Morris Minor Owners Club

the head gasket on my 1098 Traveller was blowing by on the first two cylinders, think it has been for a while between the cylinders. i replaced the gaskets and cleaned everything up really well, and it seems to be running like a champ again. tis the season for head gaskets to be going. anyone else have the problem like I have described.

If you mean it has been blowing for a while between two cylinders. I think it highly unlikely. When it goes there are no half measures, the two cylinders concerned will halve their compression reducing their power output to zero. Therefore your 4 cylinder car will now be in effect a 2 cylinder one.
So you WILL know when its gone.

I think it highly unlikely. When it goes there are no half measures, the two cylinders concerned will halve their compression reducing their power output to zero. Therefore your 4 cylinder car will now be in effect a 2 cylinder one.

Yes, I agree with that. Mine went within a few yards. The two cylinders were just about firing, but contributing nothing.

I'd just stopped off at a farm shop for some vegetables. When I came out, there was a crowd admiring the moggy and I stood there mouthing off about how reliable the car was. I had just got back onto the road and was changing up to third gear when the gasket blew. Teach me to keep my mouth shut !!

Clive.

When they blow - they blow. The car will scarcely be driveable.

but they do take ages to go completely.

I drove my 1098d Series II for a month with a completely kanckered engine.

Compression was 60 120 70 40 if I remember correctly. Thank goodness for my new engine!

tis the season for head gaskets to be going.

It tends to happen more when the weather is warmer.
You seem to be having a run of niggly problems I wonder if its down to you using the car more regularly than the previous owner and its shaking out the cobwebs.

Onne- there's a difference between knackered engine (as yours clearly was) and blown gaskets. Once it gets a path through the gasket - it very quickly becomes a Motorway - in about 2 minutes flat!!

Is true. I guess there was a bit more to it with my engine

Valve springs compressable with two fingers
about 2mm end float on the crank
35 psi oil pressure at 60 mph
8 psi at 1000rpm when hot
valves worn out

But it was still an A-series, which will run and run (up to a point!)

Valve springs compressable with two fingers

Didnt notice your handshake was that strong last time Onne

ummm I drove the old trav with a blown gasket between 2 & 3 it wasnt that obvious to start with, just felt a little less powerful than normal, but went strong until it started running on 3... and even then I thought that only 1 cyl had gone...

If it's blown between two cylinders it obviously affects them both - I have had this - and believe me - the car could scarcely move - and the noise and vibration would put off even the most mechanically unsympathetic person !!

I had a Mini one go between 2 and three. It sounded like someone kicking milk bottles around under the bonnet!

However, I had to get home, which was 30 miles of hilly country lanes away.

Made it albeit quite slowly - Could get up to around 40, but took a while and uphill was a bit of a struggle.

When I pulled the head I found a chunk of metal was missing between 2 and 3, and I also know the headgasket had been done about a week before I bought the car - My guess is it had been bogded with some high temp filler and a helping of luck, so it'd last just long enough to flog the car on...

and the noise and vibration would put off even the most mechanically unsympathetic person !!

Yes it would. I would not want to drive far with the gasket blown between cylinders. I would not have thought it would do the bottom end any good either .

Regards, Clive.

I got the Moggy back on the road, it is running perfect (touch woody). I am very pleased with what i accomplished, and think i can probably tackle most things on it now. with the help of you all and the advice i have received since finding and joining the forum.

cheers,

Ben

Well done - but DO re-torque the nuts and adjust the valve gaps after 500 miles.

how do i do that? just take the rocker cover off again, and will re-torque them (44 pounds??)

yes, and in the same order as before, as described in the manual

And then - re-set the valve clearances. I recommend 12 thou on the inlets and 15 thou on the exhausts to allow for the additional heat - and therefore expansion - in the exhaust valve stems when running. this also gives a little bit of safety margin in case exhaust valve seat recession sets in. The clearances should be checked regularly (6 months) to check the gaps are being maintained. If the gaps start to reduce - then put some (more) additive in the petrol - and obviously re-set the gaps and check more frequently.

When I bought my minor the gasket was blown.
The previous owner didn't notice that she actully brought the car to the MOT station where they told her that car was only running on two cylinders... She just tought it was abit slow and that it died on idle.
Her solution was to adjust the throttlecable so it was always giving half throttle.
Br Lars

Good grief.