Morris Minor Owners Club

This is more a query than a problem as i'm sure it's normal, but I may as well ask:

Im still learning to drive, the reminder of the clutch is down for go, up for slow , for doing manouvres which require little , if any acceleration (reverese parking/turning etc.

I just wondered if the minor should judder so much when only using clutch control to move? (unlike the Polo my instructor uses which goes doesn't judder0). My instructor says it probably does need some accelerator used due to the age, but as I said-no harm in asking

I did wonder if it might be the timing which we thought may need slight adjustment at some point.

Unfortunately clutch judder is very common on the Minor so is
probably nothing to do with your driving. You should check the
top engine steady bar which goes from the rear most cylinder
head nut through an adjustable rod and rubber bushes to a
bracket just under the battery box. It is common for the metal
bracket at the battery end to have broken or be about to fall off.
The rubber bushes should be slightly compressed by the adjustment
of the two nuts but not solid. Perhaps the best way to check it is
to have the engine ticking over when you can observe any excess
movement in the steady bar. Judder could also be caused by a
distorted cluch plate etc but this would be less common. I would
certainly expect to have to use some throttle together with slipping
the clutch on a Minor for slow movements, asking a bit much to do
it at tickover speed.

Chief,

I've found that "dead slow ahead" can be managed by just slipping the clutch (without accelerator) - and no judders.

Id does depend on the state of all the flexible bits underneath (Willie's post).

Reversing though, is someting different! I get judder reversing, but as this happens with the clutch fully engaged (i.e not slipping), I've put it down to the rear suspension.
Leaf springs are not very good at locating an axle, and are fixed at one end (the other has to have movement as the leaf changes length as is flattens). I reckon this causes some of the judder going backwards.

Colin

I thought it would be quite normal, though as I said I think the tick speed needs a slight adjustment anyway. But it does work at moving just on the clutch, the trouble is my slight acceleration to combat it usuallymakes us charge forwards or backwards


Should try forward on it (only ever tried it in reverse I think) but you could be right about the leaf springs etc, we've been meaning to get those looked at thanks to an occasional "Clonk" noise (worse in hot weather) so I think the lubrication or whatevers used in it (brake fluid i read somewhere) is thicker when it's cold so no "clonk" and thin in the heat so get the "clonk".

if it shudders more in reverse, then its the engine tie bar

pulling away on tick over, that depends on how fast your tickover is.

Is the tie bar the same as the engine steady bar?

sorry yes from the battry box to the clyinderhead stud.