Morris Minor Owners Club

i feel stupidly thick - i was told this on sunday at the rally, but it's been a mad few days - my rad cap has blown off twice recently (in traffic, and in front of a coach on the way to the rally!) - and it's clearly an overheating problem, but i was told that if the rad was hot at the top and bottom then it's not blocked - is that right? If so then it's the stat?

the other thing is that the clutch pedal is now very soft and i've picked up a rattle on those rare occassions i keep the car in gear when the brake is down - i'm thinking a) don't sit at lights in gear!! and b) clutch / hydraulic fluid?

hope you all enjoyed the national - has anyone complained about the roads either way into kelmarsh having recently being regravelled?

what's the water level like in the rad? if you're filling it to the brim, the rad will blow off until it reaches its own desired level.

Do you have a temperature gauge fitted? It would be an easy way to tell if it is overheating...

NEVER sit with your foot on the clutch........you may have worn away the graphite bearing - it's engine out to fit a new one..... As for the overheating - it's 'never'' the thermostat...... Either the engine is producing too much heat - or the water pump is not circulating properly - or the cooling system is bunged up - or the radiator is bunged up on the air side - or has many fins missing....... Very first check - is the fan belt tight?? Give the cooling system a very thorough flush out with rad flush (or drain cleaner)....... And check the air side of the rad (hose pipe it through - and open up any closed-over fins).

Check compressions in all cylinders - a leak into the cooling system will easily blow off the rad cap.

bmcecosse wrote: it's 'never'' the thermostat......

Another quote to add to my repertoire along with that other well known one

I've never known one to fail closed....... And like the coil - many are changed needlessly at considerable cost!

My thermostat failed recently and that was only 10 years old.....

Did it fail closed??

Nope, it stuck open and the engine was running over-cool never got to temperature. Changed it and it now get to 80 degrees in less than 5 mins

markthe45king wrote: my rad cap has blown off twice recently

My nipper does it all the time, I blame Heinz.

Are you feeding it too much fibre?

'stuck open' - good! Never known one to fail closed......

bmcecosse wrote:'stuck open' - good! Never known one to fail closed......

Ive had coil fail on my mog and i;ve seen stats that dont open ,on bikes, and i been done seen about everything when i see an elephant fly.

bmcecosse wrote:

speechless

Is anyone still using bellows-type thermostats? Or did they all fail (closed!) years ago and get replaced with wax capsule ones. Here's a failed (closed) thermostat: heat it up and it blows bubbles from the bellows.
[frame][/frame]
£174 for a new one (it's not out of a Morris)

Kevin

Crikey.....