Morris Minor Owners Club

With older machines it was easy to renew the bearings etc - I had bearings down to a fine art! But modern machines (like modern cars) are much more difficult - and it's virtually impossible to get at the bearings without a special puller to remove the 'very fragile' drive wheel. Thankfully - this was an easy job for me. If I get 4 years out of a washing machine then I just let it go if it breaks and buy the cheapest possible replacement. Works out at about £1 /week - prices seem to be falling thanks to the internet!

Orkney wrote:Oh theres a so politically incorrect joke about such a thing ............

There certainly is, still darned funny though.

DaveC wrote:when I get home tonight I'll check the concrete bolts!!

Done that and tightened them up, and its quiet as a mouse now. Thanks for the tip

Strangely enough I've just stripped a knackered machine to make it lighter to take to the tip.

If anyone needs a working motor for a Servis 600 speak up before Sunday, as it's big, heavy, ugly and in my way!

Well done DaveC - in fact my machine is SO quiet now that I suspect the bolts were never properly tight and it has rattled to some extent from new!

Theres a lot to be said for getting one properly level too for cutting down vibration & noise.

My partner and I bought an Indesit washing machine for a couple of hundred quid brand new, and it's lasted us six or more years with no repairs, no problems, etc. Mind you, I always take care not to overload it and to close the door gently - often people don't treat their white goods very well, shortening the lifespan. I guess the same could be said of cars, from what I've observed (I have friends who wouldn't know how to change a tyre, or what is the correct tyre pressure, and who slam doors as hard as they can when getting into/out of a car . . . )

Aye - not many can change a tyre. Many however can change the spare wheel for one with a flat tyre - but then changing the tyre on the wheel is usually beyond them.

but then changing the tyre on the wheel is usually beyond them.

And there are those that don't even know where the spare tyre is, and that includes a neighbour with a 4 X 4 with the spare wheel holder on the back door

Kevin wrote: And there are those that don't even know where the spare tyre is, and that includes a neighbour with a 4 X 4 with the spare wheel holder on the back door

Earlier this year I had a look at a Suzuki SJ413 that had been converted to LPG.
The LPG tank was donut shaped and installed on the spare wheel carrier. The tread was cut off an old tyre and attached the tank before a normal flexible cover over the lot.
Very neat installation (not sure about durability of the gas hose flexing every time door opened though).

Paul Humphries

paulhumphries wrote:The LPG tank was donut shaped and installed on the spare wheel carrier. The tread was cut off an old tyre and attached the tank before a normal flexible cover over the lot.

Doesn't sound very safe to me, and it still leaves you with the problem of where do you put the spare wheel if there's an LPG tank where it's meant to go?

Shouldn't fancy the thought of that - wouldnt want to be anywhere near if it got shunted up the rear whilst stationary by something heavy & big e.g.

alex_holden wrote:

paulhumphries wrote:The LPG tank was donut shaped and installed on the spare wheel carrier. The tread was cut off an old tyre and attached the tank before a normal flexible cover over the lot.

Doesn't sound very safe to me, and it still leaves you with the problem of where do you put the spare wheel if there's an LPG tank where it's meant to go?

The position isn't a problem as no worse than underslung tanks that are more vunerable. We have a local Land Rover Discovery that has two tanks on a roof rack ! The idea of flexi hoses worried me thought as that isn't part of normal LPG tank installation.
LPG tanks are safer then normal petrol tanks - thicker steel, tested and stamped with date, built in solenoid valve so gas only released when engine running and therefore auto cuts off / seals by default, blow off valve to slowly release excess pressure instead of exploding in even of fire / heat.
In this case there was no spare wheel nor anywhere to store one but that didn't worry me as the car was a total heap so I walked away after just a few seconds inspecting.

Paul Humphries.

Tanks on the roof should be alright. The local Bus company runs a couple of now 10 year old Gas powered buses which have a set of tanks on the roof with a light plastic/fibreglass cover over them (looks like a big roof box).

Just don't take the landy off road where you might roll it. Mind you how many expeditions have jerrycans on the roof and I can't believe its any more dangerous than that.

I'm still waiting for this politically incorrect joke. Go on, we can handle it!

roger dont knock the 40 year old tractor it will out last a washing every time it cant was clothes but has hundreds of uses.we dont have a washing machine we go to the stream