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I had an MG1100 in the mid 60's in Germany. It loved to rev and cruised regularly on the autobahn at an indicated 80-85, but the bearings didn't like it! I had an oil pressure gauge fitted and it got lower and lower until time for my journey back home. Eventually it was reading 5-10 (familiar to a Seven! )but far from the 60 normal. I staggered to Ostend & got it off the ferry. Made it to Canterbury where at a traffic light NOTHING registered! I was opposite Caffyns ...Main BMC Dealers. ...they immediately got at the sump to find that the centre main bearing had disappeared, even the bearing housing was scored and worn! They said the block was scrap and not fit for reconditioning, but as the car was only 14 months old they did wangle an exchange engine...which I had to pay for!
That A type crankshaft must have had a folk memory of a whippy Seven two bearing crankshaft!
I fitted an oil cooler and the engine never dropped below 50 psi in the next two years I had the car.
Joined: Jul 2018 Posts: 102 Threads: 33
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Turned out a gudgeon pin was moving slightly due to no3 piston having a slightly oval hole, piston was replaced and car did 1000 miles in 2.5 months absolutely faultlessly.
Now I've since sold the big seven and got a Morris8 but I'm hopefully getting a proper seven in the next couple of weeks.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 2,748 Threads: 31
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Location: Auckland, NZ
14-05-2021, 11:36 PM
(This post was last modified: 14-05-2021, 11:37 PM by Bob Culver.)
Hi 12J.
Would be interested in impressions of the two. The Morris was a small big car and far removed from the Seven but dunno how compared with Big 7. Morris 3 speed which must have slightly limited hill progress. Also pitched violently despite hydr s.as. (altho the ones I travelled in may heve been dry). The series E was much improved and a very refined small car.
Joined: Jul 2018 Posts: 102 Threads: 33
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If I'm honest I'm very disappointed with the Morris 8, seems to have lots of things going for it but none of which actually add to driving the car, hydraulic brakes are fine but not much better than say pre war fords with rods, the su fuel pump is good but then again so is a mechanical pump and the su carburettor which as far as I'm concerned is needless as a well sorted zenith would most likely suit the engine just fine.
The speed is also fairly disappointing as the car has plenty of power on hills for the size of the engine, pulls up smaller inclines and can do so maintaining 30mph but above 40 she seemed to be absolutely screaming, it'll go above that but I wouldn't feel comfortable with going in a long journey in it due to this if I'm honest, hill starts seem poor too as 1st is quite a high gear for the engine.
Not a poor car by any means but VERY underwhelming for what it is, it's just a fairly average small pre war saloon but with bits that are just more likely to go wrong (su fuel pump and hydraulic brakes), road holding is again poor, in corners I've had the car struggling to grip while turning corners and audible screeching when pulling into a petrol station forecourt... Corners that I would think absolutely nothing of in my ford popular103e and Austin big seven.
Gear changes feel almost agricultural in comparison to the big seven, the gears select well but I can't put my finger on what makes it feel like that, either way it's not as pleasant as my Austin's gearbox was.
It really is an unremarkable car, quite boring if I'm honest just doesn't have a single thing except maybe the location of the trafficator and dip switch that I find good or interesting.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 848 Threads: 122
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Morris 8...the epitome of what the late Bill Boddy called "Grey Porridge." A good reason why the VSCC picked the cut off date it did! OK it allowed some 30's "PVT"
I will now duck my head!
