Morris Minor Owners Club

Also, check if the steering column is getting an earth. Mine was not and it took an additional earth wire from the steering rack to chassis to get the horn to work.

Thanks Roni! It turned out that the contact had moved out of position from the slip ring, due to a nut being loose. So I tightened down the nut and the horns work good-as-new again!

Roni wrote:Also, check if the steering column is getting an earth. Mine was not and it took an additional earth wire from the steering rack to chassis to get the horn to work.

I actually have a same problem, but that sounds like a solutions! thanks for the tip!

A very irritating week it has been. Mog is yet again going to remain at home while I depart for school. The main trouble is that I haven't had enough time to learn how to drive it properly -- I'm a good driver, but I'm used to modern cars. Other troubles include the left-rear hub moving in and out a bit, a persistent lack of brakes (because I don't feel like bleeding them again), and various engine troubles, primarily slightly rough running and a minor exhaust leak around the manifold clamp. I've also had a bit of trouble setting the idle speed, and the ignition warning light blinks on (with a funny crackling sound) at revs around 2500-2700. But my new tachometer works, and the horns still work!

I fixed the left-rear hub movement (by hijacking a hub from Stiltzkin -- that poor, poor car), and the brakes were bled and when I left they were pretty firm, though there was still a slight leak from under the master cylinder -- probably down to me not tightening one of the unions sufficiently.

I did make up the license plate brackets, which came out pretty nicely.[frame][/frame][frame][/frame]

I am back at university now. My Christmas break begins 13 December and ends circa 10 January, so I should have plenty of time to get Mog roadworthy then -- but will I be able to learn to drive it properly in such a short time? I'll know in a few months.

I'm home for the weekend, and I've gotten a tiny bit done. The best part is I finally found some more gauge lights, and so I can read all my gauges at night now:[frame][/frame]Not sure why the oil pressure gauge is so dim, but I can see the needle. The tacho and water temp gauge have some condensation inside, which might be a problem.
I've also been working on my ignition warning light problem (http://mmoc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=46243), and I have some hope that I may have it fixed tomorrow.

OH WOW YOU HAVE A TACHO GAUGE!!!! Seriously chap how did you fit this? I'm in desperate need to have mine installed!

Well, let's see if I can remember correctly. On this model of tacho (RVI 1433/00), there are two spades and two bullets (one male, t'other female) on the backside. The slanted spade on the body takes an earth wire. The other spade, between the bullets, takes a power wire from the green side of the fusebox. The two bullets cut in to the supply to the coil from the key; it's a fifty-fifty shot of which bullet is in and which is out, as no one seems to know the correct way, so if you hook it all up and the tacho doesn't work, flip these two wires. If it still doesn't work, your tacho probably needs rebuilt (the tacho you see in this shot is a replacement; the first one I bought didn't work). And then of course your tacho gets a light, which has its own wire; the earthing for the light runs through the slanted spade.

The RVC tachos have an external coil of wire, which is more complex but does the same job; you have a single long wire from key to (engine) coil, and you feed that through posts in the back of the tacho to create a coil. For this reason, I recommend the RVI style.

The oil gauge will dim probably due to the innards being painted a matt black, which isn't the best surface for reflecting light. I have the same problem and one day I will dismantle it and paint the surface gloss white.

Change to green bulbs

irmscher wrote:Change to green bulbs

They do look good but the problem is finding them or bulb-dye.

Huh. I disagree on the aesthetics of the green lighting -- I don't care for it. Is it supposed to make them more visible? In any event, I disassembled the oil pressure gauge and painted the inside white, and it's much brighter now.

As you can see in this photo, the oil gauge is much brighter now.[frame][/frame]
I may take each of the gauges and paint their insides. Not sure yet. First I should send one of my tachs off for repair.
The water temp. gauge appears to be wildly inaccurate -- after the thermostat opens (at the lowest, 82 degC, I believe), the gauge only reads about 55 degC. So I've ordered a capillary gauge that should be more accurate, and also be somewhat more aesthetically pleasing (as it has the same dial style as the tach).

Water temp should take power from the voltage stabiliser otherwise it will be partially acting like a voltmeter and reacting to voltage. Might explain if your water gauge reads consistently high

I've got it hooked up to a stabilizer (had to order one -- Mog has the earlier fuel gauge, so didn't come with one), and it reads consistently low. But I appreciate your consideration.

I decided to change out the water temperature gauge with a capillary-action one, which I've had to modify a bit to allow it to be read in the night. And I need an adapter to put the bulb in the engine, so it's not on the car yet. But here it is:[frame][/frame]You can probably tell that the word "WATER" is painted on by me; this is because this is actually an OIL temperature gauge, but I discovered that they use the same Bourdon tube arrangement, so it'll be useful as a water one.

Here's Mog today:[frame][/frame]We're constructing a more permanent car-port type thing to park it under, so in the meantime, it's sitting out. But it enjoys the Sun and the leaves.

Mog has a new "garage." It's pretty good! Still needs some work, but it's a vast improvement on the flimsy canopy from before -- sturdy timber frame and metal roof, with some electric lighting to boot. I also took the opportunity to grade the dirt floor, and it'll soon receive new weed barrier.[frame][/frame][frame][/frame]
I'm home for Thanksgiving break -- a total of nine days, one of which has elapsed -- and will be able to get plenty of good work done on the silly car.

Nice building, very light and airy too!

Didn't get just a whole lot of work done over Thanksgiving break, mostly because things refused to cooperate (that is, not for lack of trying). I tried my spare pair of front dampers, but they're non-functional. The trouble with the control box is unresolved. The mixture won't adjust properly (still way too rich). But some things did get done: the kickplates and sill finishers were mounted, the rear hubs got extra gaskets, and I placed the bonnet anti-drum brace and the new water temperature gauge.

You can see here that the sill finishers are mounted (and the car needs a uniform paint job!)[frame][/frame]
The new temp. gauge is second from left -- only barely bright enough to see. [frame][/frame]
The anti-drum brace, fixed up, painted, and (mostly) mounted.[frame][/frame]

Make sure the needle in the carb has it's shoulder level with the base of the piston.
Very hard to get the mixture right if it's been pushed up too far.