Morris Minor Owners Club

My brother and I took a look at the car today and the diagnosis is that it's the camshaft bearings knocking. So time to look for another engine AGAIN!

How did he diagnose that?
Very unusual failure, on a 1098 anyway.

would cam bearings knock? With the multiplicity of load peaks per turn, Wouldn't it appear as a higher frequency? And, as said, very rare failure!

Never heard of that one ! In fact - I will go as far as to say NO - it's not the camshaft! Only way to diagnose if the CRANKshaft bearings have failed is to pop the sump off and have a look !

Can someone PLEASE order some dry weather so I can get outside and take another look under the bonnet?

It's only water - not sulphuric acid! Can you not erect a cover over the engine bay ?

Gazebo over the car is tempting but the neighbours might get the wrong idea and think we're having a party

They can all join in - and help hoist the engine!

Had a quick look at the car today before the rain set in.

I remembered that just before the noise started I went over a rather large pot hole! It looks as if the engine has moved as the oil filter casing is now touching the chassis leg.

So not cam bearings, then?
Right hand engine mount come adrift?

I HOPE it's not the cam bearings! But my brother is rarely wrong in these matters I hope this time he is though

That's what I'm thinking but rain called off play. Will hopefully check tomorrow if it's dry.

Went out to look at the car this morning but it wouldn't start at all

I'm sure its the problem I've had before with the wire that goes from the side of the dizzy to the points (low tension???). Fiddling around trying to get it to start drained the battery and then the rain started. So really got nothing done

Anyone got one of these wires? save me paying £5 postage for a £1 wire.

Are you sure that the problem is the low tension wire? When you had this problem before you posted that the braiding had worn away. Has it worn away on the new one? If the braiding looks fine it's unlikely that the low tension lead is the cause, unless of course you have been sold a faulty part. In which case send it back to where you got it from and ask for a replacement as it should have lasted longer than two months.

The car obviously got a huge jolt if the pot hole you drove over has caused the engine to move Before assuming it's the LT wire I'd do a few other checks first such as checking that the battery leads are tight and that there is a good earth.

If you are certain that the problem is the LT wire and you need one on a hurry you'll probably be able to get one from a local motor factors.

Surely the priority was to sort the broken mounting ? The noise is likely just caused by the engine resting against the chassis!

Me being me wrapped a bit of insulation tape around the LT wire and forgot all about getting a new one . The local motor factor that I usually get my parts from have just gone under so I'll have to try a mini parts place in a town nearby and see if they have an LT wire.

I think the engine is clearing the chassis enough now but I can't see if the noise has stopped because it wont start .

Does anyone have any measurements as to how much clearance there should be between the engine and the chassis on both sides?

Without actually going out and measuring I'd say at least 2 or 3 inches everywhere.
from memory I'd say the front pulley has the smallest gap but that may be because I've got the damping pulley.
There is enough space to do the oil filter without removing the engine

If that's the case then the engine in my car is VERY close to the chassis. There's about 2 maybe 3mm between the oil filter and the chassis

Before going much further, you really need to check the engine towers/mounts and the chassis legs if the engine has moved that much.

Andrew

eastona wrote:Before going much further, you really need to check the engine towers/mounts and the chassis legs if the engine has moved that much.

Andrew

Make that- before going ANY further!! No point worrying about a lack of spark if your chassis has broken! (If the engine dropped that far, I'd check the ignition wire to the coil hasn't pulled off!)

Put a trolley jack under the sump and lift the engine weight up a couple of inches while watching the effect, that will probably show what is amiss.

Put a trolley jack under the sump

with wood to spread the load

yes, it'd be a pain to get the engine running then leave it on the drive as it drops out the front of the car.

Andrew