Morris Minor Owners Club

hi

i havent been on for a few months, thought id bring you up to date - about a month before xmas, i noticed the ignition light on my 66 2 door saloon was taking longer and longer to go out, i measured the voltage coming off the dynamo at only about one volt, im sure i did it right (short the 2 terminals together - then measure between that and the earth ) - anyway rather than messing with it i ordered a replacement from ESM - while i was waiting, i had to get out so i thought ill take a spare battery and even if the dynamo isnt charging i'll run it until it stops then change the battery to get home - anyway then the oil light came on, no prob, i already had the oil and the filter element, it had done about 10k so i took it home, changed the oil and it all seemed to be fine (isnt it difficult to see fresh oil on a dipstick ?) - so off i went again with the spare battery - and it was going nice for about five miles, then i noticed the tapping noise which it had since i bought it was getting louder - i stopped and the engine was sounding like a big lawn mower with something stuck in it by now, and it was boiling up all over the place - i had to get it home so i let it cool off and drove it back - the noise was incredible by the time i got home - so that was that - i was already counting on spending a grand to get a lot of work done on the body (rotten boot, spring hangers,doors inner wings etc) to get it through its mot next month - well to get someone to take the engine apart was going to add a few more hundred including repairs to the engine compartment - it had had it !! oh no !! - anyway its sat there all xmas, ive now bought a traveller for 2 grand which isnt perfect but it is beautiful and its engine sounds like a bmw compared to my 2 door (even before it died) - i worked out the cost of all the spare parts from the 2 door that would be useful on the traveller and its getting on for 500 quids worth, 'll scrap the shell - yesterday i went and started the 2 door up after a month and its still going great except for that racket

cheers
grainger

Grainger,

My heart goes out to you mate.

I know that you have fallen out with the 2-Door now, but if you have got the space why not keep it for a future restoration project.

In 6-12 months you may be able to look on it with different eyes.

Good luck with the traveller though!!

yeah im not making any decisions yet

ive been thinking i might use it for learning to weld on actually, the engine might be as simple as a busted cam, and anyway ive not even opened the rocker cover yet - you might be right, i think i will wrap it up in a tarp for now and get on with this traveller, if i need any bits its there anyway

everything ok with you cam ? - winters hard on these old dears isnt it ? especially without a garage, hope yours is going well

see you
grainger

Mine is starting to show a bit of surface rust through near the rear bottoms of the front wings. But I'll have to wait until summer to do that one.

Like you say, the winter is a bit harsh on the old dears.

I am busy doing my MGB at the moment, rust, rust, rust. Grind grind grind.

Oh well, never mind......and we do this for fun?!?

Hi Grainger,
Sorry to hear the sad tale of your 2 door.
No chance of taking a 2 hour look-see getting, the head off etc..? There's always a chance to pick up a cheap second hand engine if you find something nasty in it, but there's also a chance you find something simple.
If it's a runner, there's always a daft-un like me who'll take it on as a resto.

Gayle's car did an impression of head gasket failure on a test-run before the MOT (not been used for 2 years before I bought it). It started to clatter and splutter and barely had the guts to get back down the back lane .
It turned out to be a fouled plug, and boy was I relieved ! The clatter was just the exhaust on the bulkhead due to the shaking engine.

Well if you can get hold of a trailer - this could be your free engine?

http://test.mmoc.org.uk/modules.php?op= ... opic&t=795