Morris Minor Owners Club

hi
just about to embark on rebuilding my 1098, this is the first time for me doing a complete rebuild although i have done headgaskets on moderns so i,m quite happy to do it myself, what i,m after is any pooints and advise regarding things that should be changed as a matter of routine ( bolts/ lock washers/ springs etc) and basicly any wise comments from those who know more than i do before i start,
i have the online and haynes manuals for refereance
thanks

john

Is the online manual you refer to the original BMC manual? Even if so, I'd buy a hard copy (EBay) and follow it step by step. There are various sorts of rebuilds, from quick and dirty to high-end. One safe approach is to find a good machine shop, take the torn down engine to them, have them make recommendations about any machine work needed and ask them to specify the new bearings and rings. They can properly check the head for cracks, install new valve seats correctly, check the cam, springs, push-rods, level it, etc. They can also bring it to unleaded specs. They can check the crank, turn it if necessary, align bore if necessary, etc. They can check the cylinders, hone or bore, check pistons and spec the correct new rings, etc. That's a safe approach to coming out the other end with something that works well.

Others will come along who know more than I do, but partnering with a good machine shop is a good approach. You save money by pulling the engine, tearing it down and cleaning it up, then putting it back together with all the right bits.

Hi John,

First question is what is driving the need to rebuild the engine? What is wrong that indicates the need? Sorry to be a bit blunt, but it would help to understand!

Tools are probably the most important thing to consider before embarking on an engine rebuild. To disassemble and reassemble a MInor engine, apart from the obvious A/F range of spanners and sockets you will need a good, accurate torque wrench with a range from 20/25 lbf ft to at least 70 lbf ft, piston ring compressor, feeler gauges (easier with 'imperial' but metric can be 'converted'), internal circlip pliers for the gudgeon pin circlips, a deep socket for the crankshaft pulley nut (1 5/16" AF), valve grinding paste (fine), grease and engine oil for re-assembly, a 1"-2" external micrometer (good vernier caliper as an alternative) to measure the crankshaft journals (or get you local engine shop to do it for you) and again a vernier caliper to measure the bore sizes - unless you just happen to have a set in internal micrometers!!

thanks for the replys,
i am rebuiling mainly because the big ends are knocking quite badly , other than that it seems ok ,no smoke, minimal oil consumption, i would kike to do a complete job as opposed to just the bigends so as to be though,.
we have an excelant machine shop here ( hamlins, bridgwater ) and i intend to take all the componants to them for checking and advise. tools are no problem, what i was unsure about was the suitabilty of some parts for reuse ,ie bolts / washers etc and anything i might not have considered, for example can i rebend the locking washers after they have been flattened out or do i renew, i assume a new oil pump and water pump is a good idea, also what about a duplex timing chain kit? while the engines out i want to do a good job.
john

Just get a service exchange crank from the likes of Bull Motif - they are sold at bargain prices...... Bores and pistons - well - inspect/measure - was it burning oil?? Yes new oil pump. no need to change the water pump. Duplex is for high lift cams/strong valve springs - it's not necessarily quite, although it will be at first - being new !! Better is the Mini tensioner type set up with a Simplex chain. It IS quiet..... Inspect the cam followers - if any crazing on the underside - renew. Good chance to upgrade the camshaft - MG Metro if you can find one......... Don't bother with 'unleaded' conversion - but maybe worth fitting new valve guides while it's all in bits..... Chumming up with a machine shop is all very well - if you have won the Lottery........

Do renew all locktabs. I rebuilt my 998 a while ago. Luckily the bores were good and the crank didn't need regrinding because otherwise the price of rebuilding would have been very close to a recon engine cost. Having to buy a few special tools bumps the cost up again. Of course you do get the satisfaction of doing it but it can be more of a labour of love than a way of saving money.

I managed for years and years without a torque wrench - so don't let that stop you...... You can probably beg/borrow or steal one anyway when the time comes.........

Had a friend with a TR4 -- a professional mechanic. He had problems for years with a leaking head gasket. He replaced it, re-torqued it, everything he could think of. One day he was at some sort of car meet, picking the brains of an ancient British mechanic. The advice he got? Throw out the torque wrench. Use a standard 1/2 drive and tighten it as tight as you can muster, then a little more. The head bolts won't break and it'll never leak again. With reservations he followed the advice. Never leaked again. The old Brit told him that those torque specifications were mostly pulled out of a place where the sun don't shine and had nothing to do with reality. I am in no way suggesting this, but it worked for him. A few years later he rebuilt the engine -- nothing to do with the head -- and had the head checked for level. No warp, it was dead on flat.

Exactly - using a reasonable length of ratchet handle or ring key, you will 'feel' the bolt begin to yield - that's when to stop!