Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi All
Well low oil pressure so I decided its time to check out bearings.
Sump off and center main bearing is copper. Big ends though ok. So check out forum and it seems I can detach block and swing it sideways over front grill. Would it swing sideways to clear everything, no way. Front grill off which took half an hour, engine out dead easy.
All main bearings down to copper, so new big end and mains fitted and reading forum a new oil pump. Engine back in, crank over with no plugs in, no oil pressure on gauge but oil light did go out. Air lock I thought to pressure gauge but no. So read up on forum and I never primed oil pump so engine out again, pump out, it is full of oil, s--t, what can be wrong. Crank engine over on starter on garage floor, remove oil pressure t piece from block and oil gushes out. Am I in luck I think, engine back in, crank over with no plugs and 30+ psi great. Connect everything up wind her up and she runs but spit back out of carb when I blip it. Read forum again and thinks it a air leak on carb, cut new gaskets no joy, play with timing no joy, silly sod had got plug leads 2 and 3 reversed. Thing is she revved up she ticked over just gave a spit on the carb on a fast blip of acceleraor.
A learning experience, I nearly did a Basil Fawlty and killed her, but dont you love them,
So my tips
Dont swing the engine sideways to remove, take out front grill so much easier
Cranking over on starter motor will give 20+psi on oil, I saw nothing on my gauge but though it wasn't cranking fast enough to give enough pressure for gauge.
Taking the engine out uncovers so many faults, like my fuses were strips of wire, my clutch linkage had no bronze bush in the rubber mount , no wonder my clutch pedal was sloppy, the earth failed on the connection from battery to body. no power, my petrol pump decided to leak on the body gasket, and when fitting the flywheel the bugger dropped of and crushed my finger, ouch.
But when she runs you get a buzz.

Great story, well done. Oh and you can prime the oil pump with vaseline

Front grill off which took half an hour,

That was fortunate as the stud fixings often shear off, but puzzled by the swing sideways to clear everything normally you release the bonnet stay pins and the bonnet will then go right backwards to give you the clearance needed but as your grill came out nice and easy definately an easier method.

Kevin wrote:the bonnet will then go right backwards to give you the clearance needed but as your grill came out nice and easy definately an easier method.

Be very careful with that - it's an easy way to snap the hinges. I know most don't believe that, but it's true

MoggyTech wrote:Great story, well done. Oh and you can prime the oil pump with vaseline

After reading the first post that's just what I was going to say!

a tip I find useful when removing plug leads on any thing I attatch cklothes pegs to leads numbered 1-4 or 6 or however many then you cant get them out of order simple eh

or however many then you cant get them out of order simple eh

So for a 4 cylinder = 10 pegs
for a 6 cylinder = 21 pegs
for a 12 cylinder = 57 pegs
Dont know if I have enough pegs for a 12 cylinder

those maths really confuse me!!!
personally i just use tippex dots on the plug cover bit of the lead.
that way the marks stay on there and you can just turn the lead to give you your pristine engine back.

by the way I know how you feel right now! lol<br><br>

those maths really confuse me!!!

1 peg on number 1, 2 pegs on number 2 and so on.
As you say Ash your way is nice and simple, and there are also number tags that can be used as well.

I just remember that they fire in the order 1342, the rotor arm goes anticlockwise, and no. 1 is closest to the front of the car...

Isn't that nice that the most complex item is the spark plug wire connections.

Thats why we all love them

I only bought my moggy this March, she sailed through her MOT 3 weeks ago but so far I have had a half shaft break, and now the woes of changing bearings, but she is such fun to drive and dare I say it fun to work on. I must say this forum is fantastic, tons of information, there is always somebody who has the answer, and you are all such a happy lot.
I will remember vaseline to prime the pump but hopefully she will outlive me before I need change the pump again. Who wants a modern plastic go faster car!! when petrol hits £5 a gallon, garages charge £60 + to connect a laptop to a engine, aint the old ladies lovely. Why are they all female!!

They're not! We've got "Bertie" and I know of many with male names
Perhaps you have simply not met them yet! You'll have to go to more rallies and ask.

The engine DOES come out by swinging it sideways! I hope you checked the crank was ok on size before fitting new shells. the oil pump would be fine if you put a bit of oil in it - vaseline is only needed if the engine is to lie a long time before it will be used. And most Minor engines have a 'priming plug' on the block where you can add oil anyway - or just squirt it in the main oil connection and gently turn the engine backwards by hand while doing so.
And - you only need to mark #1 lead - then apply 1342 anticlock round the dizzy.
But well done getting it going! Good idea to make sure the spring/plate/seal are all present in the oil filter - I assume you fitted a new one ??

bmcecosse wrote:And - you only need to mark #1 lead

Not even that. As I said, it's the one nearest the front of the car (unless the dizzy has been put in the wrong way round, then it's the one at the back).

So - there is a possibilty for confusion! A wee tie-wrap on #1 lead saves any hassle.

Why are they all female!!

Meet William!

re clothes pegs I meant that you would write 1 on 1 peg 2 on 2 peg 3 on 3peg etc depending on how many cylinders you are working on. and then attatch each peg to the relevant dist lead easier than you blokes seem to think

re clothes pegs I meant that

I guessed you meant that but couldnt resist a slight leg pull