Morris Minor Owners Club

My '58 saloon's re test is tomorrow and I can't sort out either of the things it failed on. Any help very greatfully received.
1. No split pin in one of the ball joint? track rod ends. I've looked very carefull, having taken off the castleated nut and there's no hole for a split pin. It must have passed 10 tests at the same place like that. Can I argue my case?

2. OS headlamp glowing dim orangy colour and full beam not working. I've put a new sealed beam unit in with no change. Earthing bullet conection on inside wing looks ok. What do I do next?

Funny how I can usually fix the car but I'm useless in diagnosing the fault!

Barry

1. Are you sure? There should be a hole there somewhere.

2. Sound like bad earthing or bad 12 volt connection. Take ALL the connections apart and clean them.

newagetraveller wrote:1. Are you sure? There should be a hole there somewhere.

Very true, but on lots of the modern replacements there isn't, and just a plain nut too. I've fitted Nylocs, but I'm not entirely happy with that - that's passed one MOT, but I wonder if it should've.



See? No hole at all - I can only suggest tracking down replacements which DO have them

Ref split pin, it could just be that an old pin rusted solid in the hole and needs to be drifted / drilled out to allow a new one to go in. I've also seen nylocs on some newer ends, but still prefer castle + pin.

Dim light / beam not working has to be lamp and/or wiring problem. Simple test, with lamp removed, use a pair of leads direct from battery to prove that both filaments work off the the car. If not, change the lamp (again) if yes, then double & triple check wiring - are the wires going to the right terminals in the connector?

Good luck.

Unscupulous people (not me, I believe in safety) might just superglue the ends of a split pin in the nut for the MOT and then fix it afterwards. I categorically do NOT recommend that approach.

I had an MOT failure from the upper trunion nut not having a split pin. Thought it was strange at the time and then realised it isn't supposed to have one -it's got a lock-tab instead. Profuse apologies from the MOT man!

Follow SIMMITES suggestion re the dim lamp and,if it does glow brighter with
direct supply across the battery check all leads coloured Blue/White(main beam) and Blue/Red (dipped beam) with particular attention to the 'bullet'
connectors which could always do with a good clean.

simmitc wrote: Unscupulous people (not me, I believe in safety) might just superglue the ends of a split pin in the nut for the MOT and then fix it afterwards. I categorically do NOT recommend that approach.

/Whistles innocently

The thing is, if there's no provision for a split pin, then one can't be fitted without drilling. A spring washer, tab washer, or simply plain washer with the nut done up tight should be more than enough to be safe - Have you seen how much effort can be required to break the taper when you are using the right tools and want it to come off?!

I'd simply fit a nyloc, or give the MOT inspector permission to remove the nut to prove there's no option for a split pin on your rod end myself. Or if he's determined to see a split pin then I'd get out the glue. I'm not stating the car will be safe like that, but I am saying I personally would be quite happy to drive it like that if I knew the nut was nice and tight and therefore the taper was secure.

I'd remove the nut and clean the threads and get a light to look for a blocked split pin hole. If there isn't a whole then fit a nice new nyloc nut and that should do the trick. Many modern cars use nyloc.

The lamp is almost certain to be bullet connector or earth. Id remake the earth connection to the boby by inscrewing the terminal from the wing squirting some switch cleaner on the hole and then refittinbg with a clean screw, then clean and refit all the bullets until it works. If it's sealed beam you need also to check the spades in the plug that goes on the back.

Good luck

right on my traveller we had the same problem with the split pin it trun out that it was rusted in there so i canged the nut for a nylon type lock nut that did the job and if safty is the problem thay are same my rangerover ha them and that goes off road big time and one ant come lose in 19 years use lock tight as well if you was near me i would give you some nice blue lock tight to do the job.
on my 62 saloon the lights was the same i changed the lights to halagen from the scrappy off a landrover (same size as new ones) and still was the same so i got rid of the bullit conectoers and use the spade type and job was sorted so check them clean with eemery cloth or wet and dry not glass paper rubbish for that job . we have a lot of the millatry landorovers at work coming in with the same problem and that is all we do
hope this helps you
mm16

I fin it easiest to drill a hole for the split pin, don't push to hard or you will break the drill bit

I don't see it's any of the MOT man's business whethere there is s split pin or not - his concern should only be with excessive wear. But just drill a wee hole and be done with it. The headlight is a faulty earth - just run a new one.

well of course it is the mot man`s buiseness, he is there to make sure cars are fit for the road at that given point of the mot.
it is a requirement of the mot, that all castle nuts should have split pins, or nyloc nuts.

aupickup wrote: it is a requirement of the mot, that all castle nuts should have split pins, or nyloc nuts.

I take it you mean all ball joints should have castle nuts with split pins, or nyloc nuts fitted? I can't quite picture how you'd fit a nyloc through the slots on a castle nut... ;)

I'm also pretty sure I've seen ball joints with plain nuts, spring washers but no tabs, and that they've come out the factory that way. Not sure about Minors, but I'm certain this was on other BMC/ BL cars. I can't find anything to say split pins or castle nuts must be used, just that ball joint fastenings must be secure - I suppose this is open to interpretation but if the part doesn't have the hole for a split pin, then I can't see how a split pin can be used without modification of said part!

It would still be a hell of a lot easier for the OP to pop off and buy a nyloc of the right size and be done with though

i guess that was what i meant should be secure, either by nyloc or split pin if using a castle nut.

Agree with whats been said about castle nuts - if one is fitted it should have a split pin. Thats why the castle nuts are the shape they are!

But a nylock nut will do the same job - just don't re-use it.

This link maybe of interest, don't know where I got it from (could have been another thread on here!)

http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual/contents.htm

Steve

Check the presence and effectiveness of front suspension retaining and locking
devices.
Note: It is not always possible to
determine the 'effectiveness' of some
types of locking device by normal test
methods, eg self-locking nuts. Only the presence of these devices is a test
requirement.


this was taken from the mot website

Odd, isn't it, that just about everybody knew that...

The retaining and locking device is the NUT. So if it's done up tight and the thread is not stripped - it should pass. Plenty of nuts don't have split pins and are not nyloc - but they don't come undone! The need for a split pin is not any of his business - if the nut was slack/thread stripped of course that would be a concern. Are you sure he actually failed on the lack of a pin - not just an advisory ? In any case - I suggested the simple answer is to drill a hole and fit a pin - a two minute job !

So, when they say that the presence of the locking/retaining device needs to be checked, what they mean is that it doesn't?

sound logical to me! They are there for a reason, and that is not just for passing the MOT!

It's called a safety device, if the nuts were to undo themselves.