Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi there,
I am looking to get a bit more out of my Minor.
I have been told that my best option for getting a bit more speed is to install a 5 speed gearbox.
I have been quoted £2000 by my garage to fit a kit by Moss Europe, as seen below.

http://www.moss-europe.co.uk/Shop/ViewP ... exID=17184

I was wondering if I can pick up the parts from this kit cheaper by shopping around,
for example buying one of the gearboxes below and then picking up the smaller bits for the fitting on the cheap...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Type-9-R ... 19f3315ea0

and

http://www.jlhmorrisminors.co.uk/store/ ... oductId=41

If the quoted Moss kit is the best way forward then I am prepared to go that route, it is just the case that the cheaper I can make it, the quicker I can have it over and done with.

Any ideas are greatly appreciated.

Adrian

If you want more speed its not a gearbox you need.

The advice you have been given is MADNESS! 5 speed box is for cars doing high mileage with M/way use - and a more powerful engine. What use does your car get? And what element of it's performance disappoints you ?

1275 cc engine 3.7 diff

Some simple modifications lift the 1098 engine power satisfactorily if funds don't stretch to a 1275 - and yes to the 3.7 final drive , although the 3.9 is generally a bit more 'affordable' , and almost as good.

If you fit a five speed box to a 3.7 diff you will likely be slower as you will be over gearing the car. You will get relaxed motorway driving but will have to change down at the slightest gradient. If you want performance then fit a 3.9 or even a 4.22 diff

The suggestion is of course to fit a lower ratio final drive INSTEAD of a 5 speed gearbox, not as well as - unless perhaps going for a diesel? But either way - more power is the answer - not gearing changes. No responses from the OP... What engine is in the car ??

hi there guys,
sorry i did not respond, I was away and had no signal over the weekend.
I have a standard 1098 and i commute from Crawley to Haslemere daily, on the flat I max out about 50, once i get into the hills I really have to use momentum going down hills to get back up without holding traffic up behind me. I was hoping that there would be something I could do so that on the flat I could get up to 60 comfortably and when it comes to the hills I would be able to get enough momentum to take me up the hills without holding traffic up.

A carb and exhaust upgrade will work wonders. An 1 1/2" SU and matching manifold with a bigger bore/free flow exhaust system will give a worthwhile boost. I've done similar mods to my Commer campers and I can actually go up hills now

There's something wrong there, Adrian. My completely standard 1098 Trav will cruise all day (and I mean all day) at 60-65 mph (measured by GPS) with a bit in hand and it peaks at about 75. (It's an "about" 'cos I can't find a long enough bit of road that's flat and wind free to be sure!) Even a worn engine should do this; my old 1965 Gold Seal engine which could only manage 40 psi oil pressure when hot did it without trouble (except oil consumption!), after all 48 HP from 1098 shouldn't be too difficult or too much of a strain.
All you need is the carb and ignition timing set up as in the Manual (Roy will be along shortly to tell you how to get better than this) and good compression in the cylinders. In your case I suspect the latter is not a good as it ought to be. You don't say where you are; if you're near me I could loan you gauge. It's easy to use.
I expect a burnt exhaust valve. They're cheap and easy to replace. Although the head has to come off, that's not difficult; if you can turn a spanner and read a manual you need have no fear.
Regards, MikeN.

I'd be terrified of anything over 60 in my traveller!It will do it but I won't!

As above, 60-65 no problem and some in hand.
Give it a full service and run your tyres at about 30 PSI, not the pressures recommended for cross-ply tyres.
Make sure the vacuum advance in the distributor is working as if this fails the engine loses its pep.

Adrian,
Just dug out "Morris Minor"by D V W Francis (Newnes Books 1968) in which gives at page 15 some performance data. Thus for the Minor 1000 (1098 cc) the max speed is 76 mph, max speed on a 1 in 20 gradient is 54 mph, 0-50 mph is 17.2 secs, acceleration in top gear 20-40 mph is 14 secs and in 3rd gear for 30-40 mph is 8.7 secs.

So there yer go! 'Spose your brakes aren't binding, are they? MikeN.

PS For Tysonn, beyond 65pmh it's definitely earplugs time! And good propshaft joints if you want to see anything clearly.

As the others have indicated - your problem is a down-on-power engine. So that's where you need to do some investigation and yes - a compression check is the best way forward. And 'avoid' that 'garage' that advised spending £2k on a 5 speed gearbox !!!! They obviously haven't a clue - and not shy of taking your money......

Is there much to change when u put a MG1275cc engine in I have the MG backplate and a 1098 gearbox . Its 948cc at the moment

Covered many times - change the brakes first.....

I have talked to a friend regarding more power and the suggested a twin choke setup and a larger air filter.
is this something that might be worth doing?

Only when you have the original spec engine running well.
I have used a Weber 28/36 DCD (twin choke) and appropriate air cleaner on a 'A' series and yes it does make a difference but kills the MPG i.e. when you press the accelerator you can watch the petrol gauge go down.

A Weber 28/36DCD has an accelerator pump so the fuel would go down when you're on throttle I've always preferred Dellortos as once its jetted you can back the accelerator pump off to save fuel.

My 1098 with 12G295 head, twin 1 1/4 SU's with correct needles and better exhaust system would get around 50mpg on a steady motorway drive (60ish). These were all parts I had available before anyone says I should have done it differently!

AVOID the 'twin choke' idea...where do you get such advice?? A larger single SU carb on an alloy inlet manifold is the 'stage 1' modification for your engine. More power needs a better cylinder head to go with that larger carb - and then by all means add a better exhaust system.