Morris Minor Owners Club

hi my 1964 moggy saloon 1000 1098 wont start well it sorta does and every now and then starts and runs but quickly turns to running to 3 cylinders and then dies, revving the engine does stop the engine from dying.

What tools and skills do you have available? What condition is the engine in? When was it last serviiced?

I would start by checking compression. Apart from that, a check of all usual service items.

Hi been out and checked all service parts and replaced plugs and distributor cap and did a compression check as you said all is okay cylinder 2 is down a bit not enough to worry about and was serviced end of March time and oil was changed about 3 weeks ago because of a gone head gasket. Problem has only occurred day before yesterday. Ran fine yesterday on a 30mule trip and came back from Bristol last Friday all okay no signs of any problems

As for tools I’m not limited as a apprentice mechanics and have a mechanics for a naughboyr (can’t spell either) as for skills I’m learning and can do most things although need simple and clear instructions with pictures

I've had a couple of occasions where the choke has stuck a bit making for too-rich running. Always affects one plug (misfire) before the other three then of course 4 wet plugs = no viable spark and engine cuts out.

If you've got neighbours who are mechanics you should be in a better position to get things sorted. It is easier to pinpoint a fault when actually looking at the car, more difficult from a distance. However think back to anything you have altered or fiddled with just before the problem started, it might be that.

Hi yeah he wasn’t home so havnt had chance to ask him yet, as for fiddling the last thing I did in the engine area was the head gasket about the weeks ago havnt had a need to touch the engine since and it’s not running rich as all the plugs come out dry.

You did set the valve clearances after re-fitting the head when replacing the gasket?

Don't forget you have to re-torque the head bolts/nuts after a heat and cool cycle and re-set the valve gaps.

Yes did both of those, had to do it a few times before I got it right both hot and cold. Also torqued the head bolts both hot and cold. The problem has only occurred in the past few days as it didn’t show any sign of this last week or the week before while I was in Bristol

Cast iron engines are re-torqued hot. Aluminium heads are done cold.

I hope you tightened the head and then reset the valve clearances, - your reply reads differently - not the other way round. It should not make too much difference, but they will need doing in that order,

Did you renew the manifold gasket at the time? Were the bolts tightened in the correct order?

If everything is not done according to the workshop manual, faults may not be immediately evident.?

Hi yeah I followed work shop manual all times and yeah did replace manifold gasket