Morris Minor Owners Club

I have a problem! The exhaust on my morris knocks on the bodywork where it exits the engine bay. It hits at the bottom but I cannot see any type of adjustment in anything??

It is litteraly a case of bending it back up? or is there a way of adjusting it??

A common problem. I would slacken the exhaust to manifold clamp just enough to allow movement and all the exhaust system hangers too and then move the exhaust down pipe to where you can insert a spacer between it and the part of the engine bay which it hits. Then tighten the clamp securely. You now have to adjust the various hangers so that the system doesn't hit any other part of the body. ( there is often a problem with the centre cross member)!! It is worth noting that this knocking is usually worse when starting the engine due to the top steady bar being incorrectly adjusted thus allowing the engine to whip on its mounts.

Nice tip Willie - the start up knock (the only one it suffers from) has been bugging the heck out of me

But it shouldn't really be anywhere near the solid parts of the engine bay. Look to the condition of the engine (and g.box) mounts - and the steady bar and it's mountings. It can tear away from the bulkhead.

it's quite common that a Minor exhaust sits close / too close to the engine bay or the crossmember.
For the crossmember (as already mentioned) it is possible that it's a problem with the assembly position or the car - and it is also possible that the exhaust is just not a good shape. The exhaust can be 'reshaped' a bit to clear the crossmember (using brute force) if nothing else will cure it.
I had one Minor recently where the top steady bar had to be tweaked a bit to give more clearance between the exhaust and bodywork

The steady bar is adjustable for just that purpose!

Andrew,
As bmc says, check the state of the gearbox mounts (at the back just ahead of he propshaft). If yours are like mine then they're 40 years old and now half their original thickness allowing the ex pipe to drop almost to the cross member - giving rise to a lot of clatter on a slow tickover.
Regards, MikeN.

ok well this is gettin interesting! today I simply bent the exhaust upwards very slightly being careful not to damage anything. This then cleared the engine bay but there is still an anoying knocking/vibrating noise at tickover.

As soon as the revs pick up or you put pressure on the clutch this stops! Could this then indicate the rubbers on the gearbox mount (Crossmember) are worn and need replacing?

The engine mount has not been snapped and is holding fine but I dont know how tight it should be?? at the moment I cannot wobble the engine at all??

No wobble sounds good to me.

All good advice however the only way to cure it for good is to take it to a friendly exhaust /tyre centre and get them to heat up the pipe bends with a torch and bend into the right shape to clear the cross-member, this may mean some adjustment to the bend over the rear axle as well.

They normally get a good joint at the manifold first and then do the heating and bending. I struggled for months with mine and eventually took it the local exhaust place in exasperation and they did it for free sorting the chuffing manifold joint at the same time. Not a sound since, regards, John

could it be a crack in the manifold? i hear an exhaust leak like that kind of makes a rattling noise. Never had one before so i wouldnt know...