Morris Minor Owners Club

Hello,

As somebody who is new to these cars, can anybody tell me if the whine in 1st gear is normal? It drives ok, and the other gears are ok (apart from a judder in reverse which I have noticed in another thread).

Thanks, Aaron

Yes it is normal. 1st gear is straight cut (like reverse) which seems to cause it to whine. Also, there is no synchomesh on 1st, so you have to take care when selecting 1st to avoid a 'crunch'. Best bet is to just snick it into 2nd before selecting 1st and do it at a standstill.

Welcome to the messageboard by the way!

Cam wrote:Best bet is to just snick it into 2nd before selecting 1st and do it at a standstill.

unless you can double declutch

welcome too

Blunt wrote:unless you can double declutch

Of course!

The whine is always there - but gets worse as the years pass. Don't use for any more than to get the car rolling - into second as soon as possible. And yes - double de clutching will get it in if you really need to - uphill hairpin bend or similar - but I suggest it's best to use it as little as possible.

Thanks for the info guys! I had read about the double declutch, but the car seems to have enough torque to avoid having to go for first at all but the lowest speeds so I think all should be ok!

that's the idea! I very rarely use 1st, but then I don't have any hills...

The whine always sounds really loud in an enclosed space like a multistorey car park. Part of the Minor's character, like the farting exhaust....