Morris Minor Owners Club

G162 ER40828
A H

Does this help?

Katie

That doesn't immediatly strike me as meaning a great deal. Just for reference BMC engine numbers are read as such: http://www.mgcars.org.uk/mgccz/technic/codeseng.pdf

On a big plate top left of the engine bay it reads

"Engine No - APHM/11869" which matches your document i.e. - APHM 803cc Morris Minor MM OHV engine, 8HP. ( first 'A' series.)

But on the plate near the first spark plug I have the ER number that I quoted.

Hmmm.. confusion!???

Katie

Would that be the one that looks like



????

As that would have been the original engine in the car

Yes Dan, it looks exactly like that one!

Sadly, that doesn't help us work out what capacity engine is actually there, only what it left the factory with.....

I still stand by my guess thats a 948cc - probabally from a healy "frogeye" sprite.

Next step is to peer behind the exhaust (maybe with a torch) and there should be a plate which will say 950, or 1100

OK, i found an old log book. The old guy left me some things... it seem that it's been round once so its done about 132000miles.

On 14th March, 1978 I have:

"New Engine 1100 Engine No 96162 FR 40828 AH Gear Box 977 800"

I'm the second owner from new.

So would this be a Frog Eye engine?

Katie

Nope, that established that I am wrong.

Looks like you have a 1098, and the fact that the engine no makes little sense (and the rocker cover is gold) I reckon you have a goldseal so it would not have been from a specific vehicle.

'A' series engines were prefixed 8G,- 803cc, 848cc, 948cc, 1098cc, 1275cc.
The code after was to do with rebore/regrind sizes and a job number.

Hmm Ok, please excuse my lack of knowledge but what is a gold seal? is that like a new engine from a stock room somewhere? Who would have made the engine that I have?

Also does this change the value of the car in any way?

Katie

Gold seal engines were factory reconditioned engines. The gold part means a full engine including head as opposed to a silver engine which was just the block. If anything the engine change will slightly devalue the car as it is away from original spec (assuming the buyer was bothered) but in reality it makes the car more useable in todays traffic.

Also does this change the value of the car in any way?

Only academically, what you have is less original, but more usable, than it might have been.
Still a nice car, and a Gold seal engine is a factory reconditioned unit which is as about as good as one can get.

What PSL Said. Although, I have read that the goldseal engines were built by unipart rather than BMC....

OK we have established that it has a 1098 engine and box. What diff has it?
I thought that Unipart were part of BMC at that time.

LOL... whats IS a diff? and how do i find out what sort it is?

Look for a receipt

A diff (Differential) is a componant of the back axle that switches the motion of the propshaft (effectivly running across the vehicle) into the forwards/backwards motion of the car. The ratio determines the number of turns of the propshaft to the number of turns of the driven wheel. The standard 1098 diff is a 4.2 so for every 4.2 turns of the prop the wheel revolves once (think thats the right way round!)

Its pretty much impossible to tell without either scrawping around under the car to try and spy the casing marking (and even then, its not certain - internals can be swapped) or jacking the car up and counting the differences in revolutions....


The circular bit in the middle of the axle is where the diff is housed, if you look at it from the other side (which I dont have a handy photo of!) theres a protrusion from the axle which is bolted to the propshaft - this is the actual diff

Hope that helps

I have just looked for a receipt, the oldest one I have if for 1973 but the 1978 'engine' one is missing, the entire time though it was serviced by one garage in dewsbury. The old man owned it from 1954 (new) to 1989 when he died. It was then picked up by my grandad (pre auction) who owned it for 3 years before he died, passing it onto me!

I also have the original log book with a gold ship emblem on the front reading 'May He that Hath the Steering of thy Course direct thy sail'. The first entry reads:

July-Aug Engagement: 1954
Sun 25th -1600 miles, Oil carburetta top greased round.
...
...
This goes on in another book until we get to 1988, at 30,500 miles just before his death:
Eng Oil Changed, Oil Filter. Cleaned Petrol Pump, Cleaned Carb New Points

I love this kind of thing, I never met the man that owned this for 35 years but it amazes me really!

Katie

As you have so much history and attachment to the car, why not keep it and upgrade it for modern daily use? Speak to Jono at jlh to see what can be done. Modern engines steering brakes and suspension are all possible for less cost than a new Fiesta... just a thought?

anyway, if i get a number off the diff will that help me get a better valuation?

Katie

keep it and use it as your eveyday car