Morris Minor Owners Club

i have an unmodified (or thought it was) 1958 saloon, 948cc, and recently ordered a 948 clutch kit from bull motif. but when the garage came to fit it, it was not the right type. after the mechanic explained the problem to bull motif, a 1098 gearbox was thought to have been fitted, and the different clutch kit was sent out. This time, it was even more obviously the wrong type. There was a serial no on the old clutch LUK 11604810, and the garage phoned around and found this part available from LUK Ltd, a clutch specialist, and had it delivered. I sent a photo of the clutch to Bull Motif, and they said they'd never seen one like it, and wondered what kind of gearbox it could be from. Does anyone have any idea from the photo? It's actual size is 20cm diameter.[frame][/frame]

I've not seen one quite like it, why not send the picture to LUK Ltd and see what they say?
It doesn't look too bad, have you got a picture of the other side?

it looks like a 'diaphragm' clutch. often found on MG midget engines. looks similar but not identical though. could it have been a pattern part in the past?

you say the garage said the 948 clutch was wrong. did they attempt to fit it? if it wouldn't fit it could suggest you don't have a 948 flywheel, and moreso, you may not have a 948 engine! does the block say '950' on the manifold side of the block cast into the block itself?

Have you got a carbon thrust bearing?

I never seen one fitted but was told that the clutch from a hillman imp also fits a 948 and gives you a diaphragm type clutch, its jsut possible it could be that.

here's a photo of the reverse side. thanks for your thoughts, will send both photos to LUK and see what response they come up with.
no idea what a carbon thrust bearing is!
also, i know the engine is a 948cc, because it's the only major part i've had replaced since i bought it about 10 years ago. replaced the engine about five years ago, and it's done about 10,000miles.
the odd thing is, that i have documents and bills for this car dating back to 1958, including the original logbook, with only two previous owners, and there is nothing to suggest that it ever had a replacement gearbox. i have bills written out in ink, in old currency, so the records are so meticulous i would have thought a new gearbox would have been a amongst all the other stuff.[frame][/frame]

docgibbons wrote:also, i know the engine is a 948cc, because it's the only major part i've had replaced since i bought it about 10 years ago. replaced the engine about five years ago, and it's done about 10,000miles.

then the clutch came on the back of the engine, with the 'new' 948cc engine?

did you not notice the clutch when you replaced the engine? or did you have a garage do it?

If you have been using that diaphram clutch with a standard manual release linkage then you must have found it extremely heavy

a local garage fitted the engine. not the one i'm using now. they just fitted it and gave me the bill - didn't mention anything about the clutch.

As above - are you SURE it's a 948 engine? Does it have '950' on the side??

well it drives like a 948. took it up porlock hill last summer, and almost had to ask her indoors to get out and push.
but i'll try and check what's written on it.

hi all,
happy ending to the clutch saga. We got a replacement from LUK Ltd, based on the part number on the clutch, and the garage fitted it this morning. I asked the guys at LUK what car it fitted, and received the reply below.


Hi,

I have been looking into your query regarding Part number 116004810. unfortunately I can't

confirm what gearbox it belongs to, our listing tend to go against complete vehicle details.

But it is listed against Morris Minor 11/55 to 12-61 948 cc.

Reliant kitten 01/75 to 12-83 948 cc

I hope this has been a help.

Best regards

Mike Tomkins

Product Range Developer
LuK-Aftermarket Services Ltd
Holme Lacy Road
Rotherwas
Hereford
HR2 6LA

So...... it seems it is a fit for the morris (1958 saloon) after all, but the guy at bull motif said he'd never seen one like it.
however i'm back on the road, and it's a silky smooth gearchange now.
PS not established what gearbox is in it, as the part number is hidden by underseal type stuff.

well done for solving the mystery! it isn't a normal 948 clutch, which would by why certain experts didnt recognise it. must be a part LUK made themselves to fit the 948 minor.

if you're still trying to work out what box you've got, it should be visible by the casing casting, no need to find a part number.

rib case box:
http://morrisminorspares.co.uk/shop/ima ... 0G101R.jpg

smooth case box:
http://morrisminorspares.co.uk/shop/images/9G101R.jpg

re the gearbox, the garage says that the easiest way to id it is to scrape the underseal from the part no, make a note, and then re-do it, but if your way is easier (as it sounds) then can you tell precisely what box it is from the casting casing?

obviously i'm hoping the gearbox doesn't misbehave, but the mechanic said that they have a very good re-conditioning place to send it to should it ever be required, and they would recommend that as a more cost effective method, and get it back as good as new.
still, fingers crossed the old boy is sound in that department.

The guys at LuK aftermarket are usually pretty helpful, but I didn't know they dealt with the public just as well! (I used to work at LuK)
Looking at your clutch, I don't think the bolt pattern is correct for a minor flywheel (although I don't have one infront of me to compare..). It's possible that the flywheel and clutch were both LuK parts, adapted from a different production vehicle - I can safely say they wouldn't tool up a clutch just for classic cars.
LuK were formed after the Minor stopped production, and will only develop stuff for mass production vehicles - although they will sometimes adapt existing designs for smaller applications)


With most parts from the big suppliers, if you google the part number you can find out what it is used on and often find alternative part numbers (for anything from brake cylinders to glow plugs) - unfortunately that's not usually useful for Morris Minor parts.