Morris Minor Owners Club

I have recently completed a service for my old beast! However she doesn't seem to want to fire up..... ! She has had NEW points, condenser, oil & air filters, fresh oil, new jet and needle and the tappets have been reset. Now my suspicions are at the distributor where the new points and condenser have been fitted...! I am positive that the 0.015 th gap has been properly set but why deosn't the car fire up? The obvious failures to attention to detail eg. spark plugs and HT leads all fitted correctly are not incorrectly fitted. Have I forgot to put something back on properly or are the new points not making electrical contact (difficult to know but are there any tips you could suggest to ensure they are making contact?). Answers on a postcard..... if you need any more info just give me a buzz!

Kind regards

Lee & 'Pidge' (PDG457G) -

Lo, with the ignition ON flick open the points with something which
is insulated. do you get a spark at the points? If not you have
probably fitted the wires on the points in the wrong place. If you
have a test meter then,with the ignition OFF see if the side contact
on the distributor is a full earth. if yes,open the points and the earth
should disappear. If it doesn't,again, you have fitted the wires
to the points incorrectly. Thats stage one....see how you go.
A simple point is that new contacts are coated with a preservative
and should be wiped with petrol before use. Have you put the
rotor arm back?? Its the only thing you didnt list!
Willie

Hi, I've jyst about finished a service , during which I had a similar problem.
The gap in the points I set meticulously, however "Gladys" sounded dreadful when starting her up.
I took to experimenting with differing settings and eventually found that Gladys preferred a setting CLOSE to the specified, but just a little bit off
the recommended.
Maybe this might help you.
Best wishes,
JOHN

I didn't realise that the sticky substance on the points are preservatives - I assumed it was some electrically conductive lubricant! Before there was no spark so obvioulsy there is somewhere where a connection is being lost. But they are now wiped clean! However I've now lost the bl**dy adjustment screw so I'm going to have to find one of them now - oh it's one problem after another!!!!! I HATE CARS!!!!!! (mega cheesed off now). Let's hope ESM spares has the replacement. But at least tomorrow my mate is going to let me use his voltmeter thingymajig to test if the earth is sound..... (thanks for that tip Willie ;o))

On another subject it's funny you should talk about 'trial and error' tactics, sloopjohnrb. Because my rocker clearances are not strictly the factory's recom. The clearances gave a prefect purrrrr. (Before I started to play around with the dissy!!!!) Grrrrrrr!

Best wishes all

P.S. The rotor arm was correctly put back and was given a clean up! Help me I hate getting British Rail every morning!

my ealier checks on the points wiring is not so much for a
missing connection as for a 'wrong' connection which would give
the electrical effect of the points never opening even if they
physically do so. As an easy visual check the post on to which
the points return spring sits should show the fixing nut pressing
on to the insulating collar. This collar should have the two wires
UNDERNEATH it (touching the spring). The spring is sitting on
top of the bottom insulating collar.??????????
Willie

Now, where we you when I last fell foul of that one, Willie?
I had put the collar in between the connections, and not on top of it. Well, at least I saw the error of my ways soon enough!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh........... thats where I must be going wrong because these connections have been mounted on TOP of the points spring and not underneath. One shall try this tomorrow - I'll give you an update! I assumed tha since it's connected either way it should give electrical conductance but I suppose at least if it makes perfect contact with the base plate there shouldn't be any problems with conductance. I will give it a try.

Secondly Willie you should move next door to me! Your knowledge is impecable. How do you know so much?

Regards

Only if you live in the Bahamas!! You are missing the point with
the wiring, since you have the wires in the wrong place you have,
in fact, shorted the coil connection straight to chassis PERMANENTLY
instead of only when the points are CLOSED. This means that you
will NEVER get a spark until you correct the fault. At least it is easy
and do not overtighten the top nut.......finget tight and then 1/2 a
turn more.
Willie

beware of the little bent over tag on some condensor connection eyes, it can bridge the top insulating sleeve and touch the securing nut - I've fallen foul of that tag in the past!!

Hi Lee you said
On another subject it's funny you should talk about 'trial and error' tactics, sloopjohnrb. Because my rocker clearances are not strictly the factory's recom. The clearances gave a prefect purrrrr.
How did you set them incorrectly !
The main reason for the noise is the wear in the rocker faces caused by the valves, the only way I have found to compensate for this is to use a device made by SPQR which I believe is still on sale and this compensates for the wear by starting from the fully closed point and then each click of adjustment is the equivalent of 0.001 and will than give the correct clearance.

I think that tool is still available, and it sounds great for checking the clearances... I keep thinking about getting hold of one, because it should make the job easier for one person. Holding the feeler gauges, spanners, a screwdriver and not dropping everything requires all the dexterity I possess for most of the time!

I think the tool you are referring to is the 'Clikadjust'



available from Frost in Rochdale for £24.

http://www.frost.co.uk/acatalog/Index_E ... ox_13.html

I agree that adjusting the clearances about 3 thou lower than recommended does get rid of the annoying rattles, but be careful!
Don't go too low or the valves will not seal properly against their seats when the engine is hot and at high RPM, which will eventually cause burnt out valve seats / valve edges.

If you don't fancy buying the Clikadjust then you could always try taking your rocker assembly off and refacing the rockers in a vice using a file.

I have done this on my MGB and it worked quite well, although I was very careful not to damage anything and get an even surface profile.

An easier way to ensure that you do not get false valve clearance
readings due to the fact that there is a 'groove' worn in the rocker
face where it hits the top of the valve is to grind the 12 thou"feeler
blade carefully until it is slightly less wide than the valve top. This,
of course allows the blade to side into the worn groove and give an
accurate reading.

Well success - after donning on the wellies and treking down to my local scrap-yard I managed to get the base plate retaining screw! And eventually I understood about the wiring - yes the LT lead and condenser lead is ONLY to make contact with the points spring and NOT the base plate! Thanks guys 'Pidge' is now back in full action and in tip top condish, I may add! Blimey I've never heard her start so well! But thats great! Take care all

Lee & 'Pidge' (PDG 457G) -