Morris Minor Owners Club

Can anyone tell me how tight the gearbox steady wire should be? (tension cable).
Should there be a bit of slack to allow fore and aft movement.
I can't find any info on it.
Thanks Chris

You should just take up the slack in the cable - no more - no less.

The three bolts holding the bracket to the gearbox should be changed from 1/4" UNF to 5/16" UNC. The three 1/4" UNF bolts were not designed for the purpose they are now being used for. The gearbox steady wire was an after thought from BMC as was the engine steady.
The 1/4" UNF bolts are prone to pulling out of the gearbox casing as the UNF thread is too fine for use in an alloy casing.

Have you got the BMC Manual?

Details start on P81 with the diagram. Accompanying text is over on P82.

It's in Section AA for the Series II Engine, not the Gearbox section.
The details of the Engine Tie Rod immediately follow it.

The idea to adjust until there is no Fore and Aft movement.

The cable will not stop aft (rearwards) movement. The cable is only designed to stop the engine/gearbox assy moving forward.

philthehill wrote: ↑Tue Jan 19, 2021 3:43 pm
The three bolts holding the bracket to the gearbox should be changed from 1/4" UNF to 5/16" UNC. The three 1/4" UNF bolts were not designed for the purpose they are now being used for. The gearbox steady wire was an after thought from BMC as was the engine steady.
The 1/4" UNF bolts are prone to pulling out of the gearbox casing as the UNF thread is too fine for use in an alloy casing.

Really! re-tap the gearbox?

geoberni wrote: ↑Tue Jan 19, 2021 4:07 pm Have you got the BMC Manual?

No, just Haynes.

philthehill wrote: ↑Tue Jan 19, 2021 5:04 pm The cable will not stop aft (rearwards) movement. The cable is only designed to stop the engine/gearbox assy moving forward.

Good point. I was basically saying just adjust it until the slack is taken up, but worth making it clear.

Thanks everyone.

Chill59 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 19, 2021 5:08 pm

geoberni wrote: ↑Tue Jan 19, 2021 4:07 pm Have you got the BMC Manual?

No, just Haynes.

If you search online, your favourite search engine will find several online Libraries and Classic Car websites offering it as a free download pdf.
The current printers of the paper manual have a copyright on their reprint, but as I understand it, that copyright only applies to their 'Typographical arrangement of published editions', which is why it says (c) 1985, 1988 and 2015 inside it.

Places/people making the pdf versions available are reproducing the original 14th Edition manual (c) BLMC 1970.
That copyright expired after 25 years in 1995.
Which is presumably why the current publishers can't go after them.

geoberni wrote: ↑Tue Jan 19, 2021 5:57 pm

Chill59 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 19, 2021 5:08 pm

geoberni wrote: ↑Tue Jan 19, 2021 4:07 pm Have you got the BMC Manual?

No, just Haynes.

If you search online, your favourite search engine will find several online Libraries and Classic Car websites offering it as a free download pdf.
The current printers of the paper manual have a copyright on their reprint, but as I understand it, that copyright only applies to their 'Typographical arrangement of published editions', which is why it says (c) 1985, 1988 and 2015 inside it.

Places/people making the pdf versions available are reproducing the original 14th Edition manual (c) BLMC 1970.
That copyright expired after 25 years in 1995.
Which is presumably why the current publishers can't go after them.

I've had a look but can't find anything. Have you got a link To the PDF?

Chiil59
Yes really - tap the gearbox.
It has been a common mod over the years. Several on this site have carried out the mod.
I used to carry out the mod way back when I worked in a BMC garage.
The three 1/4" UNF bolts were used because they were there and the fitment of the steady cable was a retrospective modification before it was incorporated in the factory build.
Phil

What is the purpose of the wire and engine steady? My other cars with approaching 4 x the power don't have them (tr7v8, lotus elan) so I left them both off and it drives perfectly, I wondered if it was to do with the mechanical clutch, I converted ours is hydraulic.

Kevin

The engine steady tie bar is there to overcome cases of clutch judder.
I have run my 998cc, 1380cc & 1400cc 'A' Series engines with both the tie bar connected and disconnected. I have found that the best situation is to have the tie bar connected. The Minor rubber engine mount rubbers are relatively soft and easily distort leading to excessive movement of the engine. You can get poly engine mounts but then there is the possibility of engine vibrations passing to the passenger compartment.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MORRIS-MINOR ... SwLi1ccuYb
The engine steady cable is there to stop the engine moving forward under braking. If the cable was not in place there is the possibility of the coolant fan hitting the radiator.
My Minor is fitted with a Ford gearbox resting on a Ford gearbox mount inserted into the Minor gearbox cross member which keeps the engine and gearbox in the same position at all times even under hard braking.

Chill59 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 19, 2021 6:28 pm
I've had a look but can't find anything. Have you got a link To the PDF?

There has been some thoughts in the past that it would still be a breach of copyright to post a link here see this page:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=51378

Though I did explain earlier this evening why I believe it not to be the case.

But just in case someone does want to get concerned about it, I also said that if you put Morris Minor Workshop manual pdf into your search bar you will find it at at least 2 places on the first page of results...

Why not just buy a Minor workshop manual and be done with it.

Various formats are available.

https://www.morrisminorspares.com/misce ... al-p831087

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OFFICIAL-Mor ... %3A2334524

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Morris-Minor ... %3A2334524

Also there are plenty of S/H Minor workshop manuals on 'e' bay.

Here is one :-

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Morris-Minor ... SwJZ5fu~~o

I've both.
The book to flick through to check something, and if doing something to the car where the book would get filthy, I print out the pages I need for the job.

Nothing quite like a manual with soiled pages and oily finger prints imo

You cannot have to many workshop manuals.

Reminds me of going to a rural garage in Herefordshire - there was a pile of workshop manuals on the floor. The proprietor who was elderly said "one of these days I will get round to putting up a shelf".

Hi,
For those in need who want to do the conversion:
(I think a 1" length for the bolt will be enough but please correct me if I'm wrong)
Best wishes,
Mike.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UNC-UNF-Unif ... Sw2XFUhzJx

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-4-5-16-3-8 ... %3A2334524