Morris Minor Owners Club

Hello everyone!
I've got questions that concerns me.

Last year I built a new engine for my Minor. I bought an old engine (without flywheel & backplate) in the netherlands and rebuilt it.
After I finished the work, I took all the parts like flywheel, pulley, exhaust, carburettor etc. from my oily broken engine and attached to the reconditioned one.
After the first start I had quite nasty vibrations in the car. Even the glasses on the nose vibrated.
I have asked in a specialist company (40 years of engine repair / rebuild). The boss of the company told me earlier in the car factories, they have balanced the crankshaft, flywheel and pulley (for example at Mercedes) always as a triple.
Now my question: Was that really so with Morris?

This means that I can not replace/change the flywheel from one to the other engine without disassembling the whole engine, removing the crankshaft and balancing with the flywheel?

The second question I ask myself:
why in Germany and the Netherlands are almost all offered old engines without backplate and flywheel? Is there a specific reason for this? Maybe the flywheel is made of gold?

Thanks & regards

I doubt the Morris engine went through such balancing, perhaps the engine isn't the problem, maybe mountings, head steady etc. If things are too rigid this can cause roughness. What about exhaust mountings

I am not aware that the Minor engine crankshaft, flywheel, clutch cover, timing chain pulley and crankshaft pulley as one were balanced at the factory. The flywheel as a singleton item was balanced as can be witnessed by the drilling(s) in the rim of the flywheel. It was balanced so as to be fitted on any engine not a specific engine.
The 1/4 marking on the rim of the flywheel should be fitted in line with No: 1 TDC but it is not imperative that it is in line with No: 1 TDC - as to get over a worn starter ring the flywheel would be turned through 90 or 180 degrees so as to provide a better section of ring gear without effecting the balance of the engine.
If you have a vibration it could be the engine/gearbox mountings/exhaust mountings, cracked crankshaft pulley or something worked loose.

As regards separate engine rear plate and flywheel it may be that additional monies may be made by selling separately.
Over here the MG Midget 1275cc engines tend to be sold without the flywheel and engine rear plate as they fetch good money on their own.