Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi all,

I bought a Morris Minor from 53 this summer and I am making it ready for this summer. However, as seen on the pictures, the gearbox housing has a crack. The crack is so far only around the cluch, it has stopped at the "wall" to the gearbox. What do you think is best to do in my situation? Three points from me:

1: Possible to weld the crack? I´m working as a structural engineer and calculating welds in steel and aluminium all days, so I know that the fatigue resistanse in welded aluminium is very bad. Aluminum that is heat affected does even get lower resistanse against failure. If the crack is welded, will the material crack close to the weld insted?

2: Drive as it is and hope the crack not will grow? I think the crack has been there for long, but I`m not sure if I would like to go for a longer trip when I know that the crack is there. I have other cars and a motorcycle, so it is not any catastrofy if the gearbox would fail.

3: Buy a renovated gearbox.

Any other ideas?[frame][/frame]

A picture from the cluch side:[frame][/frame]

That crack should be weldable, if you can re enforce the start of the crack there should not be any stress on the crack if the gearbox is securely bolted to the engine.
How good are the internals? No good repairing a knackered box.
Just a couple of thoughts, I could be completely wrong

where are you located? i have a front part of the same gearbox that i could sell onto you (casing only). it's perfect for what you need and is in fantatsic clean condition.

I would sort it, do you need the bother of getting it out again and I would be constantly wondering when it will fail.

Waste of time trying to repair it - run it as is and just get another box 'in stock' - they are worth so little..........

Thanks for your answeres! I´m located in Sweden, but I´m planning to go to England in April to pick up fron and back seats to my Minor.

you've obviously got the box and engine out so just fit another box as bm says not a lot of money to get a secondhand box or even nil if you find a broken one and just swap bell housing.You've done the worst job by box removal.Or drill a hole at the end of the crack to stop it travelling further probably last for years.

Spare gearboxes are probably not as easy to find in Sweden

No - but that's the ongoing problem of running a 'foreign' car. Fortunately - these boxes are so low cost here - the only on-cost will be the transport. The crack appears to have run right down in to the front bearing point - so 'drilling a hole' is not an option. I doubt it will run any further - so really it's just a matter of containing any oil leak. Have to wonder how this happened - running with bolts loose and/or dowels missing I suppose.

They come up on ebay fairly regularly..

If I can be any help with storage of a gearbox until you come over to the UK give me a PM, I am based in aldershot.

Thanks again!

I took the gearbox out because it is leaking oil (much), but I think it comes from the rear oil seal and some gaskets. I think I change these parts and put the gearbox and engine in again. I will maybe repaint the car in the future, and in that case I am going to take out the engine again. Working at an office, I like to do some pratical stuff at home

Charlie: I have an aunt living in Farnborough who can store things for me, but thank you for asking. A gearbox or gearbox hausing is of interest.

Once it's bolted to the engine there should be minimal stress on the crack.
It may have been like that for donkeys years.

yes marky my view as well looks like an old crack to me,

These can be welded up but it is probably not economic compared to another gearbox. At least you have a couple of months to find one before your trip....