Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi,

Now Rosie is back on the road I need some advice on getting her properly set up, when she's idling the engine pops? a little, what should I do about this. Also if I put my hand over the air inlet of the filter casing the revs go up and she runs more smoothly, is this just a case of adjusting the carb?

Thanks

Philip

Yes - follow the manual - sounds like it's a bit weak - test with the lift pin on the carb. Ignition timing could maybe also do with fine tuning. Just slowly adavnce and retard while the engine is running until best idle is obtained - then road test listening for any pinking - it must NOT pink! If it does - retard slightly.

Thanks, just to check what does pinking sound like? Is it a metallic sound or a 'put' type noise?

It's a tinkling clattering type of sound like shaking bolts in a can. It happens most when you put your foot down in too high a gear.

Thanks! Well thats one less thing to do as she isn't pinking

Ahh - but to get the best setting you should advance the ignition timing until it does pink slightly (when flogging in top gear) - and then back it off ever so slightly!

All academic now, was on my way for a surfing weekend when a horrible grinding started then a load of cracking noises and we coasted to the hard shoulder near cardiff. Won't know what went wrong until I've taken the engine out but there was the sound of things dropping in the bell housing when we had stopped!

Oh dear- hope you had free recovery ! What's the history of the engine/box - had it been out to have a new clutch fitted - anything like that ?

The engine was a spare one I was given (as a good runner) as the original one needs re-boring (could fill a petrol station with smoke!) so I fitted a new clutch and popped the spare one in. The spare had been standing for a few years but was running smoothly with oil pressure of 20psi idling and averaging 40psi running.

Hmm - quite low oil pressure when running - was it still ok when the nasty noise started ? But you say the nasty noise was in the bellhousing - so it was likely something falling apart on the new clutch/flywheel/starter.