Morris Minor Owners Club

Is the taper on the arm mean't to be an interference fit into the hole of the swivel pin?

I have purchased a new MM swivel pin from the club spares and every steering arm I've got (including my original series II one and an MM one) won't go in unless I seriously heat the swivel pin to expand the hole. At first apprearance the interference appears to be about 60 thou or 1.5mm

Any ideas?

should go straight in and then bolt up

The taper on the arm should fit most of the way in, and pull up tight using the nut.

There are 2 sizes for the Minor 1000 taper as a larger one was used on 8CWT commercials.

As regards MM parts - you might want to try asing Mike Perry (MM register guy) - he uses this site and generally knows what fits what for the early cars (so do some others but I can't remember who).

Cheers guys, your help is really appreciated. It just seems strange why mine when pushed fully home still has 15mm of machined taper left to go in. I thought at first I'd got a later steering arm, but having just bought this MM one for... the MM swivel pin it still has 15mm left go in the same. It will never pull up using the nut as not enough thread is showing to get a nut on, hence my question about heating the swivel pin up.

that does not seem right

the size of the hole for the small steering arm, for a car or 6 cwt van is 5/8" and 3/4"

the 8 cwt or thick arm , the hole in the swivel pin is 7/8" and 3/4"

Definitely don't go heating it up - not to that extent anyway!

Small end is more like 15mm or .590", the larger end is close to the 3/4" though.

Anyone have a reamer that has a 1 in 8 taper?

Send it back - it's obviously not fit for purpose!

It was the last one BMC! I have no way of getting my car on the road without it.

Oh dear hmmm. I guess you have no option then - modify either the arm - or the kingpin! But heat will never get the two together with the size differences you quote. I would triple check with another known good steering arm before doing anything - just in case you have two of the later HD ones.

Cheers BMC, I've just telephoned the club spares guy and he seems a little confused. He's looking into it, (it may be a faulty swivel pin) hence the reason why it was the only one left.. lol. So I may have to return the pin and get mine re-cut with undersized trunnions. So there is still hope...

This might be me being daft, but could it be meant to go in from the other side?

No Alain, tried it both ways, there is a definite taper and you can tell the larger end. Thanks though.

If it really IS the last one - and the arm really IS correct - then you may as well take it to an engineering place and ask them to machine it out till it fits! I think there is a key and keyway in there too ?

Yes I have thought about that, depends how much they charge though. Doesn't look the easiest of components to hold and get the taper clocked up. Another option though.

Well - you say it's the LAST - so best to make use of it!

Ray obviously has faith in my knowledge of Series MMs. Sorry to disappoint but I've never tried to get the steering arm in or out of a swivel pin so I have never compared MM & 1000 arms.
I got rid of all my MM swivels after I converted to M1000 swivels so I have nothing to check. I will make a couple of phone calls in the morning to see what I can find out.

Thanks Mike.

Here is the relevent page from the Series MM parts book. I hope you can read it. Basically the early swivel pins and steering arms changed and I am informed that the very early swivel pins had smaller diameter steering arms. It seems that you have been sold one of these swivels.
The long term answer to the problem is to convert your car to take M1000 swivel pins and still keep the early brakes and drums. To do this go into the Series MM website, click on Technical Info and scroll down to Swivel Pin Modification which will give you full instructions.


<br><br>