Morris Minor Owners Club

Here in the States, the best car anti-theft device is a manual transmission. Hardly anyone these days knows how to use it.

Thank you sir!

I'd found this in Useful Tips, but it dates from 2004 -

viewtopic.php?p=37882&hilit=whitworth#p37882

Tom M.

Thanks Phil.

Are there many BSW fittings on the MM? I don't have BSW tools, so wondered if I should get a set.

And I just discovered that the engine crank handle has a wheel nut socket on the other end, which fits the nuts well.

Tom M.

The nuts on my four wheels are 18mm - not 17 mm (or 11/16"). 17mm socket, 11/16" socket, don't fit. Does 18mm sound right? I don't have the original Morris tire tool, but as most SAE four-size tire tools are 11/16", 3/4", 13/16", and 7/8", I wondered if I have non-stand...

Thanks for the photo. That's the same as in my '57 MM. The switch on mine has three positions.
Tom M.

Thanks gentlemen. I do plan a complete going-through of the braking system, but first had to be able to move the car!

Good point about not leaving the parking brake "on" for long periods.

Tom M.

Success! Some modest thwacks with a hammer around the drum, followed by levering the studs with a 2x2 did the trick. I could slowly turn the drum, centered the adjustment hole over the adjuster bolt, loosened one click - and all is well. Now just a sliding sound as the drum turns. Had to do this on ...

When I first tried driving the car, I wondered why my '57 Morris Minor Traveller is so tough to roll by hand, and needs so much power just to move a few feet. Raised the rear and discovered both rear wheels are frozen tight. Parking brake is off. Front wheels turn freely. Rear wheels won't budge. Ha...

Thanks Phil. I made a wooden block like that for my TR3. Maybe I can rustle around and find it.
Tom M.

Those two original jacking points are in very good condition. I'll give them a try.
Thanks.
Tom M.

I've found several references in the forum recommending *not* to use the standard side jacking points. I don't have original style Morris screw type jack, but I do have two scissor jacks. What point under the car should I place the jack to raise a front wheel? What point to raise a rear wheel? (I wo...

Scrooge - could you post a photo of the internals of your interior light? We could tell from that if you have a later MM fixture, or perhaps something different.

Thanks.
Tom M.

Thanks Phil. I'll try the N9Y (which seems now to be N9YC) for road driving around 50 miles, and compare with the current N4Cs.

Several online plug sites report that the N9Y does not fit the 1957 Morris 948. Hope that's an error in the website, not in the plug choice.
Tom M.

On my '57 Traveller (948cc engine 9M U H 506825), I'm lucky to find cylinder compression of 150 150 145 150 front to back. Note that the car spent its life since 1957 in New Zealand, until a three years ago. The plugs in the engine when I received the car six months ago are Champion N4C. The engine ...

Congratulations on getting all that work done.

More experienced MM owners will comment on your findings, but I would be very happy with those cylinder PSI readings. Doesn't sound like a low compression engine to me.

How do the plug tips look? Light ash, dark carbon, oily, etc.?

Tom M.

also label the plug wires, and ... have gearbox in neutral!
Good luck - and do let us know the readings.
Tom M.

Phil - When testing compression, should the engine be warm, or cold? or does it matter?

Tom M.

Hi Richard. Glad I could help. If you can't use a solenoid button, just turn the ignition key to crank the engine. You can count ten turns - or ten seconds. Either way, you want to test each cylinder for the same time length. Choke won't do the job. You need to physically have the throttle throat fu...

Hi Richard - you're looking for four similar readings, not four "perfect" readings. PSI of 140 to 150 is the goal. PSI differences between cylinders of 10% or less indicate problems. When I do mine, I have someone hold the gas pedal to the floor, which opens the throttle. You can also do t...

If you're looking for GB and not UK -

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174197553928

"et cetera, et cetera, et cetera"