Morris Minor Owners Club

Glad it wasn't the coil....phewwwww

About time 'we' sussed out a more modern / current production replacement for those interested in reliability over looks.

My morris MM has the coil mounted upside down ie. HT connection on the bottom. The 1935 morris eight has the coil mounted HT lead at the top!!. My 63 pickup has the coil mounted horizontaly on top of the dynamo. Take your choice

No need to look for better 'reliability' - the good old coils are EXTREMELY reliable - it's NEVER the coil...........

Except for when it overheats - it can go temporarily faulty. I may test this by "cooking" the original coil in a saucepan whilst connected to tne AVO.
I've actually done a bit more research (limited, on the Internet), but also managed to talk to someone in Elta Lighting, the company that manufactures/distributes Lucas Branded equipment.
The modern Lucas coils can be mounted horizontally and they "should" work OK in this orientation.
If you do mount them Vertically, then the coil base should be to the bottom as the internal "coil" is actually fitted down that end - so upside down is not recommended. We were discussing the Lucas DLB 101 coil, but the implication is that all their coils should be capable of running horizontally. I'll try to feed this back to the retail seller, who caused the worry in the first place.
So it looks like business as usual, so under the bonnet again, tonight, and get the coil back in its horizontal position (or at least right-side-up).
I'd better finish refurbishing my spare Dizzy (currently in pieces), jut in case I need that on the next major outing in September (Traveller at 60).
Regards, George.

HOT should not make any difference -it's an electrical component - not electronic. But by all means warm it up and let's see the readings!

New Lucas DLB 101 coil now refitted the normal way round, on top of the Dynamo and horizontal[frame][/frame]
The autojumble £5 cleaned up coil is now laying on the driver's side parcel shelf as the "spare" (just in case).

You do realise it's not 'really' a Lucas coil...........

Yes Roy, I know its just "branded" Lucas as Elta Lighting have the licence rights to use the name.
The one that gave me the original problems was/is a real Delco-Remy unit. Regards, George.

I would put the original coil back on. But as long as you have a spare in the car- you won't have any problems.

bmcecosse wrote:I would put the original coil back on. But as long as you have a spare in the car- you won't have any problems.

I now have a definitive answer as to why my original coil "failed". I had more problems with ignition and running and, prior to trying out an electronic ignition modification, did some more wiring tests.
The "Lucar" connector on the lead coming from the ignition switch to the Positive Terminal on the coil was the problem.
The connector "collar" was crimped OK to the wire insulation but the stranded wire core was NOT crimped to the brass Lucar female flat connector! There was a dab of solder, on the wire, that wasn't actually soldered to the brass connector.
It may have been, in the past, but was now making and breaking contact with heat expansion and vibration from the engine.
This has been cut off, wire stripped back correctly and a new, insulated outer, connector crimped on (both parts this time).
You can just make out the "red" crimped connector on the far side of the coil. The blue -ve one was replaced about a year ago.[frame][/frame]
I'll, most probably, put back the original Remy-Delco coil, and keep the new one as a spare.
Cheers, George.

Well done ! And thanks for coming back - these are the threads we ALL learn from.

Ah-ha, so I'm not the only one w/an engine bay that's not all spit and polish.
BTW, why is that jam nut loose on the engine steady bar

katy wrote:... why is that jam nut loose on the engine steady bar

Katy, It isn't - it is jammed and if I pull in the "adjuster" any more, the bar will be under greater strain.

Hi George was your car turning over and not firing as i have this problem and was wondering if maybe coil problem or something else? recently bought 1970 Morris 1000 was starting no problem and then would not start. Am working on body while trying to figure out.
Not good on electrics yet.
Peter

Welcome to the forum....and ...It's NEVER the coil! Look elsewhere for the problem.... Is the battery fully charged? And is the fuel pump ticking when you first switch on?

vickie wrote:... recently bought 1970 Morris 1000 was starting no problem and then would not start.

Can you remember if you did anything, under the bonnet, between the time the engine was running OK and the time it stopped starting?
My problem ended up being one of very poor electrical connections to the Coil, and not the coil itself.
Let me know the answer to my question before we start making suggestions.
Regards, George.

I serviced my pickup today with a oil change, radiator flush, plugs, air filter and so forth. I thought I would change the coil with a new Lucas one just to tidy up the engine bay a bit. The old coil is mounted on the dynamo and I simply swapped it over in situ but It didn't start at all, I returned the old coil and it fired up first time. Are you guys saying I should reposition the new coil upright in another part of the engine bay? My van coil is positioned upright near the bulkhead. Confirmation would be much appreciated. Cheers Andrew

If the new coil doesn't work horizontally - it's broken......standing it upright won't make any difference. The new 'Lucas' coils are not to the standard of old coils -nor are they made by 'Lucas' as we know it....... Stick with the old coil! And find a spare old coil if you can... To answer your question though - I much prefer the coil to be upright and NOT mounted on the engine where it gets unwanted heat and vibration. So yes - mine is on the inner wing where it gets cool air and less vibration.

Thanks for the answer. I think I have another old coil somewhere in my spares bin. I will have to send the new one back for a refund. I will put it against the bulkhead or inner wing as at some point I am opting for an alternator. As an aside I planned to replace the top and bottom rad hoses today but could only replace the top hose (definitely needed replacing) but the new bottom hose was about an inch too short to connect to the pipe above the water pump and the upright heater pipe was too short as well and as a result didn't line up. Damn annoying so I reused the old one and will have to send this back as well. Why aren't the new parts manufactured and quality checked prior to sale?