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Re: Year of Engine..
Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2017 9:36 am
by dubman1959
firedrake1942 wrote:Yup aware the wiper motor under dash, just think the engine bay looks empty and even bigger without it visible. The little fuel pump looked promising in terms of a 'get you home job' to keep in the boot.
The date /number is, I believe, on the carb body itself, as the bit which is least likely to be replaced, but as mine is back in the car, under a large oil-bath air filter, I could not tell you exactly where.
I actually borrowed the pump of my FZ750 Yamaha

Re: Year of Engine..
Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 12:21 am
by dubman1959
philthehill wrote:The inlet/exhaust manifold is the two piece split type (cast exhaust/alloy inlet) from the early 948cc engine.
The later manifold is a one piece item.
The carb looks to be original 948cc with the brass topped damper but the air cleaner has been changed to the later paper element type.
There should be a tag fitted to the carb with the carb number embossed into it which will give some indication of year the carb was fitted and from that date the engine manufacture date may possibly be extrapolated.
http://sucarb.co.uk/cf/vehicle/list/?ma ... icle=Minor
Thanks Heaps for that info philtehill. Its got AUC944 on it, so she a 60 to 62

Re: Year of Engine..
Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 12:34 am
by dubman1959
dubman1959 wrote:philthehill wrote:The inlet/exhaust manifold is the two piece split type (cast exhaust/alloy inlet) from the early 948cc engine.
The later manifold is a one piece item.
The carb looks to be original 948cc with the brass topped damper but the air cleaner has been changed to the later paper element type.
There should be a tag fitted to the carb with the carb number embossed into it which will give some indication of year the carb was fitted and from that date the engine manufacture date may possibly be extrapolated.
http://sucarb.co.uk/cf/vehicle/list/?ma ... icle=Minor
Thanks Heaps for that info philtehill. Its got AUC944 on it, so she a 60 to 62

Have got a pic of what the air cleaner should be please

Re: Year of Engine..
Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 8:09 am
by philthehill
http://www.moss-europe.co.uk/shop-by-mo ... minor.html
The original air cleaner for the Minor is the oil bath type as shown top right in the link above.
Thank you for the tag details - from those details I suspect that the carb has been changed to a later type possibly at the same time as the air cleaner was fitted.
Re: Year of Engine..
Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 11:28 am
by dubman1959
philthehill wrote:http://www.moss-europe.co.uk/shop-by-mo ... minor.html
The original air cleaner for the Minor is the oil bath type as shown top right in the link above.
Thank you for the tag details - from those details I suspect that the carb has been changed to a later type possibly at the same time as the air cleaner was fitted.
Thanks for pic of cleaner, So what year you think motor is . Not 60 to 62 ? Steve
Re: Year of Engine..
Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 11:40 am
by liammonty
This is all conjecture - you are trying to date the engine by dating the carb, that is a bolt-on component and has likely been changed. As Phil said, the early type manifold indicates an early 948, but the carb and air filter are later. This doesn't actually tell you anything about the engine for definite though. All you know is that you have a 948 engine in a Series MM, with an early 948 manifold and a late 948 carb... Without the engine number, you will never know

Re: Year of Engine..
Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 11:43 am
by dubman1959
liammonty wrote:This is all conjecture - you are trying to date the engine by dating the carb, that is a bolt-on component and has likely been changed. As Phil said, the early type manifold indicates an early 948, but the carb and oil filter are later. This doesn't actually tell you anything about the engine for definite though. All you know is that you have a 948 engine in a Series MM, with an early 948 manifold and a late 948 carb... Without the engine number, you will never know

Yep totally understand that Liammonty, Just trying to get as close to knowing as possible as i had no idea at all,

Re: Year of Engine..
Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 11:59 am
by liammonty
If you're going to hedge your bets, I'd say the manifold is more likely original than the carb and air cleaner, so I'd guess the engine is earlier, I.e. mid-late 50s.
Re: Year of Engine..
Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 12:30 pm
by dubman1959
liammonty wrote:If you're going to hedge your bets, I'd say the manifold is more likely original than the carb and air cleaner, so I'd guess the engine is earlier, I.e. mid-late 50s.
Cheers Liammonty,

Re: Year of Engine..
Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 4:54 pm
by firedrake1942
Have a little scrape at the paint on the engine. If it is a 948 in a Series MM then it might be gold seal replacement. No great shakes just a marketing ploy to sell factory rebuilt engines. I think place bear had one in his Series 2 and I have one in my 1957. It looked hideous before I painted it , but gold was thought to be an assurance of quality. I believe that also did silver seal as well, rebuilt but only bits of it i.e. bores pistons crankshaft / bearings etc but not the head.
Re: Year of Engine..
Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 5:41 pm
by palacebear
I heard my name..? Or at least a mis-spelling of it! I bear no ill-will - thanks for the name-check, fireduck1942
I do indeed have a 948cc Gold Seal in my Series 2. It's been there for many years with its readily-identifiable engine number prefixed by 8G9-R-J. As far as I know the engine was fitted by a BMC dealer in Scotland, who straight-swapped the ancillary components onto it from the dead 803cc engine that was removed.

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It has the separate manifolds and is slightly hampered by still having an H1 carb, so it breathes like someone who has smoked 60 king-size a day for their whole adult life. I've not checked the carb for age indicators, so it is quite possibly original. Has the Series 2 UK home market cylindrical air-cleaner sitting on top. The factory gold paint was covered, about 30 years ago, with a good thick coat of BMC engine green, so the engine bay looks reasonably authentic. Yes - I know the fan pulley etc., shouldn't be yellow, but the authentic A-Series oil-leaks more than make up for the errors in detail
.

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Re: Year of Engine..
Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 6:06 pm
by firedrake1942
OOOOOh Placebare that's lovely. My fan is yellow too! Furdick1943
Re: Year of Engine..
Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 6:12 pm
by palacebear
That was a year ago, and the camera
does occasionally lie. Needs a good steam-clean now but I'm worried how much paint I'll be left with. Yellow fan etc preferred (easier for my visually-impared MOT tester to see!)
Paleishbeard.
Re: Year of Engine..
Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 7:31 pm
by firedrake1942
This was mine in progress and 6 months ago. I have still got to move that washer pump under the dash and get a period look battery - Shield - quite close to me do some good ones - unless anyone knows any better places - In the States you can get a cover for modern batteries which make them look period - have yet to find them over here, but the latter can wait as they are s@dding expensive!
Re: Year of Engine..
Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 9:40 pm
by palacebear
Wish mine looked like that!
Re: Year of Engine..
Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 9:46 pm
by firedrake1942
Policebore, Its keeping it like that that is the real problem...... Feistydock1968
Re: Year of Engine..
Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2017 11:35 am
by dubman1959
firedrake1942 wrote:Have a little scrape at the paint on the engine. If it is a 948 in a Series MM then it might be gold seal replacement. No great shakes just a marketing ploy to sell factory rebuilt engines. I think place bear had one in his Series 2 and I have one in my 1957. It looked hideous before I painted it , but gold was thought to be an assurance of quality. I believe that also did silver seal as well, rebuilt but only bits of it i.e. bores pistons crankshaft / bearings etc but not the head.
Thats interesting stuff, i will have a scrape, did they do that on this side of the world. ( New Zealand)
Re: Year of Engine..
Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2017 11:37 am
by dubman1959
firedrake1942 wrote:This was mine in progress and 6 months ago. I have still got to move that washer pump under the dash and get a period look battery - Shield - quite close to me do some good ones - unless anyone knows any better places - In the States you can get a cover for modern batteries which make them look period - have yet to find them over here, but the latter can wait as they are s@dding expensive!
Thats looking real nice. Mine will never look like this.

Re: Year of Engine..
Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2017 3:25 pm
by firedrake1942
That is what I once thought, patience (40 years!) and scrimp / save did it for me
Re: Year of Engine..
Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2017 11:14 am
by dubman1959
firedrake1942 wrote:This was mine in progress and 6 months ago. I have still got to move that washer pump under the dash and get a period look battery - Shield - quite close to me do some good ones - unless anyone knows any better places - In the States you can get a cover for modern batteries which make them look period - have yet to find them over here, but the latter can wait as they are s@dding expensive!
Beautiful Job.