Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi folks,
Started on the rebuild and put the main bearing shells and crankshaft together. just need to check the correct way for the thrust washers on the centre main bearing.They have slots that should face out from the bearing cap as in the pic below?[frame][/frame]
if I get this wrong it wrecks the crank?
hang on in there, this could take a while!

Looks fine, the copper face is the bearing surface, and should face the crankshaft.

Thanks for that I can move on to the next bit now! Any tips on rebuilding the bottom end would be great.
Cheers

It's leaded bronze - but yes - right way round. Stick them in place with grease as you assemble the engine.

Coat all the bearing surfaces with oil as you assemble them, check that the crank turns OK as you go.
There will be more resistance as the big ends are fitted due to the drag from the rings, but nothing should cause it to lock up.

Everything should fit together with the minimum of force, never use the bolts to pull things together.

Cheers for the that.
The crankshaft is in and now the manual says fit the oil pump, which looks straightforward enough, then the pistons. Which have come with the rings on already, should I still check the gaps?
thanks

No - provided they are the right size pistons for the bores - they will be fine. Use lashings of nice fresh clean oil! Do you have a ring compressor ? I usually do it just with my fingers - but you do need to be careful to not break any rings! Make sure the ring gaps are spaced out evenly around the bore - not all in a line! Prefill the oil pump with oil too. Does the crank whizz round happily on the main bearings ??

I have seen in a morris resto. manual you can use a big jubilee clamp to compress the rings, but finger pressure sounds better. The crank turns with one hand and doesnt seem to have any tight spots. Im fitting the oil pump tonight.

Well - you would need to wrap some thin sheet around the piston - then put the jub clip around that - it all sounds far too difficult and prone to breakage....... Just work each ring into the groove - working from the back round to the gap from both sides and as the last part goes in the groove just ease the piston down - then on to the next ring. It's a bit sore on the fingers - but I have never broken a ring yet!

"a bit sore on the fingers" is rather an understatement, the edges of the rings are sharp.
I ended up with numerous little cuts on the tips of my thumbs doing it that way.
Soft Southern hands I guess.

Pipe down - it's just a FUR wound.........