Morris Minor Owners Club

im about to fit a 1098 engine into my '57 and have been told that i need a 1098 speedo and sender unit so the speed will read right and the fuel guage will work properly, my only concern is will the sender unit give the correct readings, as i understand 948=5gal tank 1098=6.5 gal tank is this correct. all replies appreciated as always
Regards Rich

IMHO:
if you're changing 'the engine' - ditch the 7" front brakes and go for 8" or better but leave everything else alone!

If you're changing the differerential in the rear axle, then update the speedo to match with the corresponding fuel gauge/gauge hassles.
Personally I thought a 57 would have the bigger tank anyway, and the small tank only ran to up to Series II production (I could be wrong).

Hi Doobry. Thanks for the info.
am taking engine and box out of a traveller, am looking to change the diff to a midget 3.9 (i think) and the '57 has marina discs. got a 1098 speedo off ebay delivered for £6.70. just need to know about the fuel guage readings so i can crack on this wkend.
Regards Rich

you may as well keep the original speedo and fuel gauge - whether you use that or the 1098 speedo, they will both be wrong with a 3.9 diff. The speedo pick-up comes from the output shaft of the box therefore the ratio is only affected by the diff, not by gearbox gearing.

You can get the speedo recalibrated - I think theres a post in tips about it.

As I have already said your 948 sender unit will not work properly on a 1098
speedos fuel gauge. If you keep both the original sender and speedo then all
will be well once you have it recalibrated for whichever ratio you decide on.
Or, you can fit your newly aquired 1098 speedo, fit a later sender unit,and
have the unit recalibrated for a 3.9.1 ratio. I think you will find that a 3.9-1
ratio is not really suitable for a standard 1098 engine.

Hi Willie. your right i'd forgotten to say i've got one of those too.
Just been reading through The morris minor modification manual and it says in there that the 1098 will struggle abit with the 3.9 diff, so will try to locate a 4.22 to make it easy, for now.
Doobry you're right the '57 has the 6.5gal tank.
thanks again both for the help,
there's bound to be more when I start on the '63 traveller converted into pickup.
Regards rich

it says in there that the 1098 will struggle abit with the 3.9 diff

I'm resently running a 948 with a 4.22 Diff (not my choice) and it is a lovely combination. The A-roads and motorway are so much better than with lower gearing.
I was always wanting to try a 3.9 with standard 1098, although if you lived in Derbyshire / Cumbria it may not be ideal but when you're on fairly flat A-roads and motorway it would be much less hassle on the ears.

If you've got the 3.9 it wouldn't hurt to see if it suits - I always found the 4.22 to be too low geared for a 1098, but I do a lot of fast A road and Motorway.

Hi Ray
My comute to and from work is mostly motorway so maybe if i can find a 3.9 cheap enough or even borrow one from the mg speacialist I'll try it out and see how it goes.
Regards Rich