Morris Minor Owners Club

As my 2 door 1098cc project carries along full steam I've got a few questions and hoping to shed some light on a few things if possible.

Firstly replacing the vacuum line from the distributor to the carb. My original set up had a screw fitting on the dizzy, went to a fitting bolted to the front of the block and a rubber push fit for the carb. What's the fitting bolted to the block that the line runs in and out of? I have a new Accuspark 45D dizzy that has a push fit and an HS4 carb with the push fit so I need to replace/modify the existing one. What do I do? Can I just use a length of line?

Next question if I may. I quite like the look of the polished Alloy rocker covers and I understand they muffle the top end chatter a tad. The stock rocker cover has a breather that normally goes to the air filter and the alloy ones don't. I was led to believe the A series benefited from this breather. So what do folks do? Add a breather and vent into a small K&N or just not bother? The vent won't be going to the carb as it's running a large ram pipe.

Remote brake fluid reservoir's, what's folks experience with these? I plan to add a servo and at some time later some front discs and i understand these give you an additional amount of fluid that's needed. The location of the master cylinder is just plain awkward and seems to remedy that situation. As i'll also be going for a hydraulic clutch i'll be looking to mount 2 reservoirs on the bulkhead somewhere. Thoughts please?

Finally what additional clocks are available to use with a Moggy. Can i use anything else from a Brit classic? Rev counter, Amp meter but what for oil and water temp and senders? I've seen 3 clocks mounted into the drivers side and quite like that look with a larger rev counter in the middle of the 3.

That's its for a while I think, more to come...

Any help and advice is gratefully received, thanks in advance

The bulb in the metal A/R line is supposed to be a 'flame trap'.

Just in case a stray spark in the dizzy causes fuel vapour from the vacuum line to ignite. Very unlikely, hence it being omitted on later models. You can just use the push on later line.

As for the alloy rocker covers, you could get a machine shop to drill and tap it to take a pipe union.

On my HS4, there's a take-off on the carb itself to run the breather pipe to, rather than going to the air filter. Check yours... it might have one?

I've also got a remote reservoir fitted. I adapted mine to take copper brake pipe rather than hose. Easier to route brake pipe, and gets a better seal. I've heard of problems with the hose denaturing after a while. I modified my own to take the pipe, but required machining facilities I no longer have access to. If you talk to JLH, his remote reservoir kits come with copper brake pipe as standard.

You can basically use whatever gauges you want, so long as you know how to wire them. I get mine from Minispares in Oldbury, as if they fit a mini, they'll fit a minor. But that only really matters with things like water temp and oil pressure, where you need to physically screw something to the engine. Other gauges (voltage, current etc) don't matter so much, as they're just wires!

Thanks Chris

Thought i'd show you the carb, you might point me in the right direction with the hoses here. From left to right is it fuel in then vent tube left as is, then union by dash pot to crankcase breather and then vac line?

Bit more polishing and some bolts for the ram pipe

I'm not sure about the two fuel lines. Mine's only got one. If you take the cap off the float chamber and hold the float up to close off the valve, blow into each fuel pipe in turn. One should be blocked when the float is up - that'll be your fuel in.

3rd from left 'crank case breather' as you say. That's what I run my rocker cover breather to. My crank case breather is a swan-neck running down to atmosphere. If you've got two breathers, join them to a T piece and feed them both to that point on the carb.

Hi Chris

I think the way i'll do it then is run the crankcase breather to the carb and the rocker cover vent to a small K&N. I'm pretty sure the union on the left in the picture is fuel in as it has the correct fitting. I'm sure I read with the other fitting a small piece of tubing 2-3" long goes on the vent but apparently not many folks fit them. I'm sticking with the stock rocker cover for a short while as fancy stuff has to wait and i'll chase the vent for an alloy one in the meanwhile.

He's one for you then. As you can see I have a Howley 1.5" manifold for the HS4. I'm not up on heated inlets just that they can effect performance in the warmer weather. As my car will be used all year round and its colder more often than warmer it's abit of a catch 22. Do I bank on the fact there will be plenty of cold starts and lose a little power or go the other way and not hook the inlet up? I'm leaning towards fitting it but value any advice.

Cheers Dan

Plumbing it in will help with fuel economy, but at the expense of performance.

It won't make any difference to cold starts, as the water in there will be cold anyway!

I'd fit a longer piece of hose on the overflow, and run it down to exit below the engine bay (below the exhaust at the very least!)

Sorry Chris I keep saying cold starts but mean drivng in general throughout the winter months. As it will never be a performance car i'll hook it up and see how it goes. If nothing else it will tidy things up nicely I agree with the longer vent. My thoughts are to run it back along the fuel pipe and end it past the foot well so exits well out the way of the hot pipes. The manifold will be wrapped but better safe than sorry.

Cheers again for all this advice, it's really helping things in the garage and really enjoying working on the car.

Forget the 'ram pipe' - that's old hat, and you NEED a filter. You also MUST have a breather from the rocker cover - to the pipe on the side of the carb - not these stupid wee K&N 'breather filters'. If you don't suction the rocker cover - you WILL have oil leaks - all over the place. The alloy rocker covers actually tend to emphasise any rocker noise----acting more or less as a loudspeaker - they certainly serve no useful purpose....