Morris Minor Owners Club

I recently sold my 1968 1000 to buy a 1954 series 2 much as I love the new car I use it daily for transport around town and occasionally on journeys of 15 - 20 miles when doing jobs in other local towns and its complete lack of performance makes it hard going compared with the 1098 even around town. My thoughts are this I would like to change the engine box and diff to make the car at least a bit more lively for daily use as we all know the 803 cars gear ratios are a little naff so I'm wondering what peoples thoughts are on the Best arrangement for a bit more poke whilst keeping.ot looking.as right as possible. Also having looked at a few pics am I right in thinking a 948 box can be changed from remote linkage by changing the gearbox tail over ? Also I believe the 1098 engine is taller and would be easily identified ad being a wrong'un ? So I'm thinking 948 engine and box and possibly 1098 diff ?

As soon as you lift the bonnet any other engine than the 803cc can be easily spotted.
Even if you keep the original carb/manifold set up the main give away is the engine oil filter.
So just fit what ever you need to fit and do not worry about the purists.
Keep the original engine, gearbox and differential in the event you decide to sell the car.
Even if you decide to fit a remote gearbox and have to cut the floor - keep the floor bits they can always be welded back in at a later date. Many cars have their floors welded at some time.
On the above premise I would fit a 1098cc engine, a 1098cc gearbox and 1098cc diff/axle. All easy to source and change and most importantly easily changed back to 803 spec.
I had a Ser 2 with the above combination except for the rear axle which was Marina which had a similar same ratio (4.11 - 1) to the 1098 (4,22 -1) and used it to commute from south Hampshire to the west coast of Cumbria every week and it was brilliant and much more reliable than the modern car it replaced.

in my S2 car i have a 1098 engine ,the 803 gearbox with 948 internals and a 4.22 diff ,my engine uses a 948 flywheel and clutch with the 1098 engine back plate , it seams a nice combination and no need for cutting floors etc ,there are several 803/948 gearbox conversions on the forum

As above - 1098 engine and all the bits that go with it. Or frankly - sell the car and just buy a 1098 Minor! You were happy with that before, it's a lot less work, and saves butchering an early car!!

The entire point is not to butcher an early car that's why I'm asking what I can fit without modifying anything to do with the body. I want to be able to drop the original greasy bits back in with no harm done as and when required. Surely the point of owning these cars as with any car is to use them? I drove a 1951 lanchester LD10 every day for five years .

Cutting the floor to accommodate a 1098cc gearbox is not serious butchering. Most Minors have had more serious welding thrust upon them at some time or another.
Whilst you can as advised above fit different internals to a 803cc gearbox it takes engineering to do so as shown in the recent post on this forum.
Having been down the Ser 2 engine/gearbox upgrade route - I consider that the easier option in my opinion is to remove the very small section of floor required to accommodate the remote box.
If you have had any rusty metal removed and new metal/panels inserted it negates the argument regarding butchering as refitting the removed metal around the 948/1098 gearbox is no different - just a little extra welding to that already undertaken.
Phil

In this case the cars 61 years old and has never required any welding never so much as had a patch put on it anywhere let alone any new underside panels.

no engineering required to put 948 internals into 803 gearbox , it's 1098 to 803 that is complicated , all the 948 parts go straight in just use the 803 selector rods , in fact if you have a good 948 box just swap the selectors and the tail casting over , my car came with the 1098 engine but onto the 803 std box and i was not going to cut my floor either as my car is about 90 % original in the floor

See that was basically what id asked lol

your welcome ,

Martin you are correct about the gearbox 1098cc to 803cc internals but the original question as titled in the original post was 'best engine gearbox diff combination'.
The best engine combination for a Minor used every day is a 1098cc engine, gearbox and 4.22 diff.
Having used a Ser 2 Minor as my sole every day transport and long distance commute vehicle I will stick by my recommendation for best engine / gearbox / diff combination.

We all gave you the same answer! How you do it is up to you..... chopping floors/swapping gearbox internals etc etc. But a 948 gearbox won't last long on a 1098 engine...

i don't see why a good condition 948 gearbox won't last if it's driven normally and has regular oil changes , i use my car as a general run about and i find the 948 ratios fine

If it's good condition then yes it will be fine if not over stressed and down shifts are double-de=clutched.

why double de clutch the size of an engine won't alter the way the gears change , i just take my time a little more between changes

I think I actually said I wanted to know if a 948 box could be made to use the shift from 803 I actually also said I didn't want to go for a 1098 engine in it. What I really want to know is the best diff ratio to use to with those and I assume all axles are interchangeable ?

Just as the factory decided -4.55 with a 948 and 4.22 with a 1098....