Morris Minor Owners Club

It's always the case... as soon as one car goes to the garage for a week, the other decides to break down! I'd be really grateful for a quick reply from anyone who might be able to help while I can still (maybe) get a part before work tomorrow! Here's what's happened:

Wednesday night I took Naomi for a little drive, and she kept missing. I thought she was probably due for a service anyway, so...

Saturday afternoon (in the snow) I serviced her completely.

It's now Sunday, and she's still missing. It's getting worse and I only just made it up our driveway. I have had this problem in the past and it was condensors which kept going. This was eventually blamed on the coil, which was replaced last August. I have tried 2 condensors this weekend but no joy.

It seems like an electrical problem, but I'm no expert. It is worse under load - she ticks over quite well.

Can someone help, please?!!!!!!!!!

Neil

In no particular order...

Check over the plugs - missing under load is often a duff plug (even though it's just been replaced!).

Check the HT leads & Distributor cap (see Kate's thread on "dizzies")

It may be the cold - last week my moggie refused to idle for about 20 minutes - I think it's fuel related...

Colin

Well this is why I'm so confused. I thought it would have been an electrical problem, but everything was fine until Wednesday, now everything's been changed (except the coil) and it has the same problem. It starts fine and idles OK - it's under any acceleration that it has a problem. Also, it's slightly intermittant, in that it did clear up for about 10 minutes this afternoon, then started again

Fuel pump maybe, or dirty carb?

If the symptoms are identical to those that you had last year. And then you cured them by changing the coil. It is not impossible for it to be the coil again.

Not wishing to sound an ominous note, but I had (or at least one of the cars had ) exactly the symptons that you describe. After changing all electrical, also checked compression with no obvious fault. Eventually took the head off, and it turned out to be a VERY worn valve guide. At idle the valve closed properly, but under load it moved around and jammed partially open. Hope it's not that, but it's another option, even if not a quick fix.

Ouch! Well if that is the case, do you think it's worth getting a recon engine rather than that expense. It's only on 56k, but then it's 35 years old and isn't converted to unleaded (although I use an additive...)

Neil,

I wouldn't try getting a re-con engine until it's absolutely necessary.

The fault you seem to have could be a number of causes - my moggie had a recon engine last autumn (nastly rattling noises from under the bonnet). The engine's fine, but I have the occasional problem with ther engine dying for 20 minutes. I think it must be fuel line (all the HT side - except coil - has been replaced - new engine, recently serviced etc).

Later this year I'll drain the tank, check the fuel pipe, and make sure there's no grot in the float chamber/ jet etc.
I think that very often changing the engine disturbs things that would be better left alone....

Colin

I forgot to mention that it's (slightly) better with the choke out, which makes me hope it's a carburettor problem rather than anything more serious...

Could be a blocked jet - using the choke lowers the jet away from the needle which would give a better opening. If the engine's done only 56K then unless it's been treated very badly it should be OK to take a new head - much cheaper than a new complete engine; but do try all the other ideas first. Also, might be worth taking the rocker cover off and using an oil can, pour some oil directly onto the top of each valve stem. Keep fingers crossed for carb though.

Thanks everyone - I'll let you know...

Dont forget the low tension leads as well.

Well, she went into the garage today, and the answer was, that there's a broken butterfly inside the carburettor (!). Anyway, too much air was getting through, making the mixture run much too weak. He also found that one of my brand new spark plugs was broken and the springs in the distributor needed replacing, but that was cheap. The whole lot's gonna be £200!!

I really must learn more about these things - it'll save me a fortune!

Thanks for your help!