Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi all,

I just bought a 56 series II Tourer. It has the split screen, slated grill and long gear lever.

Basically, I want it to LOOK original but like it to accelerate harder.

I want to use a 1275 midget engine in it. I can adapt a 948 gearbox or a 1098 or midget 1275 gearbox to use the long gear lever.

The question is, in order to have a speedo which looks correct and reads accurately, what diff ratio do I need ?

From what I have researched, the series II cars had the unusual direction indicator switch. It was on the column but now self cancelling and did not have its own warning light.

The direction indicator warning light was in the speedo on these cars if what I have read online is correct.

So was this type of speedo used in other cars as well ?

Perhaps my only option, is to go with the correct speedo, use either the 1098 minor or 1275 midget gearbox and chose a suitable diff ratio for my driving conditions and acceleration / top speed requirements, and then used a custom speedo correction gearbox to make it accurate ?

There must be many folks out there who are using 1275 engines in their Minors... how many of you are using one in a series II and still having the correct speedo and have got it to read accurately ??

If you cannot get the speedo to read correctly, I build corrector gearboxes. Here's one I sent to USA a few days ago.
Regards
Declan[frame][/frame]

The Series 11 Minor didn't have any switch on the column. The trafficator/direction indicator switch was mounted below the dashboard and is a Lucas SPB120. It has a built in warning light.

It is quite likely that over the years flashing indicators and/or a later switch have been added.

Hi
I run a 1955 series 11 traveller with a 1275 Midget engine 7.1/4" clutch 1098 ribbed gearbox with conversion to retain long gear stick, 3.9 diff and 145 radials.
I have retained the original semaphore indicators, added discrete flashers which are controlled by the original lever controlled vacuum switch, on the right hand side below the glovebox, 9" Wolsley front brakes finish it off, which I am very happy with.

When I overhauled the gearbox, I changed the speedo drive on the main shaft from 4.5 to 2.6.to drive a gold faced S74477 30 1376 TPI. 90 MPH with oil IGN. and H/B. speedo.
I have a gold outer ring 80 MPH with oil IGN. H/B and IND. I cannot remember why I did not fit this, as this would have looked like the original 1000 TPI one.
I spent many happy hours rummaging in speedo boxes at car boots.

Hope this helps regards Win

If you are running a 1275 then you will need a 90mph speedo. The bronze speedo from the early 1098 saloon, SN4470/10 TPM 1408 should be suitable. This speedo overeads with the 4.22 diff but is more accurate with a 3.9 diff

mike.perry wrote:If you are running a 1275 then you will need a 90mph speedo. The bronze speedo from the early 1098 saloon, SN4470/10 TPM 1408 should be suitable. This speedo overeads with the 4.22 diff but is more accurate with a 3.9 diff

That assumes, of course, that the gearbox is being changed too, as the speedo drive on the SII is totally different Of course, it would be daft not to change the box to go with a 1275. A ribbed box from a 1098 would be better than a 948 box, as it's stronger, but unfortunately, the work involved in converting it to retain the long, non-remote gear lever is far more involved. There are umpteen accounts on here of how to modify the box - I think that it was 'SUE482' who did a really nice description of modifying the 1098 box recently. Also search for 'callyspoy' - I think he might have done it too.

If you use a 1275 engine with an 803 box you will be lucky to get to the end ofthe road before the box disintegrates.
If you fit the 1275 engine you can keep the original flywheel and diaphram clutch assembly and just modify the clutch linkage. See my separate posts