Morris Minor Owners Club

I have a noisy thrust bearing on my Minor 1000 is it easy to change the clutch and bearing on the floor by myself I have axel stands to lift the car but no engine hoist. And if anyone has any tips I would be most Grateful thanks.

It’s not a nice job under these circumstances, I did it earlier this year, to change the gearbox. I sat each wheel on 6 inch blocks to gain some height, handbrake on ! (Important) Then crawled under to remove prop and then gearbox to access the clutch etc. the box is heavy and awkward to juggle out, and indeed to put back. You’d be much better hiring an engine lift, saving all other dismantling, with engine out the clutch is accessible and the thrust bearing can be removed from the gearbox. Much better option.

Many people on here will advise you that it's easier to remove the engine. They may well be right, but I decided to do mine by removing the gearbox, mainly because I didn't want to disturb the front panel or risk damaging the wings. I knew I could remove the gearbox cross member fairly easily as I'd had it out relatively recently and I'd welded small plates on the bolt heads in the chassis legs so that I could undo the nuts from below - if you've not had the crossmember out before you may find this stage a problem.

The workshop manuals and online advice will take you through the stages, but you might find this technique of mine useful - webbing straps between the torsion bars to support the gearbox while allowing some manoeuvrability. I found I had to remove an engine mounting to allow the engine to drop enough to get the bellhousing under the bulkhead cross member.

Good luck!

Where you is petejam?
+1 for the engine out option; much easier if facilities are limited.
You can pick secondhand ones up reasonably, £50ish or so, or if you are in the Manchester area you could make use of mine.

One problem that may be encountered in removing the box only is that the gearbox cross member bolts may be compromised so that they will no longer screw out of the captive nuts in the chassis legs......

Each to their own of course. For gearbox only issues, not much alternative to laying under the car and cursing ! However I should imagine not many would prefer this method for clutch only problems, engine out and all work done on the bench ! Easier on the back ! On the occasions I lifted the engine I removed the rad but not the front panel. There could be an argument for the box removal option if there was a four poster available I suppose.

I think that all of the professional garages would take the engine out to do the clutch rather than remove the gearbox. Certainly the Morris Minor Workshop would always take the engine out from what they have told me. Removing a gearbox is too much of an unknown unless it happens to have been taken out recently. If the OP is a member of a local branch of the MMOC there is bound to be somebody local who can lend you an engine crane. I see that the OP is an MMOC member so it is just a question of asking around. My branch of MMOC has a WhatsApp Group for instance.

Over the years of course all manner of approaches have been taken to replacing a clutch including strong blokes just lifting the engine out. From a safety perspective this really can't be recommended. Once you injure your back it can cause issues for the rest of your life. Best avoided!

Stephen

Hello Thank you all for the information I think I will look at Hiring a engine hoist I am in York but the local club seems to have closed.

I retract my remark about buying one for £50; I must have been living in the past. That was the going rate the last time I sold one. North of £100 now it seems; I have been looking for one online that would suit you. Apologies.

svenedin wrote: ↑Tue Sep 16, 2025 4:16 pm Over the years of course all manner of approaches have been taken to replacing a clutch including strong blokes just lifting the engine out. From a safety perspective this really can't be recommended. Once you injure your back it can cause issues for the rest of your life. Best avoided!

Stephen

I agree, although I have taken an engine out with two of us quite easily and safely, by lashing the engine to a stout plank placed across the wings and then one at each end of the plank to lift the engine out. The front was off so we didn't have to lift too high. But that was about 35 years ago and an engine hoist is definitely the preferred option.

Hi, I too am attempting to change the clutch from underneath as using a hoist is not really an option on my gravel driveway. I have encountered a problem in so far as there is ONE bolt that I am having trouble with gaining access to, this is the top bellhousing bolt on the passenger side. Has anyone else come across this, if so what was the solution? Incidentally it is fitted with a 1275 Midget engine and gearbox I don't know if that makes a difference, any helpful advice gratefully received.
Thanks
Simon.

I’m scratching my head over this one, having, unfortunately, done this job, I didn’t have that issue. Maybe because mine is 1098, although similar as gearbox has the same bolt holes. What’s in the way to prevent you accessing the bolt ?

Thanks for responding. Basically there is only just enough room to get a finger between the bolt head and the bulkhead/steering rack with the engine in normal orientation, when I tried dropping the back of the gearbox, in an attempt to see if I could gain access that way, I found the bolt completely obscured. Tomorrow I am going to try the opposite and lift the back of the g/box to see if that will give me more room, its all a little baffling, especially since I have done it before albeit forty odd years ago, just need to check I am not going to damage anything else in the process.

Well hope you manage to do it. I’m pretty sure I reached the top two bolts from the engine bay.

Thanks for all of the suggestions, I guess I'm not trying hard enough

I did ours from underneath and it was a doddle probably not much more than a couple of hours.

In my favour It was a recently rebuilt car so no problems with bolts etc, I had access to a 4 post lift and I had a fit, strong son to help!

process was basicaly
prop bolts undone, support back of sump on jack, cross member off lower back of engine, speedo cable off starter and bell housing bolts out (3 foot extension from back of gearbox) clutch mech disconnected, twist box 90 degrees clockwise and pull off.

A battery ratchet also makes life a lot easier.

Well you’ve just outlined why it was a ‘doddle’———for you but perhaps, not a doddle for the rest of us !

Having the right equipment makes all the difference, I have taken the engine out as well, which with the front panel in place is easy enough but you do need a hoist with plenty of height on it.

Simon Slocombe wrote: ↑Sun Sep 21, 2025 3:54 pm Hi, I too am attempting to change the clutch from underneath as using a hoist is not really an option on my gravel driveway. I have encountered a problem in so far as there is ONE bolt that I am having trouble with gaining access to, this is the top bellhousing bolt on the passenger side. Has anyone else come across this, if so what was the solution? Incidentally it is fitted with a 1275 Midget engine and gearbox I don't know if that makes a difference, any helpful advice gratefully received.
Thanks
Simon.

I have a 1098cc and I don't recall having trouble with the bell housing bolts. I recall using my favourite flexible head ratcheting spanners for most of the bell housing bolts and all of them tackled from the engine bay side. I may have used a socket or ordinary ring spanner if access was difficult. Then again, I was taking the engine out and not the gearbox and I was using a hoist.

Stephen

Can you not take off the front engine mounts and move the engine forwards?