Morris Minor Owners Club

From what's been said before, am I right in thinking that because there is water in my traveller's radiator, the head gaskett needs replacing?
If this is the case, please can someone tell me if it is a straight forward job and what parts I will need to get to sort it?
Sorry to have to revisit this topic, there's been so much going wrong with the car of late I'm losing track...and it's hot.
A garage recently told me that the car is firing on only three cylinders.
Also, since the clutch has been adjusted a scraping noise has appeared. Is scraping a clutch related sound as a rule?
Fablovey

Get on to ESM or Bull Motif and get a head gasket set, not to difficult a job really. You'll need a torque wrench to! The book of lies (haynes) is ok for explaining how to change it.

The scraping noise could be an over adjusted clutch, I changed the clutch on Phoebe last year and adjusted it not long ago (a bit too much ) and the thrust bearing scraped on the pressure plate so I knocked it back half a turn and it was OK then.

Lee

I did this job last month .. it took me a morning .. However if you don't already have an unleaded head it might well be worth the investment.

If you bring the car out to Henley I'll help you do it ..

Head gasket change is not for the totally inexperienced. Rad is supposed to have water in it. Check spark plug and or HT lead/contact inside dizzy cap before getting in to head change. Unless doing big mileage - don't worry about unleaded conversion !

I did my first head gasket last month, and I found it easy enough to do, as long as you follow the manual. And make sure the surfaces are both true.
Don't be scared, be glad you don't need to remove camshafts etc, like on a more modern OHC engine

Onne

If there is oil in the radiator, how much? I have a had a bit of oil in the water for ages, and it is still there (even after changing the engine ) Also, is it loosing water? Do you need to fill the radiator a lot? I would check the oil too - if it is a sludgy Grey colour then it probably is a head gasket.

Like BMC above, check all the other bits. If it only running on 3 cylinders, remove each HT lead (replacing afterwards, and try not to get zapped - especially if you have a heart condition) to see which cylinder is not firing. You will notice no change when you remove the lead to the spark plug on the "bad" cylinder. Then take the spark plug out and make sure it is sparking - I have had plugs that look fine, but don't spark

And feel free to keep asking questions - I do

yes cheak the plugs i have had last month new plug and points all well put them all in and not running right number 2 was not fireing truned out to be a brand new plug .
oil in rad yes head gaskit if you realy dont want to do the job then go to your local motoriset shop get some rad flush and some gold water or the stuff that seals the head gaskit
i have used this stuff on my rangerover (always carry two bottles ) in germany when i was on my way back to england after 10 years stantyinoed near hambrug just out side hannover teh head gaskit went oh dear 650 miles still to go put this stuff in filled teh rad back up and moterd on all the way back to england i have just had to change the head gaskit after 6 years running with this stuff in it
im not saying it will work on your car but it has not done me any harm both my moggys have it in all the time just in case the gaskit goes worth teh 8.99 i recon

JustinMobile wrote:I did this job last month .. it took me a morning ..
If you bring the car out to Henley I'll help you do it ..

Thanks! That would be great in a few weeks time if the offer's still on.
What do I need to get for it?
How far is Henley from London.
Fablovely

fablovely wrote:

JustinMobile wrote:I did this job last month .. it took me a morning ..
If you bring the car out to Henley I'll help you do it ..

Thanks! That would be great in a few weeks time if the offer's still on.
What do I need to get for it?
How far is Henley from London.
Fablovely

about 30 miles ...

and easy to get to ..

Get the kit from ESM (Head Gasket kit) and that should be all ..

I've got a coupel of spare studs and nuts ..

If the head gasket is really 'gone' the engine will not keep running for 'several weeks' without doing serious damage to the block and/or head surfaces.

bmcecosse wrote:If the head gasket is really 'gone' the engine will not keep running for 'several weeks' without doing serious damage to the block and/or head surfaces.

Matt suggested trouble with the head gaskett a couple of months ago. It's had oil in the radiator for a while now. I hope it isn't too far gone. I have been driving it, although not far. Can oil in the radiator be caused by anything other than head gaskett trouble?

Not really - but it's usually the other way round - water in the oil!

Can oil in the radiator be caused by anything other than head gaskett trouble?

Yes its possible especially if you mistake the rad cap for the oil filler cap although of course you wouldnt do such a thing unlike someone else I know.

bmcecosse wrote:Not really - but it's usually the other way round - water in the oil!

The oil seems okay...in fact it still seems to last about the same amount of time as always. It's definitely oil in the radiator...thick sludgy goo. It has become progressively worse. Of late the car has been losing power going up hills. I put it down to the clutch needing adjusting, but it's been done and it still has difficulty. This is a new occurence. It's been up and down small mountains and the like for years with little problem.

Check for thick white emulsion forming in the oil filler cap.

Of late the car has been losing power going up hills.

Hmm, you might want to plan your route to Henley carefully!

There's a couple of roads around Henley you should avoid (A4055) as there are some quite sharp gradients....

Suggest you use the m4/A4 to junction 8/9 and head west along the A4.
There's a couple of up & downs on the road to Henley from there, but it's probably better than getting into Reading & trying to cross the Thames in Reading (unless you can guarantee going through when there's no traffic...)


Colin

Can you not take the car to a local garage - and ask them to do a compression check on the engine - then post the results on here.

bmcecosse wrote:Can you not take the car to a local garage - and ask them to do a compression check on the engine - then post the results on here.

Will do it soon as I can.