Morris Minor Owners Club

It seems your gasket has probably escaped inside along the long sides of the rocker cover. There are two little 'guards' on the inside of the cover to try to prevent this - but often the gasket is horribly distorted on arrival - hence the need to glue it to the cover. Done well - it will last a long long time and the cover can be lifted and reset at will to allow valve gaps to be checked and reset.

If it wasn't for the fact that it's a nut--or cap nut even, it would not be described as a bolt anyway but as a set screw! Being that the thread doesn't stop before the head!

So - it's a set cap nut??? Certainly not a bolt!!!!! Which was my point ages ago.....

Thanks again for the help. It turns out the cork gasket hadn't been installed properly on the right side.

I replaced it and found that, sure enough, the gasket wouldn't stay in place. The silicon sealant hadn't arrived, so I tried using another glue just to hold the gasket in place. The glue didn't work so well, however I managed to wiggle the gasket enough for it to make a proper seal. I tightened it up, though the rubber bushes are a little damaged so I didn't tighten any more than would start damaging them more.

The oil did not leak while filling nor while the engine was running, so I assume this is good enough for now. If I do any more work in future, I will replace the gasket and the rubber bushes. The rocker cover may want replacement as it's a little distorted.

There is a heat shield mounted on the right side of the engine, so I assume this is an indication that not all is right with it, and at some point I'll probably want to do an engine swap.

You can just gently dress the cover back to shape - on a sandbag. Get new seals and gasket in stock ! Contact adhesive works best - but the cover edge must be completely oil free.