Morris Minor Owners Club

Good morning/evening:

I have a 1959 Morris Minor--I was driving from Southern Oregon, USA to Portland, Oregon (about 300 miles). Apart from needing the carburetor cleaned and the points adjusted in the middle of the trip, everything went fine. That is, until I got within a mile of where I was headed. Going up a short incline the engine lost all power--sounded like it was running on maybe two cylinders. When I pulled over, the car was not steaming (overheating), and had oil and coolant in it. When I tried to start her up again, she started spewing water down below somewhere (all hoses look good) and built up a lot of presser in the radiator. When I took off the radiator cap coolant spewed out--not hot, but like it was under pressure.

My first thought was the head gasket, but I am not so sure. I know it is hard to diagnose without being near the car, but any ideas? I have changed the head gasket before (two years ago), so I can handle that. Anything else, I am not so sure

Thanks--

Sean Wilcox

Sounds like the head gasket could have gone. This pressurises the radiator you can usually tell buy the smell like burning oil. When you have replaced the head gasket, it would pay to fit at least a temperature gauge. And possibly an oil pressure gauge

Bad luck there - you nearly made it! I have driven that road - from San Francisco to Portland - some hills in the middle!! It does sound VERY like the head gasket I'm afraid.

at least if it is the head it isn't hard to change 2 hours max

it could just be a blockage but if it has been driven for a long time by the looks of it it may have done the head gasket

it may well be worth flushing the rad and cooling system out with a good hose at the same time

keep running the water through forwards and backwards until runs clean both ways.

i did mine on my 54 split and it took about 2 hours solid of hosing through and it still wasn't perfectly clear so i'll give it another go before i re-fit the engine etc

Thanks for all the great replies--I am glad the consensus seems to be the head gasket and not something more severe/$$$. A local parts place has one for $9.95. That and a torque-wrench rental and I should (hopefully) be good to go.

If any Morris owners get stuck in Chemult, Oregon (in the middle of the high desert ), Ken Wilson is a great mechanic--he worked on Morris Minors as a teenager and did a good job getting mine back on the road after the carburetor plugged up and the points closed. Spendy, but good service