Morris Minor Owners Club

simply re connect the chain to the tailgate.[frame][/frame]

they look neat and tidy, should stop the chains knocking and chipping the paintwork.[frame][/frame]

then tied down the Tonneau cover for a practice run, don't know how it's going to work out yet, but so far it ties down well.[frame][/frame]

after a drive to Halfords for some classic car engine oil, the cover didn't shift,despite some high winds.[frame][/frame]

next up, changing the thermostat, thermostat gasket, and the gasket for the oil filter housing to cylinder block, starting with water and oil draining.[frame][/frame]

Eew! Which one is in the bowl?

a comparison with the old and new thermostat, the new one opens 82 degrees. Whereas the old one didn't always open at all.[frame][/frame]

the state of that water in the bowl makes me wonder if it was boiled a few times in there with the thermostat stuck. New one drops in with a new gasket.[frame][/frame]

next on the list was the oil filter housing bolted to the block, easy enough to get off....no sign that I had ever fitted a gasket here.[frame][/frame]

or here, fitting a gasket here should make a difference to my oil loss.[frame][/frame]

the housing itself was a doddle to refit, but it took me nearly two hours to refit this special bolt to the engine block, it's part of the oil feedway to the oil filter. The line is not at all flexible, if the ring isn't at the right angle to the mount the bolt won't screw in and the copper washer will fall away into an inaccessible gap between the block and starter motor arrrghhh.[frame][/frame]

after some gentle persuasion I finally got it to engage and tighten up, at last, what a relief, oh my Back! and it's dark outside the garage, time for a cup of tea.[frame][/frame]

Oh Dear, Down off the axle stands, ready to go for a test drive and I heard a new noise, stopped at the drive just before going on the road and this is what I saw. After working out where the oil was seeping from I got her back up and undid the oil filter. At least I know the oil pump is doing it's thing...[frame][/frame]

after reading the manual very carefully, I reassembled the oil filter correctly this time and ran the engine again, not a drop. After a hour long run in the country everything seems to be working normally, with no loss of oil, so far.[frame][/frame]

That tonneau just finishes it off David.

Thanks Lou and Mike, but my faults are still not quite over, after a few hours driving out and about I still have a slow and steady oil leak, probably at a pint an hour when the engine is up to working temperature, on my ten minute run to work nothing is lost. But on a long run when the engine is working quite hard the oil gets out somewhere. My prime suspect is the sump pan.[frame][/frame]

here is the sump before I re-fitted it to the bottom of the block. As you can see it is dented in several places. I should have filled it up with water and tested for leaks. Easy to say in hindsight. I have no proof that the sump is leaking, oil may be dripping down from above and just dripping off the sump. But they are only £50 from ESM for a clean secondhand one. That plus a new set of gaskets. Thats the next big job.[frame][/frame]

Only £50, you must have a good job! If you're going to take it off why not test it before throwing money at another, cant see a few dents making it leak, if it is coming from the sump maybe the cork/rubber seals are the culprit!