Morris 8 Engine Build

[RWD3M]

Hi All,

A few weeks ago I posted here regarding a replacement engine (and gearbox) for my 1936 Morris 8. After some terrific advice here I ignored you all and found another Morris engine!!!

Some of you suggested I start a thread on the rebuild so here is the first installment beginning with a little background.

I bought the Morris about 6 years ago in a very poor state...



...and spent a couple of years restoring the car to a reasonable, useable condition:



After our first big trip to the Morris Register National Rally something had to be done about the 3 speed gearbox it was fitted with! First and second were ok but to get into top you had to be flat out, down hill with a following wind! It was like there was a gear missing.

The later Series E cars had a 4 speed box so one of these was sourced, fully rebuilt and fitted which made it a whole different car to drive. The wife and I then managed to get some limited use from it before continued engine issues forced this drastic action.

Some of you will recall that I was recently lucky enough to find a later (short) engine which I got home and stripped in preparation for a quick refresh...



... however, the bottom end wasn't in quite the condition I was led to believe it would be so a crankshaft change will be required (sorry, no picture of that). As luck would have it, I have a spare crank, recently reground and with a full set of shells to suit the later block (the earlier blocks were all white metal bearings, a costly process!).




After stripping, the block went off for an acid clean and descale before having that small crack repaired and the top refaced:



I'm now ready to lap the valves in before a full clean and reassembly.

I'll post more as I get bits done and hope you enjoy reading it.

Richard.

 

[minimutly]

How difficult did you find it to locate bearings? I have one of these in now for rebuild, it has a new crank but it has water damage and I want to grind it.

 

[RWD3M]

Hi,

Simples. Give FW Thornton a call. Probably have them in stock.

Cheers,

EDIT: I should have added the reply I had from them:

Hello Richard,

Big ends we have at 020,030,040 or 060 - £81.10 + VAT

Mains we have at 020,030,040,050 or 060 - £91.30 + VAT

Best regards,

Duncan Rowley

F W Thornton - “The Automotive Parts Specialists”

Just a couple of months ago.

 

[ronan]

Lovely, love these old motors.

 

[garethp]

My dads got a flat twin Jowett that originally had a 3 speed box, as he was doing it up everyone said to ditch it and fit the 4 speed version.

 

[ronan]

My dads got a flat twin Jowett that originally had a 3 speed box, as he was doing it up everyone said to ditch it and fit the 4 speed version.

Weren't they built in Bradford ? I believe they were well built but heavy.

 

[RWD3M]

Lovely, love these old motors.

Thanks Ronan.

My dads got a flat twin Jowett that originally had a 3 speed box, as he was doing it up everyone said to ditch it and fit the 4 speed version.

3 speed boxes are fine as long as they have a decent set of ratios. Not sure what the Jowett had but the early 8's were well known for having a poor set with a massive gap between 2nd and top.

Weren't they built in Bradford ? I believe they were well built but heavy.

Indeed they were, fine looking cars too.

Richard.

 

[RWD3M]

How difficult did you find it to locate bearings? I have one of these in now for rebuild, it has a new crank but it has water damage and I want to grind it.

While I think of it, whilst I'm sure you are aware, these are metric engines. So all threads are metric despite having BS heads. Equally, bore and jourals are metric though oversizes go in thou! Mad eh?!

 

[rtbcomp]

Weren't they built in Bradford ? I believe they were well built but heavy.

Jowett built a van called the "Bradford".

 

[minimutly]

Hi,

Simples. Give FW Thornton a call. Probably have them in stock.

Cheers,

EDIT: I should have added the reply I had from them:

Hello Richard,

Big ends we have at 020,030,040 or 060 - £81.10 + VAT

Mains we have at 020,030,040,050 or 060 - £91.30 + VAT

Best regards,

Duncan Rowley

F W Thornton - “The Automotive Parts Specialists”

Just a couple of months ago.

While I think of it, whilst I'm sure you are aware, these are metric engines. So all threads are metric despite having BS heads. Equally, bore and jourals are metric though oversizes go in thou! Mad eh?!

Well well, No I didn't know that - same as the xpag then, metric engine, designed by a French company.

 

[Cobbler]

Jowett built a van called the "Bradford".

My dad had a Bradford when I was quite small. We used to go camping in it, my mother sat in an old armchair in the front & my brother & I in the back with the Elsan bucket between us .......... slop slop slop! One thing I recall about it was if you hit a bump at low speed, the steering would spin rapidly from lock to lock, not stopping until you stopped. I was talking to some old boy at a car show with one & told him about this & he said in the tool kit there should have been some wood wedges that go between the spring & the axle to twist the axle slightly & alter the steering geometry.

It would have been about 1957 to 1961 that we had it & went from Gloucestershire up to mid Wales, down into North Devon, all at about 30 miles an hour. It was then changed for a Hillman Husky, sheer luxury! Then they bought a caravan, towing a caravan behind that all over Wales is another story in itself.

 

[Cobbler]

One similar to this, 2 cylinders of raw power. I don’t think so

 

[ronan]

 

[garethp]

My dad had a Bradford when I was quite small. We used to go camping in it, my mother sat in an old armchair in the front & my brother & I in the back with the Elsan bucket between us .......... slop slop slop! One thing I recall about it was if you hit a bump at low speed, the steering would spin rapidly from lock to lock, not stopping until you stopped. I was talking to some old boy at a car show with one & told him about this & he said in the tool kit there should have been some wood wedges that go between the spring & the axle to twist the axle slightly & alter the steering geometry.

It would have been about 1957 to 1961 that we had it & went from Gloucestershire up to mid Wales, down into North Devon, all at about 30 miles an hour. It was then changed for a Hillman Husky, sheer luxury! Then they bought a caravan, towing a caravan behind that all over Wales is another story in itself.

Sounds right about the steering, dad put some steel wedges in as we found the car would wander about a lot and it was pretty much impossible to drive in a straight line

 

[garethp]

Weren't they built in Bradford ? I believe they were well built but heavy.

I think its early or mid thirties and was originally a small saloon but someone rebodied it years ago as a two seater. Not much left when dad bought it 25 year ago but enough to rebuild it, it's fairly light and is quite nippy upto about 30mph, runs out of gears and revs too much above 55mph!

 

[rtcosic]

Weren't they built in Bradford ?

Idle

If Jowetts are your thing have a look at Retro-Rides:
http://forum.retro-rides.org/thread/196036/jowett-bradford-utility-power-retro
http://forum.retro-rides.org/thread/204767/jowett-jupiter-accident-completed-delivered
http://forum.retro-rides.org/thread/143617/swiss-jowett-javelin-returns-again

Vaguely back on topic - Uncle Bill had a Morris 8 in that same colour scheme. I seem to recall it topped out at c.45mph - eventually. I recall him cursing loudly as Dad took off like a scalded cat in his Hillman Minx Mk VII
driven by all 38 bhp from its rip-snorting 1300 side valve.
Did any of them have functioning dampers? They all seemed to float around as they slowly perambulated past.

 

[Cobbler]

Being as we are discussing old vehicles, I think a web site might be interesting to you for the show at South Cerney, near Cirencester
https://www.glosvintageextravaganza.co.uk/
I’m told that it’s now the biggest show in Britain run by volunteers, Dorset is bigger, but is run as a business. I shall be there as usual on either the Cobalt cancer charity stand or taking a turn on the paygate.
£10 for a day ticket takes some beating in this day & age.

 

[RWD3M]

Being as we are discussing old vehicles, I think a web site might be interesting to you for the show at South Cerney, near Cirencester
https://www.glosvintageextravaganza.co.uk/
I’m told that it’s now the biggest show in Britain run by volunteers, Dorset is bigger, but is run as a business. I shall be there as usual on either the Cobalt cancer charity stand or taking a turn on the paygate.
£10 for a day ticket takes some beating in this day & age.

Hi Cobbler,

I went to this show a couple of years ago, when the Vulcan was still flying. I recall it was a damn fine day out.

I'll try to make it this year and may well try to find you.

Cheers.

 

[RWD3M]

Well well, No I didn't know that - same as the xpag then, metric engine, designed by a French company.

After WW1 William Morris' engine supply dried up so he turned to Hotchkiss of France. In 1923 he bought the Coventry Hotchkiss factory which then became Morris Engines. So yes, the same as the XPAG found in MG's and the like.

 

[merryman]

The XPAG wasn't a French design though. Morris Motors first OHV engine designed from the ground up. The earlier OHV engines were converted side valvers and they may have some Hotchkiss roots. The reason for metric threads is the Hotchkiss works had metric taps and dies.