Morris Minor Owners Club

hi guys,

Anyone know if there is a viable, tidy alternative to the metal pipe which runs over the thermostat housing on its way round the os of the engine block, pausing only for its two supporting brackets to be bolted down by head stud nuts?

it makes me cross

surely there must be a little alternative pipe which runs nicely round the ps of the engine instead, and doesn't block the stat? mounted on the manifold bolts maybe?

(a nice pipe, not a bodged piece of hose etc)

Anyone know anything?

Perfectionist Woman

Yes - A30 etc had the little pipe on the manifold side, held on with the manifold nuts. The brackets under the head nuts are a really poor idea because the head nut torque will be affected by the thin soft metal of the bracket. I fit longer studs - and fix it with a second nut. Mini just uses rubber pipe to do the job.

wibble_puppy wrote:surely there must be a little alternative pipe which runs nicely round the ps of the engine instead, and doesn't block the stat? mounted on the manifold bolts maybe?

In a word, yes.



I don't know if it's original to the car but it doesn't look home-made.

Aye - that's the A30 one - maybe also fitted to early Minors as standard? It brings the water back on the wrong side of the engine for a Minor of course - but you can soon join up to it with a rubber pipe.

Yes fitted as standard on the Series 3 (948CC)

Rog

HarryMango wrote:Yes fitted as standard on the Series 3 (948CC)

That photo's from my mid-1963 1098cc Trav - but maybe somebody has swapped the pipe with one from an earlier car. The heater was the old round type.

i want one

I have one!

but I might want to it it my self when I retighten the head.

However there must be loads about - ask the big suppliers if they have a second hand one.

Why not get it chrome plated and replace the visible rubber hose with some stainless braided hose or some coloured reinforced silicone

this sort of stuff
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Suzuki-LTR450-Sil ... dZViewItem

My midget engine came with one that went 'manifold' side. It was knackered though.

Why don't you just make one up yourself from a bit of copper pipe or some hose? You can put it where you like then.

for those wishing to know what wibble_puppy is talking about:



Do you really need to do anything else? Mine is quite easy to 'move' out of the way by undoing the connector to the rubber hose and gain access to the thermostat.

Anyhow, what sort of perfectionist would change from the original set-up

alex_holden wrote:That photo's from my mid-1963 1098cc Trav - but maybe somebody has swapped the pipe with one from an earlier car. The heater was the old round type.

I've just checked the books & the change was April 1963 car no 1039564 when the fresh air ducting was introduced along with the new heater, valve & pipe.

Rog

it makes me cross

HarryMango wrote:

alex_holden wrote:That photo's from my mid-1963 1098cc Trav - but maybe somebody has swapped the pipe with one from an earlier car. The heater was the old round type.

I've just checked the books & the change was April 1963 car no 1039564 when the fresh air ducting was introduced along with the new heater, valve & pipe.

Yes, Fenchurch is about 9000 lower than that. Perhaps she was built quite early in 1963 then...

i have a new old stock one if any ones interested, if not it goes on ebay

yes please aupickup! if you mean you have one of the type I want!

(with thanks to RR )

I have the same as Alex on three of my engines two in moggys and one spear waiting to be rebuilt and the pipe is brass they polish up nice.

YES THEY DO POLISH UP NICE, BUT IS BEST TO KEEP THEM BLACK

Personal preferences I think if you polish the radiator and the heater pipe with a good painted engine, dynamo and fan etc it look tops.

i agree it does look nice, but not as functional as black, with but we all have a free choice