Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi

I have recently purchased a boat that has a Morris side valve engine in, I believe it be a pre-war engine and called a Vedette.

I live in Southampton and am hoping to find a mechanic that can give the engine a good service for me and give a good general overview of what I need to replace and what issues I may come across.

Any help or information relating to the engine itself or the whereabouts in Hampshire of a mechanic that can help would be really helpful.

Regards

Steve

Try the Hampshire Branch www.hammoc.co.uk or the Dorset Branch they may be able to help you www.dorsetmmoc.oc.uk

I have a 1947 Vedette MkII in my garage which I found being used as a barn door stop. I have mounted it on casters so that I can move it around. Warning - it is HEAVY. I also have a print out of the Owner's/Workshop Manual courtesy of The Thames Vintage Boat Club. For comparison I have a side valve ex military generator engine and a Series MM side valve engine and the relevent Workshop Manuals.
I tried to make contact with a Vedette Owners Club but without success.
Maybe you can find an old boatyard on the south coast that has not discovered the joys of fibreglass but if it is anything like the Thames you will be very lucky
Meanwhile if I can offer any assistance let me know[frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame]

Hi Thanks for your reply's guys, here is a pic of my engine so its up on the site.[frame][/frame]

Can you take some more photos with the panels removed? I should be able to identify which mark engine it is.
The alternator is obviously a recent addition and your engine has a distributor, mine has magneto ignition.

The back panel comes off but the 2 sides in this pic don't they are fixed. I'm going down to the boat this afternoon so I will take some more pics and get them posted.

I sailed with this type of engine when I was with BP.they had them for emergency power, air start compressors and lifeboat engines. they usually had waterproof plug covers on the ignition leads plus a BTH magneto. at least it hasn't got a fan belt to slip !!!! They usually started first time after you had primed the oil pump. Good luck.

Hi Here are some more pics of the engine and sections. Again I'm after a mechanic in the Southampton area so if anyone can help please get in touch.[frame][/frame][frame][/frame]

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That is a Vedette Mk IV, based on the type USHM3 engine used in the later Series MM Minor.
What do you want to do to the engine, maintenance or a rebuild? What about the gearbox?

The gear box seems ok, knowing next to nothing about the engines it would be great to get someone in the know to give it a once over suggest anything to do maintenance wise immediately and what can be replaced and with what.

Breaking down in a car isn't as problematic as in a boat

especially when ones wife is on board

Cheers

Steve

on the old lifeboats, the clutch lever used to be on the port side and connected to a lever similar to a mm minor box but beefier. They were quite easy to access, after you split the reduction box off, they had 2 phosper bronze gluts that had to be filed to get the clearance on the collar for reversing. Happy days. I used to have an instruction book but it went on one of the managment's house tidying excercises.

[Breaking down in a car isn't as problematic as in a boat

especially when ones wife is on board ]

Can she row?