Morris Minor Owners Club

break your thumb if the engine kicks back,

Yes - I watched a lad starting his very old Bentley on the handle at Lauder a few weeks ago - thumb wrapped firmly round the handle !! However - he was very full of himself - so I decided to leave him to it!
Also - three years ago at MOT - the garage left the car sitting with all lights on - for ages. When I went to pick it up (it passed) they said I needed a new battery - car won't start. Got the handle out - one pull and away it went - whole garage staff standing with mouths hanging open - they had never seen such a thing!! Battery is still fine to this day.

Well, if he knows how he has adjusted the timing. Porbably still with a manual switch on the steering wheel.

I started my car on the handle with one hand today, the other holding the choke

You may well be able to get an alternator tomorrow - It's going to be a pretty standard part so any breakers should be able to dig something out that fits

Not a hard job to fit either

off to a medieval do at tatten park 2morrow with the wife and little one., we go to these things after getting married in full medieval costume an' all, so can't do it then..

blueangelical wrote:I'll take a volatatge thingy with me to the rally on sunday

Nope, you've lost me there! What is a volatatge thingy???

Motormania usually keep (or used to) those alternators in. If not they can usually have one delivered in in a few hours. Either that or PMF (potteries motor factors).

Motormania is in trent vale and PMF is on Victoria road, Fenton. If they don't stock them I'd be VERY surprised.

Also, you'll pay a small fortune for a starting handle from a Minor shop. I'd get one from the National Rally. There are usually plenty there for a fiver or less. I think mine was about £3 or £4.

I don't have any spare unfortunately as I've given all mine away and then realised that I had not got any so I had to buy one for myself!

They are REALLY handy to have. My starter motor jammed the other day at a petrol station, so out with the handle and it freed it no problem.

And they should fit the wheel nuts, those handles? Beacause mine doesn't

My handle doesn't fit my nuts either!
The socket end of the handle is huge whereas my nuts are only small.

I really miss mine, must get round to sticking the minor pulley bolt on the new engine. It got me out of trouble so often I miss not having it around.

As for alternators.. just find one at your local scrappy.
I had an old Lucas one that was dough and managed to find one from a diesel Ford. Swapped the pulley wheels over and bobs your mothers brother!
I also have the added benefit of charging at lower revs than with a petrol alt.

Got an alternator off ebay and bought meself a starting handle from the potteries rally on sunday, gave them £5 as it was for a good cause, the proceeds went to the days fund..

I got an alternator/battery tester from screwfix too..., and have tested my battery and it says it is excellent, and then I tested my alternator and it passed the test also...., some of the guys at the show mentioned that it may have just been my wiring, so they wrote me a new wiring chart and told me to try it..

It didn't work and neither did anything else, so I re-wired the regulator back to how it was and all works well again. Perhaps the light just likes to stay on on my car?!! -

Oh, and my starting handle doesn't fit my nuts either, they're way tooooo big ., they are alloy wheels though, might have bigger bolt heads....