head, clean all the parts, and mount a new one.

Just pull the cylinderhead and Replace all of the bolts! If one failed, the rest cannot be far behind!

Just pull the cylinderhead and Replace all of the bolts! If one failed, the rest cannot be far behind!

same thing happened to me, just undo the rest of the bolts, take off the head and change all the studs. easy job, good luck. Pick up looks awesome by the way

Maybe it's because the oil is very clean but the rockers look rather dry for an engine that's been running.
While you have the head off I'd check that the drilled pillar is in the right position and the shaft hole is lined up OK.

well the bolt torqued up ok, Ive been running the engine for short runs to work, so I had a garage I trust, who had the head skimmed for me during the restoration, do an engine diagnostic. All cylinders are working to even pressure, thats great news I wasn't expecting I must admit. The brass head gasket is still in great condition. Its only six months old I know.[frame][/frame]

one thing Dave at Autopics picked up on was the air pressure from the manifold to exhaust joint needs attention, I also asked him to do a chemical flush out of the engine, and the temperature problem seems to have abated. But that may just be the new antifreeze. time and running will tell. I may get a temp gauge fitted next, anyone know if they come in a kit?[frame][/frame]

No kits that I'm aware of, but ESM have all the components for the electric Smiths gauge. I'd also recommend the mechanical oil pressure gauge -- I've fitted the temperature and oil pressure gauges (along with ammeter and tachometer, and those are useful, but may not be what you're looking for), and I find those two essential.

Here's the ESM gauge, and you can see the sender unit in the box beneath. http://morrisminorspares.co.uk/shop/pro ... 9dcbc93355

Thanks Fin, useful, I'll have to consider the others aswell, I don't want to detract too far from originality, then again these were all optional extras at the time.
The bumper is off for a couple of scratches to be made good, and some adjustment of gaps to wing, and tommorow it's exhaust adjustment day.[frame][/frame]

I've always found comfort in the lack of gauges in the Minor, they're so basic and proven, adding them just gives you something to worry about!

That's a fair point Les, and added gauges are certainly not for everyone's Minor. However, I find them valuable for a newly-rebuilt vehicle -- I avoided a number of electrical shorts with the ammeter while rewiring Mog, and the just the other day the tachometer was handy for setting the idle and for seeing at what revs the control box is malfunctioning. The oil pressure gauge I find invaluable, especially for engines this old, and of course the MMs were equipped with them to begin with.

to Gauge or not to Gauge? that is the question. Plenty to consider there then guys, practicality over originality. On the original side one thing that has been wrong from the start with my Pickup is the bumper blade. I have a blade fitted from a traveller and that of course is wrong, it goes all the way around the bumper valance.[frame][/frame]

here is a detail from a picture I took of a garaged project earlier this year, note how the original bumper blade ends shortly after the screw fitting.[frame][/frame]