Morris Minor Owners Club

just a quick update,

i tried the rocker cover breather to inlet manifold via the servo hole, but using a t piece from halfords, so the servo had a full and unrestricted bore and the rocker breather had a restricted flow to about 2.5mm.

this didnt work, it whistled like a refereee and it upset the mixture alot, so i reconnected the pipes back up as normal and reistated the original filter, i am hoping that this sort of fixes it.

as for the clutch, its not good. it now slips so much i have to start off in 2nd and travel in 3rd just to get enough power past the slipping clutch to the wheels. plus it jumps and bounces all over the place when i start off.

as the sump gasket, i have got a new one, but i am going to make the cork pieces out of rubber and smear them with silicone to provide a nice seal, as well as that i am going to use my old sump from the old engine, as this didnt leak at all.

fingers crossed that the new gasket and sump, coupled with the "improved" ventilation in the case will either reduce or stop the leak and give the clutch plate time to dry out.

if not, then i am at a complete loss at what to do next

Chris,
Source the spridget rubber seals-it was the only way I could stop that leak. I have mentioned it before. They have to be cut back slightly to fit a 1098cc engine-if that's what you have. It worked for me and never leaked again-that was two years ago.
http://www.mmoc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f= ... ak#p239867
Regards

i am having problems finding midget gasket sets with the rubber replacement for the cork strip,

Cork seals are fine if properly installed. I really don't think that's the source of your oil leak - for one thing - a leak there won't get into the clutch! Only rear scroll leak gets to the clutch.................

right, so if its not the rear cork seal and the improved crank case ventilation isnt solving the problem, how can i stop it coming out the rear scroll?

You haven't 'improved' the crank case ventilation! You say it is back on the filter - where it came from. The general consensus is that your ultra low oil pressure means the crankshaft bearings are horribly worn - and the oil is gushing out of the rear main bearing at a great rate - and flooding the scroll beyond what it can cope with.

my original filter was one of those pancake ones, but i have reinstated the original factory air filter.
i am hoping this might of solved it, but i am hoping, really hoping that a bottom end rebuild isnt in order.

cadetchris wrote:my original filter was one of those pancake ones, but i have reinstated the original factory air filter.
i am hoping this might of solved it, but i am hoping, really hoping that a bottom end rebuild isnt in order.

God! Forever the optimist!! Suppose I've been into too many engine problems now to share your hopes. Never mind, a recon crank/ bearings at £75 is a complete steal, play your cards right and you could do the job without taking the head off! As a matter of no particular interest, not having a handy garden swing to remove my engine with, I have dismantled min in situ- slid it off the gearbox on a trolley jack, then manouvered it onto a piece of melamine faced chipboard which straddles the bottom of the engine tray behind the engine mounts. I can work on it just as easily as if it were on my cluttered bench, and shut the bonnet on it at tea time!

how do you get the sump off with the engine on the melamine

i also have rose tinted glasses to go with my optimism.

a recon crank might be the way ahead then i would of effectively completely rebuilt my engine.
my intention was/is, to drop the gearbox and sump, whip off the clutch and renew the knackered clutch plate and then take out the old crank (rats, just remembered the timing chain has to come off as well) and then replace the whole lot. are refurb cranks usually standard or have they been reground? as i may as well renew the big end bearings as well. do i have to take off the back plate as well or am i able to do it with it still on?


and as a final query, which ill put on here instead of a new topic,

how many adjusters are the rear brakes meant to have? one or two? as mine have one and it seems about pointless just adjusting one brake shoe

are refurb cranks usually standard or have they been reground?

They are usually ground to the whatever undersize that they will clean up at, like .010" or .020" under and come with the proper size bearings for both the rods and mains.

cadetchris wrote:how many adjusters are the rear brakes meant to have? one or two? as mine have one and it seems about pointless just adjusting one brake shoe

There's only one adjuster as there's only one cylinder which slides up/down to allow both shoes to work.

2 questions cleared up there and that saves me alot faffing about. looks like a bottom end rebuild order then. ill have to time it right so i can do it in an afternoon

You'll have to go some to get that lot done in an afternoon.
I'd schedule at least a day and wouldn't put money on finishing in that time.
If it has all been apart recently you might manage it, but sorting out seized, mangled bolts and cleaning up gasket surfaces take a lot longer than you might expect.

i think an afternoon would be optimistic to say the least.
i would have to:
remove gearbox cover
drop the prop shaft
unbolt the gearbox and x-member and remove,
clutch and fly wheel off
bumper, front panel and radiator off,
timing chain off
sump off (again)
oil strainer off
big bearings off
crank bearings off

refit all of the above.

they are times i wonder why i bother, but its all good fun

Why are you planning to take the gearbox out? I presume you'll replace the soggy clutch plate while you have the chance.

to change the crank i presumed that the clutch and ply wheel has to come off, as well as the gearbox and propshaft

They do need to be separated, but you can leave the gearbox in the car when you take the engine out.

You just have to find a few thou to get the rear main cap off, once you have the others off (timing cover must come off to get to the front bolts into the front main cap) try removing both the thrust washers from the middle main
Then some gentle leverage to move the crank forwards may give enough clearance to get the rear cap off without having to disturb anything else.

It makes a world of difference if things have been apart in living memory or have been together since the car was built.
Knowing what spanners you are going to need before you crawl under the car helps too.
Or a beautiful assistant, even an ugly one, who can identify a spanner and make tea.

that is all well and good just jiggling it about, but when i need to change the whole crank (as i have no idea what mine has been reground to) i am sure i need to either take out the whole gearbox or i could drop the prop shaft and heave the whole thing back