Morris Minor Owners Club

Hello all,

I have recently started to help my granparents get the morris my out of the garage in a hope to start it. The engine moves with the hand wind and when you apply the battery it tries to turn over. However we are getting no spark from any of the plugs from the distributor and beleive that the fault lies either with the capaicitor or the HT coil. I was wondering if there was any simple way of fault finding this and if so, where to get a new capaicitor or HT coil from? (we have 12v supply to the distributor and HT coil).

Also any other advice on what to do if we get the engine started as it has been sitting in the garage for 15 years untouched.

Was it running when it went into the garage all that time ago?

You need to get the plugs out oil up the cylinders, oil change advisable fuel change 100% neccessary - it will not be volatile after all that time.
Do that through the petrol pump - that way you'll know thats working.
New plugs, rotor arm and distributor cap wouldnt hurt so sheaper to buy a service kit.
All the major suppliers do a service kit and it's not big money - reccomend Bull motif others will have thier own preference. A quick google for morris minor spares will give you many choices.
You can even get a service kit on ebay.

if it has been left for ages chances are the point are totally closed I think the coil should have survived and although the plugs might not be clever they ought to give some sort of spark.

check points, condensorr and rotor arm before looking at the coil.

Also any other advice on what to do if we get the engine started as it has been sitting in the garage for 15 years untouched.

Engines that sit for that long, will often need a partial rebuild. Every rubber seal will be hardened including the valve stem oil seals. Gaskets are likely to be shot as well. As already suggested, a service kit will take care of the electrical side of things.

Once you get it running, it will reveal any leaks/knocks etc. It is likely that oil sludge has built up, as well as coolant passage corrosion.

When you say "tries to turn over" it sounds like the battery or leads you are using aren't up to the job and there may not be enough juice left to give a spark.
How well do it turn with the plugs out? Its not a bad idea to do this just to get some oil pumped around the engine.

You really should not try to start it until you have oiled the bores etc as Orkney lists above. Otherwise you will ruin the engine. Most likely is points horribly oxidised . On a car that's been standing for 15 years - starting the engine is likely to be the least of the problems!

Hello again all, I have changed the capaicitor, make oand break contact and spark plugs but still no joy. I am going to place a 12 v lamp between the ht coil and distributor to see if it makes and brakes and i have set it up right, the ditsributor cap seems fine, its very clean and everything seems to be in working order. The battery is fine, it is fully charged. Just out of interest what oil should i use?

Also i have pumped out the petrol and replaced it with fresh. Thanks for all the info guys.

Tom

Just out of interest what oil should i use?

Basic 20/50 Mineral oil such as Halfords Classic Car Oil. Do not use a synthetic oil!

The lamp goes from the dizzy wire to earth - when it goes out - the points are closed. Have you tried taking a spark plug out - and connecting it to the HT lead - and just watch as you crank the engine over on the starting handle ? It should give a nice fat spark as that cylinder comes up on the compression stroke.
Since the engine hasn't run a for a while - check the carb to make sure the piston inside can rise and fall - it may be gummed up and not moving. To see it - take the sir filter off and the piston is there inside the carb as viewed from the flange. It should lift reasonably easily with a finger - and fall back when you release.