Morris Minor Owners Club

My 1098 Minor has developed an anoying squeal or screech. It starts after the engine has been running for a few minutes. The motors only done a couple of hundred miles since a major rebuild (rebore new crank etc).

At first I thought it was the fan belt (even though it was a new one) but I removed the fan belt and the squeal's still there. This rules out Fan belt, Alternator and water pump right?

It makes no difference if I press the clutch or if it's in or out of gear, so does that rule out release bearing?

The squeal does vary with revs and will sometimes stop and start again!

Does anyone have any ideas of what this is and how i can check?

I m sorry I can't help you with the mechanical prolem but if this was done professionally I would take it straight back to the garage

No, not a profesional rebuild. I did it myself!
That said, on the whole I'm pleased with the engine. It starts and runs really well, lots of power (for a std 1098), no smoke, just this squeal thats started. I'm hoping someone will have an idea with an easy fix, but if I have to pull it apart again then so be it (grrr)!

I had this on the Midget. After convincing myself it was something terminal in the engine I had the dizzy out to fit a new vacuum advance. Oiled it up while it was out, and the squeak has never come back

Try tightening the nuts that hold the carb onto the manifold. I had a squeak similar to that which you describe develop there, caused by air being sucked past the gasket.

and the manifold nuts,could be that when it heats up the manifold is expanding slightly and sucking or blowing past the gasket

You've done the obvious - so it must either be a manifold leak 'whistling' - or (hopefully not) something rubbing in/on the timing case. Is the bottom pulley on nice and tight ?

Well after packedup's comment i got myself a decent little oil can with a spout that reached into the crevices in the distributer.
I had tried before with a drop here and there as stated in the manual but this time gave it a little extra. So far no more squeal, so hopefully thats it fixed!
Thanks to all.

Well done - maybe that's what's sometimes screeching on mine - I had put it down to alt bearings, so carefully loaded a spare into the 'emergency' box I carry with me.