Morris Minor Owners Club

My car now runs beautifully- once it starts. Starting is now a ten minute exercise of spinning and not quite catching, or just catching enough that the starter motor disengages and whines but the engine doens't move more than a mm. Each pull of the starter is accompanied by a pronounced "thunk" when you first pull.
This is only the first start- after that, the engine starts first time, every time.
Also, I think the clutch might be slipping. When I lift the clutch, just as it catches the whole car judders. Is this clutch slip?
Not to mention a flipping leak from the front end AGAIN... This time it's hard to find. I think it might be the engine plate join, just behind the timing chain cover, because although the drips come off the bottom of the timing chain, they slide down the back of the engine plate first, as far as I can tell. Is that possible?

Very possible. The plate may have been bent a little, meaning that there is a gap in the gasket that the oil drips through
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Morris Minor + oil leak = NORMAL.

Morris Minor + oil leak = NORMAL.

This I am aware of- I've had plenty of experience of that! But this is a serious leak- enough when you run the engine that as the oil warms and becomes less viscous it will lose a cupfull of oil in five minutes. I could halve the engine oil running it for about half an hour, it gets worse the hotter the oil gets...
I sincerely hope that's not normal! I can't leave it standing without a collector underneath the front end.
Any ideas on the clutch slip and the difficult starting?

ideas on the clutch slip

Oil leak at the rear allowing oil to get onto the clutch?

jackkelleher wrote:Also, I think the clutch might be slipping. When I lift the clutch, just as it catches the whole car judders. Is this clutch slip?

Could be oil on the clutch making it sticky. Could also be the engine steady bar (support next to heater tap on the head), engine mounts or even the condition of the clutch linkage. Mine's always been a little bit juddery, a less-than-smooth clutch seems to be a Minor feature.

Well, I would agree- I wouldn't be bothered by it, but before the engine was rebuilt, there was no judder.
How does one correctly set the steady bar? It could well be that, as I just sort of put it on and tightened the bolts at each end, the ones holding it on (I deliberately didn't fiddle with the middle bit at any point...)
Right, well, I'd better check for leaks too. I'll do the steady bar first, but if no improvement- off with the engine!

Difficult starting is most likely to be an ignition problem. Weak spark. Give the engine a full ignition service.

In the mean time (untill the service kit arrives). try cleaning and gapping the spark plugs, same with the points, carefully scrape off any corrosion or burning off the rotor arm tip and distributor cap contacts, ensure the carbon contact in the centre of the cap is not worn down. Check all connections are tight and clean and the leads are in good condition.

Could it be thet the starter motor brushes need replacement? Also the oil leak, are the crankcase ventilation hoses clear?

I have a cylinder on the right side of the engine (seen from the front) that connects via a hose to the carb- am I right in thinking this is the breathing system? Should it be like that?

Could bad timing be causing starting difficulties? Even if it's only first start?

Right, I've narrowed down the problems.
Leak: The bottom two bolts on the timing cover were pushing against the sump, making a gap between the engine plate and the sump. I solved this, but oil still leaks- I think the plate is now deformed, will I have to remove it and hammer it back? Is it even possible to hammer it back?
Clutch: It's changed a bit. The whole car jumps and judders really badly and, unless you have the revs up a lot, the engine cuts out.
Starting: Not really that concerned- it starts in the end with a bit of magicking, only took three attempts today!

Could it be thet the starter motor brushes need replacement?

Starter motor's not at all tired, it spins very rapidly and sounds very healthy. It's the catching that's the thing- for the first couple of attempts you can pull the starter for about fifteen seconds (that's the longest I've tried, at least) and there's no sign of it catching. But as I say, bit of twiddling sorts it.
So really, it's the leak and, even worse, the huge jump and engine cut that I need to solve now...

jackkelleher wrote:Could bad timing be causing starting difficulties? Even if it's only first start?

Yep, it could - and will

jackkelleher wrote: Leak: The bottom two bolts on the timing cover were pushing against the sump, making a gap between the engine plate and the sump. I solved this, but oil still leaks- I think the plate is now deformed, will I have to remove it and hammer it back? Is it even possible to hammer it back?

Pretty much what I said, then. You could give beating it flat a go, but it's unlikely to make it perfect. I ended up changing the plate, but was going to try liquid gasket after battering the thing with a hammer. No guarantees, but worth a go?

I think so.. In the end I can't lose out by trying!
Could bad timing also lead to the jerking and cutting on engagement? I don't see how, but it's worth a try...

You will need to sort that oil leak - so tackle that first. Have a look inside the gearbox bellhousing (through the inspection ports - take rubber bungs out) to see if any oil showing. Otherwise check the little wire restrainer between gearbox and crossmember is a) not broken and b) not too tight - it should just be 'loose'. Starting will be timing provided the choke is working ok ? When you pull the choke does the carb jet drop down about 3/8" ? Maybe too much slack in the choke cable. For timing - advance it until it obviously kicks against the starter (cold engine) and then take it back slightly. From your description it may already be kicking (your "thunk") - so may be you should retard slightly first to see if that's any better.

I'll try that. So when it's cold starting, if it's kicking back there'll be that "thunk"? And then I'll retard from there. That makes sense.
On the subject of restrainers and supports, which could be leading to such bad jumping and cutting? Obviously the one between crossmember and 'box, you say- what about the front mounts for the engine, or the rear support on the left? What can be done to any of these to prevent unpleasant symptoms?
The oil leak really only seems to be a sorter if I remove the front end... Damn nuisance that. Ah well.

The steady bar should be neutral. neither pulling or pushing on the engine.
The same applies to the gearbox restraining wire underneath.

Really none of these supports will make much difference - the problem is unfortunately almost certainly in the clutch itself - but good supports can sometimes make it 'bearable'.

I had a look through the inspection port, couldn't really see any oil. Where exactly would I be looking?

Looking for obvious oil running down the backplate - behind the flywheel. But if it was anything serious it would be dripping out the hole in the bottom of the bellhousing anyway.