Morris Minor Owners Club

Can someone please tell me how to identify what year this engine is that has been put into my early Minor.
Cheers Steve,

Engines, provided they are Minor engines, can only be dated approximately by engine number. If it has a Gold or Silver Seal recon unit, or similar, it seems to be virtually impossible to work out.
A few details might help, such as engine number, c.c., and if there is anything to suggest its not a Moggie engine (Midget etc...)

Under the front spark plug there ought to be a rivetted plate with a series of numbers on.

On the other side, about 3 inches lower, there should be a plate with 1 rivet that says something like 950. Might be cast in somewhere, too.

More photos of the 2 sides would help.

Rob

Cheeers Guys,
ID Plate has gone its got 950 cast into block , But will never know what year motor is i guess

Is there an engine number quoted on the title/registration document? Is it different to the one quoted on the bulkhead plate near the fuse box? Maybe some clues there?

Otherwise '950' just indicates a 948cc engine but could be from any time during that engine's production run (late 1956 to 1964 in various states of tune)

That photo shows the early style air cleaner which makes your engine a 948cc. So it is most likely a pre 1964 engine.

Trickydicky wrote:That photo shows the early style air cleaner which makes your engine a 948cc. So it is most likely a pre 1964 engine.

Cheers Richard,,,,

1962 was the year they switched over to 1098s, so it's likely pre 1962. The air filter is the later of the 2 types fitted to the 948 engines, though of course it could have been changed. If not though, it would suggest it's not a very early 948

The inlet/exhaust manifold is the two piece split type (cast exhaust/alloy inlet) from the early 948cc engine.
The later manifold is a one piece item.
The carb looks to be original 948cc with the brass topped damper but the air cleaner has been changed to the later paper element type.
There should be a tag fitted to the carb with the carb number embossed into it which will give some indication of year the carb was fitted and from that date the engine manufacture date may possibly be extrapolated.

http://sucarb.co.uk/cf/vehicle/list/?ma ... icle=Minor

There doesn't seem to be any heater valve , earlier tap / later wire operated at the back of the head. Odd looking fuel pump too!

The heater valve outlet is blanked off - the odd looking thing/fuel pump appears to be an in line rotary one of the type in the link below .

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Brand-New-12V ... SwHpRZeZMH

Interesting, and much cheaper than an SU, are they any good?

I have to say the engine bay looks quite bereft without the wiper motor there , I assume it is under the dash and without the familiar SU pump against the battery casing.

The carb may well be a guide to the age of the engine or indeed the car. I had mine refurbished recently and Burdens had a giggle and told me I had got my money's worth as it was stamped 1957 so likely the original -especially given the wear. That said, it was working ok 'ish apart from the leak.

If the sump is a reddish colour it's an early APJM 948cc, up to mid '57ish as mentioned above, paper element air cleaner early '59ish 9M 948cc.

Without an engine number, vehicles' assembly plant I'm hopeless, sorry!

philthehill wrote:The inlet/exhaust manifold is the two piece split type (cast exhaust/alloy inlet) from the early 948cc engine.
The later manifold is a one piece item.
The carb looks to be original 948cc with the brass topped damper but the air cleaner has been changed to the later paper element type.
There should be a tag fitted to the carb with the carb number embossed into it which will give some indication of year the carb was fitted and from that date the engine manufacture date may possibly be extrapolated.

http://sucarb.co.uk/cf/vehicle/list/?ma ... icle=Minor

Hmmm. Interesting. thanks heaps for the info philtehill

POMMReg wrote:If the sump is a reddish colour it's an early APJM 948cc, up to mid '57ish as mentioned above, paper element air cleaner early '59ish 9M 948cc.

Without an engine number, vehicles' assembly plant I'm hopeless, sorry!

Sump is green like the rest of it POMMReg

firedrake1942 wrote:Interesting, and much cheaper than an SU, are they any good?

I have to say the engine bay looks quite bereft without the wiper motor there , I assume it is under the dash and without the familiar SU pump against the battery casing.

The carb may well be a guide to the age of the engine or indeed the car. I had mine refurbished recently and Burdens had a giggle and told me I had got my money's worth as it was stamped 1957 so likely the original -especially given the wear. That said, it was working ok 'ish apart from the leak.

Wiper motor is under dash as this is a 1952 Morry. i have just rebuilt the SU pump. I put a modern pump on there till i got the old one sorted.Its got SU back on now.So where on the carb is this stamp ?. Thanks for ya input.

Yup aware the wiper motor under dash, just think the engine bay looks empty and even bigger without it visible. The little fuel pump looked promising in terms of a 'get you home job' to keep in the boot.

The date /number is, I believe, on the carb body itself, as the bit which is least likely to be replaced, but as mine is back in the car, under a large oil-bath air filter, I could not tell you exactly where.

The tag for the identification of the carb is either under the central bolt of the float chamber lid or attached to one of the three float chamber lid screws or attached to one or more of the damper screws.
It is not stamped on the body. The numbers on the body are casting/part numbers and bear no relation to the id tag.

Thanks Phil, but that is removable and I am sure he was looking at the body when he told me it was 1957, You however are the oracle!

philthehill wrote:The tag for the identification of the carb is either under the central bolt of the float chamber lid or attached to one of the three float chamber lid screws or attached to one or more of the damper screws.
It is not stamped on the body. The numbers on the body are casting/part numbers and bear no relation to the id tag.

Kool. Thanks for that, i will have a look tomorrow,