Morris Minor Owners Club

I have two possible alternatives for the back end of my car

I have a standard 1098 box at the moment and I'm looking at an escort axle or a marina one - question is, what propshaft do I need to use / where can I obtain a suitable one?

Aim is to have this done for the national, along with the discs upfront

Edit: Have now obtained an Escort Axle

I'd simply offer the dimensions to a prop company and get them to make one. Use the Escort one too.

So what are the advantages (other than PCD) of an escort axle? As far as I can tell they are more expensive to buy, the brake shoes are the same and the drums/cylinders are comparable in price?

I assume they are also up to about the same power unless you start looking at RS or mexico halfshafts too

The Escort axle will offer a better range of Diff ratios, has larger bearings, will take uoto 240bhp and equivalent torque and can be uprated with the RS 2000 half shafts if fitting alloys and will take Capri 9" drums. Rear disc kits are available if required too.
Axles are available from £60 upwards depending on condition and if you know where to look

I've got my eye on one at the moment Jonno, just hoping that I can obtain it at a reasonable price.

And who pray are these propshaft companies of which you speak? I guess you'd prob have experience of this one

Try Dave Mac in Coventry, they are an excellent company

is that www.davemacprops.com? I shall have a looky

Just won this

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 71&rvr_id=

That'll have a 3.54 diff ratio which will be too laid back for a 1275cc you really need a 3.7 or 3.9, we have even fitted 4.4 diffs which really lets the 1275 motor sing. If selling let me know

sorry, if selling the diff or the axle? I have reason to believe that this was coupled to a Fiat twincam lump so I'm expecting a similar kind of ratio to what you said.

The car only has a mild 1098 (i.e mainfold & big carb and soon a 295) so I'm going to be looking for a 4.1 diff.

What do you reckon for value for money on that then Johnathon? I think I've done OK

i used a prop shaft company in south wales... no real help.. the closest to us appears to be

http://www.propshaft-services.co.uk/

but they are based in feltham middlesex

ha, i was looking at that axle dan! and the front brakes...and the fiat engine he was selling...mmm...spares!

Props are dead easy. Use the Minor shaft and get a flange(available new) to suit the back axle you are using. Make sure the flange accepts an 1140 series UJ. Fit this to the Minor prop with a new UJ (1140 series!!) and get the shaft shortened to suit.

It is possible to shorten the shaft your self if you have a big lathe otherwise get a prop firm to do it. I always use Dunning and Fairbank.

Go on... how do you shorten the prop using a lathe then? Does it need to be able to fit through the headstock?

I'm asking because I have a large lathe I could use to do his (and my) propshaft! 6.5" center and about a 5ft bed

It is easy to make a prop, not easy to cut it, or weld it, to a satisfactory standard, nor indeed balance it. On such a critical item just pay for a professional to do it. £130 (approx) is not a lot to pay for peace of mind

It is one of those cases that if you have to ask then perhaps you should leave it to the pros.

But as you asked....... You have to remove the tube yoke from the tube. This can be done a few ways. The preferred is to pass the prop through the head stock and turn out the weld. Or you can grip the sleeve yoke in the chuck and have the prop spinning on a fixed steady and turn the weld out. Or you can hacksaw the tube, grip the tube and turn the weld out. OR you can hacksaw the tube and hold the flange in the chuck and put a centre in the tube yoke, if it has one.... if not you need to get clever with a nut.

Then ideally the tube on the prop requires facing with a chamfer and made square. The Flange and tube yoke is then tapped into the tube, heat is often used paying attention to phase the yokes. The flange is then held in the chuck, the tube in the steady and the tube "clocked" with a DTI. 4 tacks, then weld. Recheck, if more than about 0.1mm total runout balance the prop.

Alternatively you can very carefully angle grind the weld off and then hacksaw the tube square and clock the prop on the vehicle.

I would recommend that you get your prop professionally done. I spent 5 years building props for a living and only saw one home made prop (out of over 50) that was done correctly.

Thats more or less what I thought ;)

My lathe isnt big enough to pass a prop through the headstock or I would consider doing it!

Innovator wrote:It is one of those cases that if you have to ask then perhaps you should leave it to the pros.

If you dont ask questions, you never learn!