Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[1stpop]

Having recently fitted new piston rings to my 1946 Morris 8 Series E (thanks to UKDave for the rings) I have cured the blue smoke problem and the engine is running very well. My problem is that although the car pulls well and can make 40 to 45 on the flat (on a good day) it struggles with any sort of decent hill and I usually end up in 2nd going around 10 to 15 mph!! As this is only my second classic (1st being a ford pop 100e that ran pretty well) I just want to know if this is usual for a car of this type and age? The pistons were very clean and in really good condition so am a bit stumped as to the lack of power - although it is only a 8hp engine.

Any suggestions?

[Rick]

My small Morris is a little older (1934), but I have to row that along a bit. On the level I tend to stick to 30-35mph, with the occasional flurry upto 40 if I'm feeling brave. On hills I also have to drop a gear quite often to maintain momentum. It may be that Series Es being later, can manage higher cruising speeds though.

It may be worth running a compression test. Correct tyre pressures and brake adjustment can make a huge difference when dealing with cars of modest power levels

R
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[47Jag]

I think a little patience is required here. You say that you fitted new rings, these have to bed in. Did you give the bores a hone to break the glaze? Patience my boy, patience.

Art

[Kelsham]

Are the bobweights in the distributor stuck, Timing correct?

Kels.

[Jim.Walker]

Well 1stpop I suppose that a lot depends on what you call a hill!
You do not give away your location, which might be a clue, or state the type of gradient you class as a"hill".
In my location I remember that it was not uncommon to have to resort to 2nd or even 1st gear to tackle hills in side valve Morris Minors (same engine?).
I also remember a fearsome time following a series 1 Minor up Porlock Hill on a 500cc AJS and sidecar when the only way to keep my bike from stalling at his less than walking speed was to fully retard the engine and let it "cook". Fearsome because I doubted whether I would be able to re-start, or even safely turn the outfit round on that gradient if I stopped.
That tale is intended to underline the Morris performance (or lack of it) rather than the problems with a healthy AJS.
By the way, Kelsham's offering is worth checking. If distributor centrifugal advance sticks it is inevitably on full advance. If the timing is subsequently re-set in that condition to prevent pinking, lack of ignition advance severely limits engine speed.
Jim.
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Quote from my late Dad:- You only need a woman and a car and you have all the problems you
are ever likely to want". Computers had not been invented then!

[1stpop]

I will check all the points listed. I live on the border of South/West Yorkshire and am surrounded by hills of all sizes most of which give the little Morris a work-out. Have decided to find someone close with a similar car and try and get a drive to compare the experience. I am thinking that its just my in-experience of 1940's cars that's tainting my judgement?

[Jim.Walker]

[ukdave2002]

Hi

Glad the rings are ok

My SE will just about keep up with the lorries on the motorway, this corresponds with the speedo indicating 55 -60mph.....its a bit hairy

Accurate ignition timing is very important with these morris engines, as others have pointed out;well worth checking.

Cheers

Dave

[PAUL BEAUMONT]

I also live in the South/West Yorks border and my Jowett also drops speed quite quickly on the local hills. Again it is rated at 8hp, but it is worth pointing out that this is RAC horsepower which has almost nothing to do with the power available. The Jowett generates a breathtaking 19bhp! Do you have an idea of your BHP and the revs at which it is delivered?

[Jim.Walker]

The original "horsepower" rating of cars (used for taxation purposes mainly) is derived from an EMPIRICAL formula which initially did give an idea of power available. It was not based on the capacity of an engine, but only on bore diameter and number of cylinders.To keep taxation costs down manufacturers concentrated on long stroke (under square) engine to get more actual capacity and power without increasing the taxation liabilities. Very rarely was the actual BHP even mentioned though true BHP for given capacities increased by many times.
Even at the time your Morris was made the actual power would be much greater than the "rated power".
For example the immediately post war Austin 16 (HP) had the same engine as its successor the Austin A70, which was not quite 70BHP but was very close.
Jim.
_________________
Quote from my late Dad:- You only need a woman and a car and you have all the problems you
are ever likely to want". Computers had not been invented then!

[MartinC]

I have the exact same problem with my 1930 Standard Big Nine.
Will do 40+ easily on a level or downhill, but even the gentlest of inclines makes the speed drop drastically to about 10mph. Very embarrassing!
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1937 Standard Flying Twelve
1942 Bedford OYD
1947 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty-Special
1954 Hillman Minx
1956 Austin A30
1957 Vauxhall Victor Super
1960 Car Cruiser Carousel caravan
1962 Car Cruiser Carissima caravan

[colwyn500]

When making comparisons I think that cubic capacity might be a better baseline measure in old sidevalves than the rated horse power.

Proper hills with a gradient sufficiently steep to merit a sign to indicate the angle of slope will always require a gear-change, but I would always expect 1st gear to be only for a real emergency.

With my 1125cc (10hp) Austin I find that with steady driving, changing gear is almost un-necessary to maintain a speed of speed around 30 to 40 mph. It's a bit like my modern diesel car that can do the same thing at 60 to 70 mph

Either, you do have fairly decent hills or there is some scope for adjusting the engine. Set-up properly it certainly shouldn't "hit the wall" as soon as you encounter an incline.