Morris Minor Owners Club

Is it just me or the cost of a roller thrust bearing extortionate?!

Running a modified 1275 maestro which at the mo has ford clutch plate and cover and just figuring out how to work my clutch mechanism. I have a standard ford thrust bearing and was going to run the original morris fork and mechanical clutch linkage ( thanks guys for helping me solve that one by the way) but looking at the morris fork roller bearing its like £80!? Mad when every other car I've changed the clutch from old to modern its normally about a fiver! It's a perishable bearing that from what I've read in other places on this forum has a shelf life of like 15000 miles. For that cost surely once you've changed it twice, you've paid paid as much as retro ford hydraulic clutch kit which also doesn't suffer from applying the thrust bearing unevenly ( from a pivot like the morris arm) The other opinion is modify the ford a bearing I have, from pictures of the roller bearing I've seen it looks almost like a ford bearing stuck on a morris bearing so you have the arms to sit it in the morris fork. Is this just a stupid idea. My build is a quality build and I'm not scared to spend money, my morris isn't driven because i see it as a cheap car, but I don't want to spend money on something that is not the best solution.



Be interested to know what other people have done.

Thanks

Is it just me or the cost of a roller thrust bearing extortionate?!

I'll second that.

Do you mean that you run a Marina engine with a type 9 gearbox. Cannot see a type 9 gearbox fitting into a transverse engined Maestro.
My minor 1380cc has a Ford clutch and Ford RS2000 derived Quaife gearbox; the release arm is a Hydraulic MG Midget/Sprite one fitted with a modified bearing carrier fitted with a Marina clutch release bearing (similar to the Ford one and on 'e' bay for £6 - £10). Whether it is any cheaper than the Ford I do not know as I have not had to buy one for some time and I have a spare on the shelf. The clutch is a Ford RS 2000 full competition set up so have to apply plenty of leg pressure to release.

Yeah maestro 1275 converted to rwd so I havea. Huge oil sal for coping with supercharger. Southam mini centre do the work, custom flywheel minor backplate. Thanks for your input, think I'm going to go with a mondeo concentric slave clutch and run a hydraulic master cylinder. It will work out similar money and I think this option is best for my application.

The Maestro 1275 engine is basically a RWD engine - fitted sideways on a VW gearbox to give it FWD....and it comes with a proper rear crank seal! I stupidly sold one in 'new' condition (but it was missing the seal)* for v little money a few years ago - when I thought it couldn't be used in a Minor. Comes with the big valve head - and the MG Metro cam too! I did keep the head...but didn't know about the cam, at the time.
* It had been a College engine - stripped down and rebuilt by students - but never run. It came to me 'seized' - because the big-end caps had all been mixed up and put on wrong way round etc.... Great training in that College! When re-arranged and oiled - it spun round easily - and was essentially 'new'. I should have kept it - but someone advertised looking for a Maestro engine (for a Maestro) , and I let it go. Grrrrrrr

Will get some picks up soon but got my full hydraulic hub centric clutch set up and working a treat, all braided hoses and remote reservoir in the engine bay, lovely feel to the pedal and I can ride the clutch all day long perfect for spending my mornings sitting in traffic!

Looking forward to seeing the pictures of this set up

Any pictures yet ??

Will try to get some picks up this weekend, the only problem is it's still a in theory it works! Engine not running yet, but if you select a gear it locks the wheels so you can't push it the opposite way as it should, push in the clutch and hey presto car rools forwards, but I can't categorically say it works.

Photos of the clutch nose and it sat on the gearbox[frame][/frame][frame][/frame]

Hi suzukimorris
I'm thinking of getting the retro ford kit and was wondering if it has been working ok. Was the aluminium boss the right thickness or did you need spacers/shave a bit off?
Was looking at the burton kit but don't like the idea of the bearing not being in permanent contact unlike the bellows type.
I have sierra clutch and plate with the curly fingers.
Any observations appreciated.
Cheers, dan

Hi dan, sorry I've not been about on here or the car so am pretty useless. The Morris is 99% complete was over boosting and had a gearbox clearance problem due to having one of first Birmingham conversion bell housings. I had to get one spacer shim for the clutch nose if I remember correctly. It dead get on a rolling road and certainly wasn't suffering from clutch slip with a supercharger but I can't say for sure it works yet! Slight circumstance change has meant my car has had to go to the bottom of the pile in priorities, it'll be picked back up very soon though! Good luck with the build