Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi all, we've had our Morris Minor since 2008. It hasn't given us too many issues in the past. But today was a total loss. The car has been laid up since 2012 and I took ownership when my dad passed away, I was keen to get the moggy on the road after a year of driving my more modern (well slightly Chevy Matiz. So I worked on the car for 2 months, doing odd jobs. Brakes and such. She went in for her MOT last week. And passed with no advisories (a total shock!) anyways today was to be her first long run, to Corby and back. About 60 miles round trip. It was all doomed from the get go. As soon as I pulled out from the drive it started to miss fire. I pulled over and changed the points. All was fine for another few miles and then the miss fire returned. I turned to fuel being the problem as the external fuel filter was only showing a little bit. Cleaned the points. Disconnected the fuel pipe and turned on the ignition. Plenty of fuel. So I checked the float bowl. Full of fuel. So I turned back to the ignition. Coming at full circle I hit the road again. This time it was worse. Couldn't get anymore than 25 (on a 60 limit road) she finally came to halt, luckily it crawled into a village off the main road. I checked the fuel again. The car ticks over nicely. But as soon as you hit the revs it would miss fire again. Ignition?

A very kind chap assisted with regapping the points. And I was away again. But soon after the miss fire returned. I stop in yet another layby. Scratched my head and remembered the first trip we ever took in 2008. It was much the same. The coil! I swapped it and sure enough the engine run sweet. I got home. Even managing to beat a Renault Clio, leaving it for dust (I don't drive it like that, just wanted to clear it's throat after all that poor running)

So in the end it was the coil. Wish I had checked it first. I guess with the time taken to get back on the road it had cooled off. Then after a short while it would get hot and begin to go open circuit again?

More pressing now is the rate of coils it's used since 2008. This one being its 3rd. Is there some kind of electrical fault causing this. Or just bad luck and duff 'new' Lucas coils?

Here's a picture of my Morris. It's a 1965 4 door. 1098 engine



Cheers, Daniel

Welcome, and well done for resolving the issue. You'll find many threads where we have a little "in" saying that "it's never the coil"; but sometimes it clearly is. You''ll also see that collecting known good old coils is better than buying the new questionable products that are out there. I hope that you have many happy years with the Minor. Within 30 miles of Corby put you close to this year's National Rally, but that was a omnth ago, so the next big gathering will be "Up North" next June, but plenty of other branch rallies around where you can meet other owners.

Hi, over the years dad had assembled an impressive collection of parts. Ranging from complete engines to brand new speedo's and everything in between. I have a few older coils in the garage. Would it be better to fit one of these (after a test) then a new coil off the net?

It's booked into a local show next month. The BMC rally at ferry meadows in peterborough. It's also going to prickwillow (stationary engines is my main hobby) so I was a little gutted when it conked out after just a few miles haha.

I also own a convertible (is bits and garaged) and a Traveller which is decaying in the garden.. Gold seal replacement engine in that one

For the driving I've done in the moggy I'm really enjoying it. Even today at the road side I was having a laugh haha

Yes! use the oldest coil you can find. Sometimes it IS the coil (after checking for ~ 3.2 ohms with a meter) - although they usually fail completely - not coming and going like that.. I would be fitting a new condenser (from Distributor Doc) and probably a new rotor arm too from the same source. Check the connections on the coil you removed - they may be loose.. or corroded.