Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi all could anyone tell me how to fit a new timing chain (to my 59 1000 2dr) the my old one broke as I was leving work on thursday ( had to get towed home 60 km) I need to know what position the crank shaft needs to be in relation to the cam shaft.

thanks

Hello Mupwi,

there is a dot on both the timing wheels, the timing should be correct when they are adjacent to each other.

Alec

thanks

Bad luck that is, I have not heard of one breaking before.

In a little more detail (I've just done mine)

Take the radiator out (gives room to work)
Take the fanbelt and fan out
Undo the hand crank dog (might need the special tool for the job, depending one your pulley)
Take the front pulley off
Undo all the bolts holding the timing cover on (note there are two different types)
Pull the two gears forward and take the old chain off (if its broken that will be easy)
Take the gears out and check for ware while you are in there
Put the new chain around the two gears with the dots lineing up
Turn the crank shaft so the gear key is at the 12 O'clock position, put the cam shaft to the 2 O'clock position
Place the two gears onto their shafts together (if the dots are facing each other they should line up with the keys)

Then just put every thing back together - be sure to check your timing after.

(I disclaim the above - might have forgotten something )

thanks guys the guys at the our local mmoc also never heard of one breaking but this one did the side of the sprocket was also broken (looks like is has been for some time) and the tensioner rubers were in pices so the one of the pieces fron the sproket or the tensioner might have got caut up in the chain and caused it to snap that is my theory anyway the strange thing is there is no damade to the cover . all the guys I tried to source a new sprocet from expected there to be at leased a small dent but it is fine anyway let me go re asemble it so I can get to rowing training tomorow morning.

by the way I am coming to the uk next year to row in the henly royal regata so maby I could meet up with some of you guys then but that is still 14 months away.

Hello Mupwi,

with what you say above, I would carry out a basic check with a straight edge to ensure the two sprockets are perfectly in line. They are adjusted by adding or subtracting shims between the crankshaft and the crankshaft pulley.

Alec

lo guys finished puting everything back in but now my car wont start it dosent even seem to be trying the startermotor cranks but nothing else any ideas what I could have done wrong and how do I fix it

thanks again in aticipation

Hello Mupwi,

double check all your settings. A quick check for cam timing and ignition timing is to take off the rocker cover. Turn the engine so that the rotor arm is pointing to number one cylinder position of the distributor cap. Now turn the engine back and forward slightly around top dead centre and you should see the valves 'rocking' on number four cylinder. That is, the exhaust valve closing and the inlet valve opening and vice versa as you reverse the direction of rotation. If you find that number one cylinder is 'rocking' then the cam is 180 degrees out of time.

Alec

I have NEVER heard of an A series engine timing chain breaking - NEVER !!!! It must have been horrendously noisey before that happened. Did anything seize in the engine ? Could the camshaft still be turned over ok ? Only explanation I can give is that something jammed the cam (broken follower ? seized valve? )- which then snapped the chain. Did any harm come to the engine when the chain snapped ? Any valves banged into pistons ?? Get them to do engine compression test and report back the results. If all is ok (looking for about 160 psi minimum in all 4 pots) - did they definitely line up the dots properly when fitting the chain on ? If not - it will never start.

Agreed, never heard of an A series actually breaking a chain but
on a standard A series I do not think that a valve would go through
a piston whatever broke??(unless it was a valve stem).

Agree - if standard cam used. High lift cam does put the valves down the bores. But this sounds anything but a high-tec engine !!

better late than never:


(wasn't online much this weekend, but I hope this is how you lined up the dots!

A perfect example of 'a picture is worth a thousand words' Ray

Of course the cam sprocket is not directly above the crank sprocket tho, just tip you head almost on its side and its even more accurate

Well, yes, and the cam sprocket is MUCH larger than the crank sprocket, but Ray's diagram shows the basic principle.

Well, yes, and the cam sprocket is MUCH larger than the crank sprocket, but Ray's diagram shows the basic principle

oopps - I remembered that one was bigger than the other, but thanks for pointing out my glaring error

cam sprocket is MUCH larger than the crank sprocket

lol I didn't even pick that out, should have done, I've spent enough time recently pulling them off three engine to get the best one (and ended up using the original)

Well, the point of Ray's post was to show the dots really.

This is a picture of my sprockets (duplex):

http://potteries.mmoc.org.uk/Members_Ca ... 412_05.jpg

You can just make out one of the 'dots' towards the bottom left of the larger sprocket.

picture now corrected - ready for next time ;-)