First Minor. Daily drive - winter advice request

[Oli]

Some pictures attached for you to have a look.

Hope to see you around the area Sid.

[Myrtles Man]

You could always fit one of these:-

https://www.burtonpower.com/kenlowe-eng ... kenh9.html

[MorrisJohn]

I think he probably means 'three to four miles' rather than threequarters of a mile.

that makes more sense…I didn’t want to come right out and call someone lazy.

[myoldjalopy]

Looks a nice car. There will be stuff to do on it, no doubt - Oli will soon be oily!

[MorrisJohn]

Some pictures attached for you to have a look.

Looks like a good usable car, I hope you get lots of enjoyment (and few problems) with it

[Monty-4]

I have a correct radiator muff, BMC branded I think, with the two flaps that can be poppered back in the garage somewhere if you want it!

My taste for tuned engines (and oil/water heat exchanger) these days means I have little trouble getting mine up to temperature.

[jagnut66]

Additionally, for regular use to and from work etc you want as reliable starting as you can get, I would (and have) swap to an Accuspark electronic set up, not cheap but worth it long term, link below.
If you do, keep the original distributor and leads somewhere safe, in case a future owner wants to revert back.
Best wishes,
Mike.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/182902135743 ... BMhtjsv5ph
PS: Here's a link to and earlier post about radiator muffs:
viewtopic.php?t=42135

[myoldjalopy]

"If you do, keep the original distributor and leads somewhere safe, in case a future owner wants to revert back."
Keep it in the boot, in case the electronic ignition gizmo breaks down leaving you stranded in the middle of BFN!

[James k]

The points Vs electronic question is always controversial around here!

I fitted an electronic distributor shortly after I got the car and haven't had a single ignition related problem for eight years. No maintainance necessary.

What I can never understand is the advice to keep a spare set of points, or indeed a whole spare distributor in case the electronic module fails (which it shouldn't, it's a really simple and robust device). Why not keep a spare electronic module in the same way you'd keep a spare set of points? The argument for keeping points is always that if/when they fail, you can fix them easily. Surely the same applies with a spare electronic module just the same?

That's said, a man's Morris is his castle and you should use whatever system you prefer! Perhaps you might even enjoy adjusting and fixing points ignition (not a sarcastic comment, a genuine possibility!) I'm also completely sympathetic towards the desire to keep everything original. It's all a matter of preference.

[jagnut66]

Why not keep a spare electronic module in the same way you'd keep a spare set of points?

Seconded, makes far more sense to me too.

Some pictures attached for you to have a look.

Nice car, by the way, Oli. May you have many happy years driving her.
Best wishes,
Mike.

[Grumpy21]

Plus one for electronic ignition. I’ve witnessed many of my chums ‘fail to proceed’ because the condenser failed or points have closed up. Almost every time we go out as a club someone has an ignition related issue.

I’ve fitted electronic modules or even full electronic distributors to almost every one of my classics and only suffered one failure of a triumph stag with luminition. Eventually traced to a faulty connection on the feed from the starter solenoid! And I’ve had around 25 classics over the last 30 years.

[geoberni]

In the first few months after getting Basil, he broke down twice on the A1. Just died, no spark.
RAC guy said it was the 'electronic ignition' and towed us home.
When we got home, Basil started and ran perfectly and continued to do so on local trips.
A few weeks later, he did it again on the A1 and same diagnosis by RAC.
This time when we got him home, he was still dead so I could do my own diagnosis and soon located it to an open circuit coil winding.
Annoying, since I was carrying a spare coil, in the box of bits I'd received with Basil, but the RAC guy had said it was the electronic unit.
Being a new owner at the time, it didn't occur to me to swap the Coil at the roadside anyway; perhaps my thoughts had been influenced by the 'It's never the Coil' comments that were common around here at the time...

So I brought a new electronic unit to carry with the Coil.

[Owlsman]

So I brought a new electronic unit to carry with the Coil.

I've got a slight variation of that, Berni. Shortly prior to my annual visit to the Classic Car Show at the NEC this year, I had a bit of a sort out in the boot to try and find what was banging every time I went over a speed bump or similar. I took everything out (i.e. spare this and spare that) and wrapped them all individually, in cloths or towels.

I noticed that my spare coil, that I had been carting about ever since having Accuspark electronic ignition fitted, was the 'screw-in' type and therefore useless as a back-up, as my shiny new red one was, of course, the push-in type. One of the first ports of call at the NEC was the Accuspark stand.....I now have a 'proper' spare coil, wrapped in a towel in the boot!

As a bit of an aside: Does it really matter if the coil is fitted horizontally or vertically? Mine is still in the original position i.e. horizontally clamped to the alternator. I hasten to add that my alternator is actually a Dynamator - an alternator within a dynamo casing.

For what it's worth, I too can endorse Accuspark electronic ignition - no problems or ongoing maintenance with my current Moggy (a '62 saloon) or on 3 MGBs that I have owned in the past.

[jagnut66]

As a bit of an aside: Does it really matter if the coil is fitted horizontally or vertically? Mine is still in the original position i.e. horizontally clamped to the alternator. I hasten to add that my alternator is actually a Dynamator - an alternator within a dynamo casing.

An interesting 'aside', I too have had them fitted both ways, with my Series 2's I have reverted them to the original bulkhead position, from what I can tell it doesn't seem to matter, though perhaps others have a different experience or it depends on the type of coil?
Mine are both for electronic ignition, though they would have originally both been for the standard points set up......
Best wishes,
Mike.

Being a new owner at the time, it didn't occur to me to swap the Coil at the roadside anyway; perhaps my thoughts had been influenced by the 'It's never the Coil' comments that were common around here at the time...

BMCecosse, God bless him. I bet he'd have tipped into this discussion with a firm opinion one way or the other. And we know what he'd have said about Basil's coil!

[geoberni]

As a bit of an aside: Does it really matter if the coil is fitted horizontally or vertically? Mine is still in the original position i.e. horizontally clamped to the alternator. I hasten to add that my alternator is actually a Dynamator - an alternator within a dynamo casing.

When I opened the dead coil, I found the reason for the open circuit was a broken solder joint, I posted a photo of it back in 2019
viewtopic.php?p=636467#p636467 .
It was an Acuspark Coil, that had presumably been fitted when the previous owner (PO) had the Acuspark electronic ign fitted.
I presume he had them fitted, rather than do himself, since he informed me he was a technical Luddite and always had stuff done for him.

Basil being a SII, the Coil would have been on the bulkhead, so I actually moved it back to there from being mounted on the dynamo. I figured the vibration of being on the engine could have contributed to the broken joint.
It was around this time that I found out that the Coil connections hadn't been changed when basil had been converted to neg Earth, something else done by/for the PO. viewtopic.php?t=70183

[Oli]

Afternoon everyone

So, my winter preparations have been put on hold. As the clutch began to slip 300 miles into ownership.

So yesterday whipped the engine out and the clutch is very shinny. So new clutch and flywheel are required.

One question that I am struggling with. I have the ribbed gearbox with the 948 flywheel and clutch and skinny backplate. Is this correct? As I have seen that they should be replaced with the 1098 clutch and flywheel.

Thanks,

Oli

[myminor1969]

Hi Oli

The ribbed gearbox is the 1098cc one. The skinny! Clutch is 948cc.
I fitted a 1098 box with 948 clutch and it wouldn't disengage properly. You need to match the clutch and flywheel to the gearbox.

If you can put some photos up showing the various parts you have we can see what you'll need to replace.
Alex

[Oli]

Thanks Alex,

Thanks for the info. Attached pictures of my flywheel and clutch. Can’t send a picture of the gear box but it is definitely the 1098 ribbed gear box.

Thanks,

Oli

[myminor1969]

The clutch plate for the 1098 is 7.25" diameter. The 1098 pressure plate is considerably deeper the the 948 one.
948 is 6.25" diameter.

For the 1098 box you need flywheel, clutch, clutch fork and bearing all for the 1098.
Even on a 948 engine.

I'm not sure how you were able to even select gears with this set up, as I fitted this setup by mistake and the clutch wouldn't disengage.

[philthehill]

When the 1098cc gearbox is used with the 948cc engine the following parts should be used : -
1098cc flywheel, 1098cc pressure plate, 1098cc driven plate, 1098cc release arm, 1098cc carbon thrust
Plus
the thicker 1098cc rear engine plate which is necessary to push the gearbox back to give adequate clearance around the 1098cc clutch assy.

A photo of the release arm and carbon thrust would be appreciated

The 948cc clutch assy can be made to fit the 1098cc gearbox and work well but needs to be fitted - that is things/parts need to be adjusted or substituted to suit.