Morris Minor Owners Club

the process of getting her to run again is there any thing i should do before or should be done before trying to start am going to order a new service kit etc for car was thinking of chainging oil did put a battery on got lights etc but think starter is stuck any help im grate full just found out from owner who i bought it off he came to my house with more paper work and actually it 32 years since been off the road and not started wow amazing

Start by draining the petrol tank and putting a gallon of fresh fuel in.

Starter comes off by undoing the terminal then the two mounting nuts and bolts, if you are lucky you may then be able to free it off and get it working again. or just tap it with a hammer may do the trick.

Remove the plugs and try turning the engine over on the starting handle or put it in fourth gear and rock the car back and forth.
If engine is siezed then you will have to put some lubricant in the bores and let it soak.

I actually have the first draft of an article about this very thing -- having done it myself lately. Just for you I uploaded it so you can have a look -- for what it's worth: http://robertedney.com/morris_minor_prestart.html There may be nothing wrong with the starter -- the engine may be seized. You need to figure that out first (see the article).

If anyone has corrections or additions I'll be happy to include them.

hi engine was stuck when tried turning with starting handle but i took out spark plugs and sprayed som wd40 in after some small movement i got a full turn and she is free can turn her with starting handle thanks

charles1982 wrote:hi engine was stuck when tried turning with starting handle but i took out spark plugs and sprayed som wd40 in after some small movement i got a full turn and she is free can turn her with starting handle thanks

good! Next thing to do is get the starter motor working, top up of change the oil then turn the engine over on the starter motor with plugs removed and coil disconnected until the oil pressure light goes out. Then you know oil has got to the bearings.

BTW- that guide looks very good Robdney!

will take of starter tommorow as im working on the drive way at the moment did notice when battery was connected that the red and orange light came on will order a service kit from bull motif tommorow should i check the waterpump also forgot to say the heater regulater on engine the pipe that pushes in to the rubber pipe going to dach is burst and is full of yellow kinda stuff and part of regulator has broken off does this need changed before starting

You can start the engine and run it for a few minutes with no water in it- just make sure it is only a couple of minutes! But yes for running longer the cooling system including hoses and heater valve will need to be sound and filled with fresh coolant. Check the thermostat as well.

Yes, you need to do something about the broken heater valve. You can remove the two bolts, stick a piece of thick rubber under the flange and tighten it back down to temporarily block the port in the head. You're also going to have to block the return hose for the heater to the radiator. Make sure there is some sort of coolant before you run the engine!

By the by, once you've got it running for a bit, shut it down then drain and flush the cooling system. Refill with a serious flushing agent and water, following the directions. I used one that suggested 6 hours of running time with the flushing agent in. An amazing amount of crud can build up in the cooling system when a car sits.

The above suggestions are serious and should be followed; but I can't resist saying that if it's a typical Minor, then probably all you need to do is turn the key

Mine was sat for 20 odd years and one of the exhaust valves was stuck down so take off the rocker cover and make sure all valves move before you get the starter sorted. I did a compression test first and found there was hardly any compression so ended up rebuilding the engine.
When you get it running you will find everything made of rubber will be perished. I renewed all hoses, suspension bushes, all brake hydraulics, engine/gearbox mounts and tyres.

yes i have orderd a new oil pump water pump full service kit full brake kit heater valve new carpet set bush set complete kit all hoses thermo stat new engine oil etc did you have any probs gettin ure car registerd many thanks to all uve been great i orderd all the parts from bull motif only need to find out about the boot panel basically when u lift boot lid up the one in front of you i need new panel many thanks again

As you're probably going to be a regular now you might want to post some pictures of your project. All you need is a digital camera or phone with a camera. I'd be happy to walk you through how to upload pics. As for the rubber bits, my California car was remarkably kind to me. It sat for ten years, but the radiator hoses are both still good and pliable -- no cracks. Motor mounts are fine, front flexible brake lines are OK (although I'm replacing them anyway), etc. Tires, however, had lots of tread left but nasty age cracks.

If you use the search function of this forum you'll find all sorts of great stuff. For example, you're likely to have some trouble getting the thermostat housing off, and there was just a good thread on that very subject. Also reading through the "Tips" section is a good bet -- you save yourself time and grief by learning from the pain of others

well wee update minor fans took starter off today seems ok its tirning put it back on put oil down the boars connected battery tried starting by starter nothing but when my dad fidled under the bonnet the cable that comes from the battery to a little box he bridged it with spanner she started cranking over so not shure why not working with key in ignition took drain plug out of tank nowt in it put in petrol tommorow waiting fro my service kit for engine to arrive never heard any clicking from fuel pump when turned key so have to look at that as well but iam having fun will uploads pics soon when i take them lol thanks again with regards to the fuel pump can they be repaired how do i test it see if its ok no hearing any noise from it

Your Dad bridged the terminals of the solenoid, so your solenoid is not working.

As for the fuel pump, connect the terminal at the black cap to one terminal of a charged battery with a wire and connect the terminal on the metal body of fuel pump to the other battery terminal with a wire and it should tick.

If not, try removing the black cap, under this you will find the points, try cleaning these with emery paper. Fuel pump may now work, if it does not then you need a new fuel pump.

You can start the car without fuel pump by filling the carb float bowl with petrol- will be enough to run for a few minutes.

If you have nothing when you turn the key it could be the brown/blue feed to the ignition switch. This would affect your starter motor and fuel pump. Check the A1 terminal connections for 12v and then check the brown/blue at the ignition switch for 12v. Do you have a meter or a test lamp?

You need a new best friend -- a test light. Cheap and very handy. You clip the lead to a known good ground and use the probe to check for power anywhere it ought to be. A light in the handle will glow when there's voltage. The starter solenoid may be bad, or it may not be getting trigger voltage from the ignition key. Ditto with the fuel pump -- the pump may be fine but not getting power. A test light is also the very best way to eliminate any guesswork when checking fuses. Fuses that look good can be bad, and good fuses can sometimes not work if there is corrosion on the contacts. A good multi-meter will do the same thing, but a test light is quicker to use and you can keep a spare in the glove box. Never travel without one

Edit: Oops, didn't see page 2 before posting this -- so said sort of the same thing as beero.

yup chickenjohn will order new starter solinoid also will try doing to my fuel pump which u say tommorow hopefully itll work if not ill buy one im getting pretty excited about her running soon and your help and suggestions are second to none and very helpful im so glad you have taken the time to help me out your info is very much appreciated together we will see her running again lol thanks to every one else as well what a great bunch of folks wll done

Don't buy a solenoid until you have tested the power going to the ignition as I suggested before.
When I had your symptoms it was actually a regulator fault that was stopping the power getting to the ignition and so stopping the fuel pump and starter working.

hi guys well i get the red light and orange light when i put key in but when turn key to start nothing will try suggestions also will get wa tester john regulator as in regulator box top left under bonnet maybe the problem is the ignition barrel will have another go at it the morn