Morris Minor Owners Club

I *thought* it was a groove, but after running a brass wire brush on it, it's disappeared. Major relief

Right, the head's off and I'm relieved to find a very obvious failure in the head gasket. Relieved because it's always good to know what the problem is, at least. On the other hand, now I'm hoping that the damage to the head and block is not such that they are rendered unserviceable.... blowing betw...

good points all, thank you. I'm going to do some more tests when the weather allows (have to work in the road, and it's blowing a hooley and occasionally pouring down - don't you just hate it when that happens? :-) ) ...hmm, just run it up again (wanted to get the nearside wheels up on the kerb to m...

that's something to start on then. Thank you.

it's a sort of tok tok tok tok, and it is there under load. Quiet on idle, or at steady speed on the flat. Sorry, it's hard to describe noises accurately!

Good idea. The MOT's 6 weeks away; so I am concerned that the car may not get through it (bodywork's a bit ropey) -so this noise is just an extra worry right now. Shall add a gauge if I can get it sorted

oil level is good, and the oil pressure light goes out when the engine starts. No pressure gauge fitted

Just started- I'd been up a short but very steep Bristol hill, in 2nd and then 1st gear, and quite high revs- then the rattle appeared, when the engine was under load. A sort of tonking rather than pinking, to my ear. Foot off accelerator, it stops. Foot on again, there it is. Checked under the bonn...

thank you, Katy- that is useful to know

sorry to drop out of the conversation there! -just been running a narrowboat up the Severn from Bristol to Sharpness... the boat has just had solar panels added, v handy for keeping the fridge going. ...anyway, I shall tinker with the alternator some more, but I was in a hurry to get the car up and ...

well, call me stravagant if you like, but don't call me late for lunch. I've just ordered a new alternator from ESM.....

sorry, Mark- I missed your reply there. Oh dear.... Well; I changed the brushes over, reassembled, and put the alternator back on. Voltage at battery (engine off) 12.6v Voltage at battery on fast tickover 12.1v Voltage across terminals of alternator 9.5v Ignition red light remains on and bright duri...

whoops- sorry! RED light stays on, not blue!

...or at least, presumed alternator failure! During some dramatic stop-start manoevring on a hill the other day, an unusual whine developed, coinciding with the blue light coming on. I got home, and took the alternator out. There was a fair bit of carbon powder in there, and the brush that goes in t...

strange, most strange!

Meanwhile, in a Brizzle pub....


mulled cider by Dru Marland, on Flickr

yes, it doesn't seem to make sense, but that's the way it works for me too, apparently; misbehavin' engine after low fuel level. Mind you, I guess there comes a level of water where it will simply conk out however much petrol you put on top of it :) Funny thing with cider; go into one of our local c...

Proof positive that drinking cider is good for you, Louise! (Though I was saving them for a friend who presses her own...) I do wonder where it came from; thinking back, I've had this problem before when I've run low on petrol. Maybe someone poured water in, back before I put the locking petrol cap ...

I decided to empty the tank as best I could: took the filling hose off, and syphoned it out. Crikey! From the left: one demijohn full of water; one demijohn with an inch of water, some flaky rubbery stuff, and then petrol; one demijohn of clean(ish) petrol. http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8046/8418782...

It all started just after I filled up at a garage on Cribbs Causeway in Bristol; ten minutes later, I conked in a Most Unfortunate Place. Yes, I think I must clean the tank out. I've just been under the car, and confirmed my suspicion that there isn't a drain plug. So looks like a syphon is in order...

Hello again! Yes, I somehow got out of the habit of dropping in here. Must get back into it! Yes, maybe the tank does need flushing out; the misbehaving started when I ran the tank really low, but it seems to be happening more and more. Symptoms; irregular running and conking out at low revs. Short ...