Morris Minor Owners Club

I am sure someone ( everyone else ) will know, but how can I tell if my moggie takes unleaded. The previous owner is in Egypt for a coule of weeks ( lucky bleeder ) , and I think I might need fuel before then !!

Any tips or ideas gratefully received.

It won't do any harm to use unleaded until you find out if the cylinder head has been converted (ie has hardened valve seats etc.). If it hasn't been converted you should start to use an additive such as Castrol Valvemaster.

The only way I know of telling for sure is to take the head off and see if there are hardened valve seat inserts in it. Like Vernon says, you'll be fine running it on unleaded till the guy who knows gets back

dont worrie about it.

Thank you for all your quick replies, i was starting to panic.
Tracy

Don't worry! It will run for years on unleaded fuel - even if it hasn't been converted.

Don't worry! It will run for years on unleaded fuel - even if it hasn't been converted.

Unless you do high milages, prolonged high speed, are unlucky, have a nearly worn out head anyway.... etc, etc.

Of course, you might be one of the lucky ones who runs it on unleaded for 'years' without a problem. Because as we all know, the plural of anecdote is evidence.

However, for the amount of time you're talking about is fine and running on unleaded for a few weeks won't do you any (or the car ;) ) any harm

But the worst that can happen anyway is that the head then gets cahnged for an unleaded one ! It's not the end of the World.

But the worst that can happen anyway is that the head then gets cahnged for an unleaded one ! It's not the end of the World.

Unless, say, you use your car as your main car - and suddenly you're without it for several days.

Or unless someone's like me, and survives on a very narrow budget line, and suddenly requiring spending 150 odd quid on a new head (plus gaskets, plus coolant, plus - if they're not mechanically competant - labour and garage charges) is not something they can easily afford, wheras a few quid for a bottle of Castrol Valvoline every couple of months will prevent that from being a necessity.

It *can* be the end of the world, or the end of someone's employment if they suddenly lose their car.

True, sadly, very true

Well the valve gaps will close up first - which is the early warning sign of trouble ahead. And replacement heads are available very cheaply indeed on ebay - indeed I urge everyone to get a spare 'in stock' anyway. And it's only an hour or two at worst to change the head - I have done it at the side of the road! Believe me - my classic cars are run on a very restricted budget! Hence all my 'don't spend big money - do it the low cost way' tips which are often not well received on here !

And it's only an hour or two at worst to change the head

Only if you have done it before, and all goes to plan....

it's only an hour or two at worst to change the head -

After changing my head gasket 3 times in as many months, all I have to do is click my fingers and it just jumps off.
Ian.

I accept it helps if you are familiar with the job - and have decent tools to hand. But it's certainly not difficult.

Bmceccosse says
And it's only an hour or two at worst to change the head - I have done it at the side of the road!
Wow! I thought my tool box is big, but I can't fit in a spare head. Hey, just a thought - the duff one you took off wasn't the one you flogged me, was it? MikeN.

Err NO Mike ! I have never used the head you got - have you fitted it yet ? Plenty time to get it done before lunch!! In fact I had to change a head gasket at the side of the road - and only using the hand tools I had in the car - and wearing a business suit too! I had no sockets/ratchets - just a very few ring/open spanners - and I had to walk a mile into town to buy a gasket and then back to the car again. I now carry a spare gasket and a spare head with me wherever I go - the head fits in up in front of the spare wheel. Theorey is - if I have the parts with me I won't need them - it's worked for 6 years now.

Cor,Bmceccosse you carry a spare head? Complete with valves and rockers, I hope! I'll fit the one you sold me in the next few months to see how long an unconverted one lasts with freshly ground valves. The current unconverted head's done 42k miles without additives and is still going strong. (I'm trying not to appear smug. That hurt, Mr Cam!) Its not that I doubt the excellent work done by FBHVC on valve recression but I've worked on enough trials, run enough models and interviewed enough people to know that its extremely difficult to duplicate the Real World. When you've done 5, 10 or 100 trials (if you're v lucky!) you apply your results to the Real World where the Big Trial begins. And where you'll see unexpected early failures and a few rare lucky ones that go on for ever. This applies to medicine, engineering, whatever. (And sometimes its all a horrible disaster, eg Thalidomide.) I'm surprised if I've been lucky with my valves - its possible, but I can find no reason why.
Kate says that the plural of anecdote is evidence hinting of course, that its the reverse. But if anecdote (which fills this site on every subject) is a short narrative of an incident of private life (Chambers 20th Century Dictionary) is this not precisely what the police gather from witnesses to build a case? Their evidence then tested in a trial,which is what I'll do in own limited way.
Finally, I know when we give advice we do so in good faith, but there is a financial priority in these things too. Obviously when you depend on your Morris for your job its got to be set up to be reasonably reliable - especially if your not gifted in roadside maintenance! But when I was a eager teenager I was v poor and also rather rash. Go far and go fast was the style, and the engine was top priority, the rest got any time and money that was left. (Pre MOT of course!) Older and wiser, the conversion of the head is now low priority behind steering, brakes, etc. The former you can live with, especially if you have a degree of sensitivity to the running of an engine. Indeed, like others I've been willing my cylinder head to die to get an excuse to improve it! Regards to all, hoping I've not niggled anyone, MikeN.

excellent piece of literature Mike

MikeNash wrote:(I'm trying not to appear smug. That hurt, Mr Cam!)

Actually Mike it was not aimed at you, but if the cap fits...

I managed to change mine in half a day with the help of a manual. If I can do it, anyone can.
(I found regular deep breaths and saying Ommm every now and again helped