Project A Minor Adventure continues...

[LightBulbFun]

28 minutes ago, 17-Coffees said:

Long time buuuuuuuump. Since last time I posted not much has happened. I started it up and did quick look arounds every so often and that's about it. And over the last year I've just been feeling shit and not in the right mind set for much, so good to be back to tinkering again. Anyway...

As stated in News24 the other day, work has started on the Minor again! Yay! Having done a service last week I got hold of a new battery (Stole the new one for my golf) and managed to get it fired up. That's the good news! The bad news is that I was an idiot and acted against my better judgment! You see, the oil filter wasn't 100% the same, but I though "Looks close enough" and loped it in...As soon as it fired up it started pissing oil from the filter. Oh cock. So looking for a filter that looks correct, I saw conversion kits for a spin on filter so decided that for £30 it was a now brainer! I'll also need to get some new oil as although have some oil left from the service and it never pissed much out, I've no idea how much it'll leak when doing the conversion! So anyone have recommendations for oil as Halfords don't list there own brand stuff any more (I get mad discount on own brand stuff). 

Also with the battery fitted tested the lights, and now 90% sure it's the relay for the indicators, so ordered that as well.   

So fingers crossed it all arrives quickly, so I can then move onto other stuff such as greasing all the geese nipples and checking the underside fully again! 😀

Yay! glad to see you have got your enthusiasm back for it

I look forward to seeing more posts and pictures of it once more  

 

[Matty]

3 hours ago, 17-Coffees said:

greasing all the geese nipples and checking the underside fully again! 😀

Just make sure you get em done before autumn before they fly south 😁

[SiC]

3 hours ago, 17-Coffees said:

Long time buuuuuuuump. Since last time I posted not much has happened. I started it up and did quick look arounds every so often and that's about it. And over the last year I've just been feeling shit and not in the right mind set for much, so good to be back to tinkering again. Anyway...

As stated in News24 the other day, work has started on the Minor again! Yay! Having done a service last week I got hold of a new battery (Stole the new one for my golf) and managed to get it fired up. That's the good news! The bad news is that I was an idiot and acted against my better judgment! You see, the oil filter wasn't 100% the same, but I though "Looks close enough" and loped it in...As soon as it fired up it started pissing oil from the filter. Oh cock. So looking for a filter that looks correct, I saw conversion kits for a spin on filter so decided that for £30 it was a now brainer! I'll also need to get some new oil as although have some oil left from the service and it never pissed much out, I've no idea how much it'll leak when doing the conversion! So anyone have recommendations for oil as Halfords don't list there own brand stuff any more (I get mad discount on own brand stuff). 

Also with the battery fitted tested the lights, and now 90% sure it's the relay for the indicators, so ordered that as well.   

So fingers crossed it all arrives quickly, so I can then move onto other stuff such as greasing all the geese nipples and checking the underside fully again! 😀

I still see it

https://www.halfords.com/motoring/engine-oils-and-fluids/engine-oil/halfords-classic-oil-20w50-5l-537977.html

Don't forget the oil filter needs the big metal washer thing on the bottom. Often stuck on the old filter and accidentally thrown away. Otherwise oil will completely bypass the filter medium. 

[17-Coffees]

On 5/22/2021 at 8:47 PM, Matty said:

Just make sure you get em done before autumn before they fly south 😁

Don't worry, I plan to! 🤣 

 @Asimo - Sadly it's not as simple as that, the filter is just a different design altogether top & bottom. I was being an idiot and thought "Meh, It'll do the same as its the same size" 😅... 

@SiC - Much as I said above it's my own fault! But Never did check for a washer, just an O ring! I'll find out when I do the swap for the Spin on filter. I must be blind when checking Halfords as couldn't find there own brand! Thanks for that! 😁

[SiC]

Item 20. Often lost. Without it, oil won't be filtered as it will simply go around the filter rather than thru it.

https://www.morrisminor.org.uk/parts/10-oil-filters

 

[17-Coffees]

Ah cock! I'm an idiot! When When said a big washer I wasn't thinking that big! I know for a fact without looking that it's still attached to the old filter! I just thought it was an attached part of the filter. Thanks for clearing that up for me.  I'll throw it on tomorrow just to get it fired up and moving. With the spin on filter conversion on order I'll take it as a lesson learned, but least It wont happen again! 

And to think it was a near daily thing for me to do oil & fuel filter changes on a fleet of HGV's! 😅

[17-Coffees]

I never got the chance to put the washing in, got called for overtime so been working. But today the parts arrived so got round to that, as expected, basic kit...

I was hoping I wouldn't have to fit the new studs as my experience with them can be fine or absolute hell.

But yeah, they needed to be fit as you can see the length different... 

But thankfully came out no problems!

Nice and shiny! 😀

 

Also moved the Lexus down the driveway, so for the first time in about 2 years I got the old girl out the garage under her own steam! Appears to be running fine too but I'm sure adding 5 liters of new fuel would help as what's in the tank is about 2 & half years old. 

Reversed back in and called job a good un for now! Now to fit the indicator relay and see if that sorts out that issue, as well as start greasing the nipples. Next things I'll need to buy are headlights, only got one working (O/S is blown) and a few tines of primer! 

 

 

[17-Coffees]

Today I got around to fitting the new indicator relay still the same as before. So I now have a potential ' Needle in haystack' going to happen.

So now it's time to start tracing wires back. I know this should have been the first port of action to check but I rather lazy just though "The other lights are working & the horn still works(Same stalk as indicators) and I don't hear a clicking sound so it must be the relay".  Even if I wasn't needing to trace for anything It's still a job I'd need to do in the future anyway as the wiring is a bit all over the place and lots of old connections/joins as well as some basic wires just curled around & taped to join. So is something I'd have got down to down the line as it is. 

So far nothing but did replace a few connections/ tidy up some sections. What I'll do is have @Supernaut & another friend over in the near future & get a hand tracing. I'm shit with wiring mostly due to being colour blind so I always appreciate a hand with it.

 

[Tickman]

I think there was an amazing* bit of wiring under the steering wheel/ behind the dash at that point.

I remember having some fun* in that area

[17-Coffees]

That wiring gives me worry's every time I look! 

On my look yesterday with a mate whos experience with wiring, and not colourblind, we were tracing it in the engine bay which as said yesterday did fine some bad wires/joins which I fixed. One place I'm going to check is the loom that goes under the radiator, as where it was leaking in the past may have caused a small issue if there is any joins within the loom. Even if it's fine it gives peace of mind. 

I have bad images of this giving me PTSD memory's of tracing the constant wiring problems my old work had on the 2011 DAF XF's! 🤣

[Tickman]

The wiring by the radiator will only affect things at the front of the car.

With the complex* design you should have a very straightforward route to follow.

Thankfully the wiring predates me as I don't really understand all the magic that wires contain.

A power probe is an excellent and really useful tool, not cheap but invaluable if it helps find problems.

[17-Coffees]

So I've not been giving this the love it needs the last few weeks, life is still being a bitch to me still but I push on. Anyway, I had a small tinker with the wires under the dash again the other day and still can't find the issue, but did replace a lot of old connections. 

Today though I got a message from @Supernaut regarding some cars at the local scrappy, and one in particular caught my eyes...a Rover 200 BRM! After thinking as to How or Why it was there as looked in 'worn but saveable' condition other than where the hiab crane arm had brought it into the yard. I asked him if the seats were okay to which I got a "They looked it, never really checked" reply. To cut a story short...

They are in really good condition! Gave a small clean up with water then generic household leather cleaner. A few small parts that I'm sure leather cleaner/feeder will solve that! On top of that got for a good price. 
Next up is to now swap them over with the Rover 200 Coupe seats that are currently fitted into the car, a small bit of modifying may be needed but looks to be simple enough! 

I know this isn't needed, but couldn't turn down the chance to have them! 😁

 

 

[Supernaut]

A Rover 200 BRM interior missing its drivers seat, earlier today.

 

The Alfa is already proving itself as a load lugger, too.

We took one each, in our respective cars.

 

 

I should probably include the photos of the other cars in the scrappy!

Said BRM:

 

Also a 240 with funky wind deflectors:

 

Then this Celica, which was a crying shame. It looked tidier than what I turned up in, bar the hi-ab damage. Although on closer inspection the sills were fucked.

[anonymous user]

I've always liked those Rover BRM seats, yes they remind me of a tart's handbag, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

[17-Coffees]

The seats are very nice and comfy to boot! So much so that once given a clean up ended up having a brew and sitting on them in the driveway...one way too help lower house prices on the street. 

[tooSavvy]

My first vehicular purchase was a shed of a MM1000 Van, battleship grey. It wasn't a 'Government Issue' as it had no restrictor in the carb... unlike the Post Office yellow one I replaced it with

There was a wire running from the speedo cluster, down to the oil filter housing - this was an orange light, indicating the oil filter was needing replaced as oil was bypassing it!

I repurposed this cluster lamp (I was ontop of oil changes and such...) and made it the Turn Signal Flasher Indicator >> the aftermarket steeringwheel I fitted blanked out the green telltale on the stalk + I thought the 'flash - in - the - dash' was well cool.

sad...... or what ?

[Supernaut]

8 hours ago, Tayne said:

Reading through that I was expecting you to put the BRM seats on frames and in the living room.

I think that is still a distinct possibility if they don't fit the Morris.

I'll probably be round his at the weekend if the weather is good (weekend BBQs are almost a tradition during the summer), and we may roll it out of the garage and have a proper look at fitting it.

Tickman, or maybe the owner before him, bolted some Rover 200 coupe seats to some Morris seat frames previously, so it looks doable to simply swap them over, as they're still Rover 200 seats. All the important dimensions are very close / the same.