Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi,
My Traveller is quite draughty and I was wondering if this was normal of if there was something that I could do about it. The draught seems to be coming mainly from around the doors and it means that I don't get the same 'inside' feeling that I get when travelling in a modern car. There is also a gap in one of the back doors because it's warped. I'm intending to just put a draught excluder in there. So, how draughty are your Minors? Can I fix it to be like or similar to a modern car or are Minors just draughty by nature?

The other thing is the smell of petrol. Pretty much every old car I've been in has smelt of petrol and my Traveller is no exception. Is this also normal or have I just always been in old cars with something wrong with them?!

Many thanks in advance,
James

You certainly shouldn't have any smell of petrol. If you have, it's probably the gasket for the tank sender unit (which is screwed into the top of the petrol tank) leaking a little. You'll notice the smell more when the tank is fairly full perhaps. It could also be the filler pipe leaking but this should only happen when the tank is being filled. It is possible that the fuel leak is under the bonnet of course so just check for leaks around the pump and carburettor - preferably when the engine is running and you're NOT smoking

As for draughts: In a perfect car there shouldn't be any but old Morris Minors are seldom perfect. You'll have to check around the doors and windows to find the draughts and then replace rubbers, adjust windows and doors etc or maybe replace missing/damaged grommets? Just part of maintaining an old car really

IS the smell actually petrol and not exhaust fumes? My traveller used to allow exhaust gases in around the rear doors, and when I had the quarterlight window open (which was most of the time) the gasses seemed to be drawn in through that which never happens in my saloon. Perhaps it's the shape of the rear bodyworK?? Anyway, fitting an extension piece of pipe to the end of the exhaust completely cured this in the case of my car!

I think it probably is exhaust, the exhaust does smell strongly of petrol on my car (perhaps rich mixture?). There is black rubber fitted around the doors but I'm not sure if there should be something else. The stuff that's fitted is thin, hard and lacks any compressible soft bit that wold give a proper seal. Is something missing?

There is only a glued-on rubber strip around the rear doors to act as a seal. Nothing else. It sounds as if this has perhaps got old, hard and no longer doing much good. If you can put strip of paper between the seal and the door then shut the door on it and easily pull the paper out again, the seal isn't working and should be replaced. Most Morris Minor parts suppliers should keep new rubber sealing strip and it isn't expensive.
As I mentioned above, a longer piece of exhaust pipe is worth a try too. It worked on my traveller

Okay, I'll do that test when I can. I was wondering about the other doors too. They've also just got a thin hard strip running around them. there are a lot of gaps where draughts can get in.

I'll get an exhaust extension too and give that a try.

Check the top of the petrol tank for petrol 'dampness' due to tiny rust holes caused by condensation...

bmcecosse wrote:Check the top of the petrol tank for petrol 'dampness' due to tiny rust holes caused by condensation...

And under the tank that where mine was leaking and being soaked up by the underseal, it was a fine hole, we now have a new tank and now know sell....
Good luck
Brian..........

Okay, I'll give the tank a good check over when I get back to England. I suspect that it is petrol fumes now though. I'll have a look at the draught excluders too. I feel like there should be more than there is though as there is quite a big gap between the chrome bit of the door and the body which lets a lot of air in.

The other thing I was wondering is that I often hear about the Morris Minor's characteristic exhaust 'parp'. I don't get that on my car, the exhaust is always quiet. Does this mean there's something wrong?

Petrol smell = petrol leak. You MUST find the leak - trying to keep it out of the car worrying about draughts is not the answer..

bmcecosse wrote:Petrol smell = petrol leak. You MUST find the leak - trying to keep it out of the car worrying about draughts is not the answer..

I think I may be smelling exhaust rather than petrol though. I will give the whole fuel system a thorough check over from filler pipe to carb when I get back though, better safe than sorry!

Exhaust doesn't smell of petrol - but it will nip your eyes and cause a sore throat..... I can get some of that in my Trav if I run with quarterlight open - but if I open the rear sliding glass slightly at the back - no problems at all. Of course my Trav is only used in 'summer' so that is usually just about possible.....

What do you reckon on the absence of a 'parp'?

It's just a quirk of the exhaust....perhaps if you have a leak it won't do it - also not if you have high idle speed.... It is an embarassment - be happy to not be plagued with it.....

I was told by ESM that the exhaust needed replacing so it could just be that. I put it off for a bit though because of the money.

If it's not leaking - why would it need replacing....? You have to remember ALL these places are out to sell you stuff - whether you NEED it or not!!

I'm curious about the 'parp' thing. My saloon did it until the tired 948 engine was replaced with a recon 1098. It's never 'parked' since. Same exhaust.

Sorry, I meant 'parped'. It parks fine.

my brother's traveller, on an old exhaust system, parps like an absolute trooper! even when not under load. none of mine really do it as much as that one. i think it's possibly the baffles worn out?

I rather miss it. Made me smile.