Morris Minor Owners Club

I lost my spring somewhere whilst driving, seems odd, but maybe it was because i changed gear too quickly. Is this common? I found a suitable replacement from an old angle-poise lamp

They get worn where they hook on so one end will eventually break off, but if the ends are correct it wouldn't always fall off the other end.
a touch of grease helps but if the engine and box leak a lot the oil gets everywhere and collects muck - almost like grinding paste.

The correct springs are available from the Minor suppliers and
while you are at it order a throttle return spring and a brake
pedal spring too. The keep them IN the car.

I had a throttle spring break once on the motorway! The pedal flopped to the floor and car just started accelerating by itself..... fortunately I had my wits about me before hitting the cars infront, so I just used the ignition key to slow the car down or back on again until the next sevices where I swapped it with the choke spring.
What joys!

You were on the ball RAY, you'd be surprised how few people
think to turn the ignition off when their engine starts to
overrev. It only seems obvious after they have hit something!

sound advice there Willie, thanks. Throttle spring would certainly prevent a safe ride home, and springs are difficult to improvise.

Elastic bands....can be used for all sorts ;) I would have gone to the hard shoulder (I very rarely venture out to the middle lane anyway) dumped the clutch, killed the ignition, and coasted as far as possible afterall i dont have a servo......

Matt,
I dout you would have been on the 200 mile journey anyway... (only winding you up again ;-))
I was in the fast lane but had just slowed to 60 mph (traffic jam)

No, I don't think ive ever driven that far in one sitting, ive done 150 miles there 150 back in the same day - but that was in a fiesta....

fast lane in a minor? No wonder your throttle spring broke with that heavy foot of yours Ray!

Saying that, i did chase a Golf GTI today along the A45 for some distance, using speed cameras to my advantage! I think they were quite amused since they were indicating left and right and toggling the hazard lights. So i followed suit with my trafficators!

Bet they couldn't see them tho....

I was in the fast lane but had just slowed to 60 mph (traffic jam)

Can`t have been the London area then Ray, on the M24 when you are doing 5MPH the next thing you see is a sign saying 40MPH maximum, if only !!!

Sometimes with a broken spring if its just the end that has broken off, using a pair of thin nosed pliers to fashion a new hook works a treat as its not often the whole spring dissapears.

Kevin,
the London area?? the land of trains, tubes, buses etc... Some people don't even use cars in London as there are so many transport options! ;-) eh Matt?

And please don't forget about traffic in the Midlands - the M6 at B'ham was the most congested route in Europe... Unlike the ppl in the M25 area, we didn't get 5 lanes at everyone elses expense - we got a toll(tax) road.

Usually the spring will break if you try to make a new end, so heating it until it's reddish/orange before trying to bend it will usually sort it.

so heating it until it's reddish/orange before trying to bend it will usually sort it.

Not so useful at the roadside.

The London area??

Yea the M25 the worlds biggest car park

Yea the M25 the worlds biggest car park

lol - well it is now that the Midlanders have got their toll tax road. Mind you it came a close second to the M6 before then.


springs - you mean you carry thin nose pliers but no blowlamp? hmmm
Well best to carry some spare wire then l- tie the wire to the spring and make a loop to replace the hook.
But I just limped along the M1 to the services and used the choke spring instead
If I'd been on the M6 or M25 as it would have been difficult to keep the car going for a few hours at walking pace by using the ignition key, so I would have had to resort to using the hard shpoulder. I was avoiding it as much as possible as that car was rarely off the hard shoulder, so I thought the services would make a nice change for my g/f.

Yea the M25 the worlds biggest car park

Telling me, I was parked on it for over 2 hours this morning....

150 miles there 150 back in the same day

Oh to be young and innocent again.... I used to regularly do a non stop to Newcastle from SE London.... 300 odd miles up the A1....
Quicker if you do it in a company or hire car tho.... You don't have to worry if you break it

so many transport options!

Shame none of them work reliably...

Yeah ray, I don;t use any of the transport options you mentioned, I walk across the road and in to the department!!!! since october i have used the bus twice and the tube about 8 times....If I drove, I would have to walk farther from where I parked then where I live....

Shame none of them work reliably...

well i'd rather have a choice of 4 transport systems that aren't reliable instead of 1 system that is abysmal (commuted on the M6 to B'ham for 3 years.. so will never commute again)

in terms of heating the spring......I have a mini blowtorch that runs off lighter gas......i might keep that in the car rather than my archery stuff.......

1 system that is abysmal

Ray, I've been in your Mog, it's not that bad!!