Morris Minor Owners Club

Can understand your need to get it fixed quick then. Wife and boss, not a good combination! Maybe fit new and if it fixes it then strip the old one down at your leisure to understand the problem.

I was a bit concerened that an Optimate wouldn't have enough grunt to give the battery a really good charge.

Thanks for the advice Alex about stripping down the old unit. May well just do that as a learning curve.

The Optimate is only a motorcycle charger. My 16 amp Ducati 1000cc V twin battery takes a few hours. Not surprised 0.6 amp takes a while with a 43 amp battery to fill. At least I don't need to buy a car charger.

Parts arrive tomorrow. Will report back.

600 milliamps won't charge a car battery overnight........ you need something like a proper 4 amp charger. By all means try a new starter - but I rather doubt it's that. They tend to work - or not work... Does the engine turn over easily on the handle? It's not partially seized I hope? With the plugs out - it should spin easily on the handle (and on the starter..) . Any evidence of the ignition 'kicking' against the starter? This happens if the timing is too advanced - and can give 'slow' turning - although usually jerky/stuttering....

I've seen cars like this with very similar symptoms, and yes, it does sound to me like the starter motor on it's last legs, poor turning over then no turning over. The brushes are probably down to their last.

Take the starter motor off the car and inspect the inside of the starter motor.

This chap's videos show how to take a starter motor apart,

http://www.aol.co.uk/video/morris-minor ... 265523313/
http://www.aol.co.uk/video/morris-minor ... 265523319/
as you can see, unless you have a very big soldering iron you will struggle to fit new brushes, which makes a recon or new unit more attractive...one point, he uses grease on the bendix, not a good idea as that will attract dirt. Pencil carbon is a better lubricant here...

More on Youtube.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GLbFjIVBM8

Only the later 'end brush' starters need soldering - the earlier ones just need a screwdriver to fit new brushes.

Evening guys, reporting back.

Just replaced the starter with a new unit not reconditioned as postage to send old unit is expensive so spent the extra tenner. Also replaced earth and solenoid straps with new as they made up the cost to get free postage (worth £30 to me).

Engine spins very well and a whole lot faster.

Still won't start and I can't say I am over impressed with the spark on plug one. Will others be stronger?

Do I just persevere and keep trying to start it? Plug smells of petrol but does not appear wet.

Have previously messed with the mixture but this is now 12 flats out from closed as a default position. Need to get it going before do any tuning of the mixture. Choke doesn't feel right so need to look at the fast idle. Any ideas how I do that on a cold engine?

Quite chuffed with self for changing the starter motor as still on L plates as a mechanic. Only part not replaced is the points.

One of wires to the top of the coil (nearest engine block and bonnet) snapped off. Need to replace that tmw with a proper connection.

All suggestions gratefully received.

Cheers guys

As long as spark is present at approx the right time - and fuel, it will go, assuming nothing has been done elsewhere. Don't worry about flats etc for now. I would take the plugs out and dry them off (gas flame is good) - and charge the battery overnight. As long as you get plug lead order correct (1342 anti-clock round the dizzy cap) - it WILL go. The snapped off connection was probably the real trouble all along - fix it securely. I do feel for you! You've tried hard - if you were anywhere near me I would drop in to help. It's not easy guessing what to do next from a distance....

We will see what tmw brings. Ran out of light today. Will repair wire to coil tmw once I have some decent electrical connectors.

Is it really just a case of keep churning until it goes? Have some Easy Start which didn't work last week but might now. Will try blow amping the plugs. Just like old times as a spotty faced teenager with a 2 stroke bike. Don't suppose the wife will let me dry the plugs in the oven.

Any settings for the fast idle screw on a cold engine - usually set engine on fast idle then turn the fast idle screw until revs increase bit difficult if she won't start.

Bmcecosse - am probably not too far away from you, as the crow flies. The moniker says it all.

Hahahaha - there are many places 'offshore' Ecosseland. You shouldn't need the Easy - but I must admit - it is how I get a spare lawnmower going...........although I think the real problem is very 'old' petrol in the tank....it's a mower I was given by a departing neighbour. My own mower starts up no trouble at all, even after standing all winter.

Off home shortly for round 2 with Martha. Have bought a replacement coil ( yes I know it's never the coil and it will be the last thing I replace). Back at work the coil in NOS Intermolecular electronic oil filled coil. The instructions inside state "Do not fit this coil to ignition systems fitted with contact breakers". I have good old fashioned points ignition system. The coil is an Inter motor 1131 and fits BL and Jaguar vehicles.

Can I fit it or do take it back to the shop? Neither me or my boss (who used to race A series engine cars) understand the difference. He says bang it on, I'm minded to return it or swap it.

I can't find any reference to an Intermotor 1131 coil. Their site lists part numbers 11040 and 11105 for Minors. I'd love to see a photo of what you've bought! Does it look like what you already have fitted to your car? If it says don't use with contact breakers, then don't.

Fix your broken wire on your coil before spending anymore money.

Thanks for the advice Alex. I had decided to take it back anyway as they would not give the warning for no reason. Will repair the wire tonight replace the points and the low tension thingy. After all that if it doesn't go then it's either timing or the coil.

Will report back on this saga...

It is NEVER the coil......you seem determined to spend money!! If it says don't use with points (and I can't imagine why...) then better NOT do it! Would be interesting to read the impedance across the two terminals..... A 'normal' coil should be 3.2 ohms, or at least near that. The only other difference I am aware of is the 'ballast' coils which run on 6 to 9 volts (there are various types) through a ballast resistor, which is bypassed at starting to put the full battery voltage during cranking over the coil, for very best spark! But a ballast ignition is not necessarily an 'electronic' ignition - although, it can be ! These coils can be from 1.5 ohms to 2.2 ohms depending on the intended use.

It would be interesting to read the impedance if you measured it in ohms

We await results! Impedance is the correct term here - because we will measure it as DC ohms - but in effect the coil runs on AC when the engine is in motion.

Bmcecosse will be pleased that I returned the coil for a full refund. Will have another look at the car this evening. Checked position of leads on dizzy cap this morning. They are in the correct order anticlockwise and coming off the same poles on the dizzy cap as they were when I bought the car last year and took photographs for the agreed insurance valuation.

will repair coil wire tonight, replace points and low tension thingy as that wire is very frayed and clinging on by a few strands.
I will try and take measurements on the coil but i have a B&Q multimeter that I always struggle to get to work as it came without instructions from new.

With regard to comments about spending money, the car had stood for 3 years when I got it. Over the last 9 months every time you went near it something broke - not went out of adjustment - just broke.

I discovered last month the tyres were 18 years old. Not any more they're not! Odometer has also stopped so that is going to JD O stick at Easter when I am in the vicinity.

I hope one day to get to a position where she is relatively reliable and use able. Getting her started would help!

At least the woodwork, chassis and body work are all in good order. I think!

Photo attached of coil I sent back

Just pick up another speedo cheaply on ebay.... a speedo rebuild is not inexpensive. But there is at least one 'how to' floating about on here - if you have delicate fingers you can probably unstick it yourself!

OK Saturday afternoon still not starting. Changed points and low tension circuit. Got sparks at plugs and from coil. Managed to get it to run roughly for a few seconds with Easy Start but would not continue. Is clearly trying to start but won't without easy start. Plugs not too dark or wet. Heated them with blow lamp and easy start into carb rather than bores. Nothing.

Only thing I can think of is timing and choke. Cable not brilliant and can come out of its holder. Is there a way of setting the choke on a cold engine?

With regard to timing I have changed the leads back to the old ones. No difference. Leads onto plugs are in the order of 1342 with 1 being nearest the radiator and going anticlockwise round the cap. The only thing I can think of is the leads are not correct on the cap. You guys seem to suggest that 1 comes off the cap at 10 o'clock. My dizzy (1970) will not rotate so thing timing not altered. Dizzy cap only fits one way. I have a dizzy pole at 12 o'clock which is wired to no 3 cylinder followed by 4 of at quarter to or so.

Have I got something wrong at the dizzy cap?

Heartened that she ran roughly for a few seconds but....

Any thoughts?

Managed to get it to run roughly for a few seconds with Easy Start but would not continue.

Sounds like you're not getting any fuel. Is the fuel pump working? Have you tried putting a small amount of gas down the carburetor throat to see if it will run?

Hi Katy

New fuel pump and lines in December. Plugs getting wet.petrol in in line fuel filter. Fuel pump stops ticking so assume filling float chamber then cutting out. Sparks at plugs and from coil.

I need to know where on the dizzy cap the plug on leads go. I know to wire them up 1342 ant clockwise but where do I put no 1 lead on the cap. Position looks fine in terms of rotation but pictures of which lead goes to which pole on the cap are difficult to find. Have tried rewiring your post to another member when you said interchange 2 and 3. That wasn't my problem. Knowing where each lead fits or rather where no.1 starts from is.

Cheers.