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2 MOT or not 2 MOT
Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2023 4:47 pm
by Steve Phillips
Had this very clean looking little 4 door come in a couple of weeks ago for us to look at,
The owner said it didn’t feel right when he was on the M25.. And it didn’t stop very well,
I think the pictures tell it all.
Both rear cylinders were leaking although only one is shown here,
He doesn't MOT the car, and it would appear doesn’t check it much either,
Only the main spring to snap and well…… you can work it out.
Please don’t neglect your maintenance,
Steve
Re: 2 MOT or not 2 MOT
Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2023 6:30 pm
by JOWETTJAVELIN
Shouldn't need an MoT test to pick that up, however it wouldn't surprise me if some people just carried on. I have seen many cars that look nice and shiny on top but are absolutely rotten underneath.
Re: 2 MOT or not 2 MOT
Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2023 8:21 pm
by stuffedpike20
Looks like the spring has been broken for a while too.
Re: 2 MOT or not 2 MOT
Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2023 12:26 pm
by Steve Phillips
So todays little Jem
Morris came in for a service and a few odd jobs, there was no mention of the battery from the owner, but well....
yes that really is two pieces of twig holding the battery away from the bulkhead, the reason it appears is because theres no more thread to allow the clamp to tighten, and it already has packing on the threaded bars to try to help get the battery tight,
the battery still wasnt tight and could be moved easily and the clamp (the nice conductive metal clamp) could easily be moved to touch the terminals,
when asked the customer said "I fitted it because I got it cheap" we all like a bargin but........
Steve
Re: 2 MOT or not 2 MOT
Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2023 12:46 pm
by irmscher
For your own safety a car needs an mot yearly
Re: 2 MOT or not 2 MOT
Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2023 4:54 pm
by svenedin
Battery is the wrong way round. Terminals should be at the back. Never mind it’s loose which is bad enough but it’s at risk of a terminal short (both meanings of the word terminal) from the battery retaining bar at the front. Wrong battery!
Re: 2 MOT or not 2 MOT
Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2023 5:57 pm
by jagnut66
The point is, I think, that both issues, the broken rear spring and the battery problem, should have been obvious to the respective owners and if not then God help them.
Quite possibly literally in case of the owner who thinks it's quite safe to link both sides of the battery with a clamp...... 
- Angel playing harp.jpg (17.97 KiB) Viewed 3427 times
Best wishes,
Mike.
Re: 2 MOT or not 2 MOT
Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2023 8:20 pm
by Chief
Maybe its the image, but those twigs look thinner than the rubber buffers that go behind the battery to push the battery out from the bulkhead, were they missing?
https://www.morrisminorspares.com/elect ... 57-p829867
Re: 2 MOT or not 2 MOT
Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2023 10:17 pm
by KeithL
I'm pretty sure I don't have those buffers. Did all models have them?
Re: 2 MOT or not 2 MOT
Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2023 10:24 pm
by les
I don’t know if all models had the buffers, I would have thought so though. Check if you have the appropriate holes to retain the buffers.
Re: 2 MOT or not 2 MOT
Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2023 10:35 pm
by Chief
Certainly cars from between '62-'64 had them.
Your holes may contain the remnants of the buffers, they split right at the connecting point.
Re: 2 MOT or not 2 MOT
Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2023 10:56 pm
by KeithL
I've just looked back at the pictures taken during the restoration of our Traveller. Are they the two holes at the top of, and either side of, the big hole?
Re: 2 MOT or not 2 MOT
Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2023 11:02 pm
by ManyMinors
I reckon the buffers were always fitted. I have 2 Minors more than 10years apart and they both have them
Re: 2 MOT or not 2 MOT
Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2023 11:04 am
by Chief
KeithL wrote: ↑Fri Feb 10, 2023 10:56 pm
I've just looked back at the pictures taken during the restoration of our Traveller. Are they the two holes at the top of, and either side of, the big hole?
Yes
Re: 2 MOT or not 2 MOT
Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2023 11:25 am
by jagnut66
Well, you learn something every day. I've never seen any evidence of them on my cars (past or present) and didn't even realise they existed.
I space my battery away with sections of rubber matting.
Best wishes,
Mike.
- Elsie May 1955 Splitscreen Traveller engine bay battery tray.JPG (250.98 KiB) Viewed 3319 times
Re: 2 MOT or not 2 MOT
Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2023 1:01 pm
by geoberni
svenedin wrote: ↑Fri Feb 10, 2023 4:54 pm
Battery is the wrong way round. Terminals should be at the back. Never mind it’s loose which is bad enough but it’s at risk of a terminal short (both meanings of the word terminal) from the battery retaining bar at the front. Wrong battery!
A great many Minor have the terminals at the front because when the car has been changed from Pos Earth to Neg Earth, turning the battery around is the easiest thing to do to get the posts to reach.
Then subsequent owners just think it's always been like that, because a significant number of owners don't even realise their cars were built Pos Earth.
My car was like it, when the battery needed changing I got one with the posts in the right place.
One of the reasons I researched all the different options and posted this list last year:
viewtopic.php?t=75708
At the National Rally pre Covid, I spoke to one owner proudly with his bonnet up and the Battery with the posts to the front.
He was oblivious to the fact that his battery posts were so close to the bar, I would swear that it was very fortunate the bar had a thick layer of paint.
He just went 'Oh' and looked like I was just being picky, even when I said it could cause his battery to boil over or possibly even split it's sides....
These people walk amongst us and sometimes cannot be engaged in sensible conversation...
Re: 2 MOT or not 2 MOT
Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2023 2:05 pm
by Chief
Have to admit I never gave it any thought about the battery bar and terminals when in-situ (when it's being taken off then yes, I'm very mindful), I have mine towards the front (since the negative earth conversion) but the battery I have has the terminals off centre so they're nowhere near the bar anyway - certainly when I saw Steve Phillips' photo that was somewhat shocking (no pun intended
).
That said, I am also always mindful when unscrewing battery terminals about making sure not to connect the spanner between terminals (not an issue on the Minor, but definitely a risk on my other car - the other day for example I had to use a longer spanner than normal as I couldn't find the short one I normally use - why couldn't I find it? - because I'd left it in my other car so it was always there for doing the battery and I only re-discovered it after the job was done
).
Re: 2 MOT or not 2 MOT
Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2023 9:04 pm
by svenedin
geoberni wrote: ↑Sat Feb 11, 2023 1:01 pm
svenedin wrote: ↑Fri Feb 10, 2023 4:54 pm
Battery is the wrong way round. Terminals should be at the back. Never mind it’s loose which is bad enough but it’s at risk of a terminal short (both meanings of the word terminal) from the battery retaining bar at the front. Wrong battery!
A great many Minor have the terminals at the front because when the car has been changed from Pos Earth to Neg Earth, turning the battery around is the easiest thing to do to get the posts to reach.
Then subsequent owners just think it's always been like that, because a significant number of owners don't even realise their cars were built Pos Earth.
My car was like it, when the battery needed changing I got one with the posts in the right place.
One of the reasons I researched all the different options and posted this list last year:
viewtopic.php?t=75708
At the National Rally pre Covid, I spoke to one owner proudly with his bonnet up and the Battery with the posts to the front.
He was oblivious to the fact that his battery posts were so close to the bar, I would swear that it was very fortunate the bar had a thick layer of paint.
He just went 'Oh' and looked like I was just being picky, even when I said it could cause his battery to boil over or possibly even split it's sides....
These people walk amongst us and sometimes cannot be engaged in sensible conversation...
Exactly so they shouldn’t be changed. Positive earth is correct. There was never any good reason to change to negative earth
Re: 2 MOT or not 2 MOT
Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2023 9:55 pm
by kevin s
There are batteries with the terminals the other way round which should be used with negative earth conversions I think the one on ours is the same as my daughters ka, I don't remember any holes or rubber bumpers on ours either.
Re: 2 MOT or not 2 MOT
Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2023 10:26 am
by geoberni
svenedin wrote: ↑Sat Feb 11, 2023 9:04 pm
Exactly so they shouldn’t be changed. Positive earth is correct. There was never any good reason to change to negative earth
Other than to be the same as the rest of the motor world, with all the benefits that provides.
Unlike the Minor, several other Makes and Models changed polarity during their extended production runs; the original Mini for example, which I think changed with the introduction of the Mk 3. The Minor was one of, if not
the, last Pos Earth models still being produced in the early 70s.
The Pros and Cons of Pos v Neg are well documented and discussed elsewhere, but aside from being able to add widely available Neg Earth accessories, to me one of the most sensible reasons is to stop a well meaning and helpful person screwing it up when giving a Jump Start....
But lets not get off the Topic....