Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Norris]

Hi Everybody

First post so please be gentle.

Anyway, on 22 June (my birthday) my Missus bought me a beautiful 1937 Morris 8. We got him from a Classic Car Auction.

Amongst the paperwork was an invoice, dated 26 April, from a specialist garage for 12v conversion, fuel system repairs, new timing chain, head gasket etc.

There is also an MoT Certificate from 13 May.

Since the MoT the car has covered 87 miles.

On Saturday (29 June), after one week of ownership the head gasket blew. There was absolutely no warning until we noticed water vapour coming through the front bulkhead. We stopped immediately, switched off and opened the bonnet. It was quite dramatic with water gushing out at the rear of the engine block from the cylinder head joint. The event took place after just two miles of driving and, thankfully, just 100m from home. When the engine had cooled I found the radiator had emptied. I refilled and straight away the water poured from the same spot rather like a tap.

Oil and coolant had been checked before I left the house and at no time was the engine stressed, 30 mph maximum. Oil pressure throughout was 60psi.

I have contacted the previous owner who is surprised and sympathetic. I have not yet spoken with the Garage which did the work.

We are clearly upset and confused and wondering if we have any claim on the Garage to rectify the situation. Or do we just take it on the chin and move on? We really don't want to get into any legal wrangles.

Any advice or comments (without prejudice) would be very welcome.

Thanks in anticipation.

[Ashley]

It's an old car and these things happen. Get a gasket set. Make sure the head and the studs are all okay and fit another, it's an easy job and worse things happen in love, war and old cars. Besides those Morris's are lovely cars.

[Uncle Alec]

You lucky thing! You get to tinker already!
When I put a new head gasket on my Morris 8 series 1, I found I had to recheck the head nuts about half a dozen times before the gasket stopped compressing. Mind you, I was using the Payen copper/asbestos gaskets - they were still available then.

[alec.elliot]

Hi there

I would agree with Uncle Alec and Ashley on this.

I have a 36 Morris 8 so know all about head gaskets and tightening down 4 or 5 times after fitting a new one. Its not so bad..even pleasant in a bizarre grubby handed kind of way.

You will find there is plenty of knowledge about Morris 8's on the forum so don't ever be afraid to ask. Cracking little cars and surprisingly good to get parts for. Have you considered joining the Morris Register?

Look forward to your updates.

Good luck

Alec

[Ashley]

When Asbestos was withdrawn, head gasket makers had a hell of a job finding a substitute. The result was blown gaskets and everyone making a terrible fuss. The problem was that they compressed terribly, so you had to keep tightening and re-tightening until they'd settled, it's possible this is why your Morris 8 has gone.

When you've fitted a new one, drive it gently and re torque hot after a hundred miles. If it goes down a long way, just keep redoing it until it won't go further. If it doesn't, just check it after 500 and 1000 miles.

Best use a torque wrench and don't overtighten, just keep an eye in it.

Just my opinion BTW.

Ash

[Rick]

It may also be worth checking to see that the head is flat, while it's off.

RJ
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[ukdave2002]

Hi Norris

There are a few of us Morris 8 owners on the forum; you are in friendly and sympathetic hands

There was a manufacturing problem with M8 head gaskets that affected all suppliers including the Morris register spares dept. I would agree with all the advice above and put it down to experience, once sorted the M8 will be a reliable and fun car, cheap to run.. Don't be put off by this setback!

All that said if the garage only replaced the gasket 8 or so weeks ago, I would think it reasonable that they sort it. It can only be; a faulty or wrong gasket (the M8 SE head gasket is different, you may also have a later engine fitted its very common), non flat mating surfaces (they should have checked) or it was not torqued correctly.

Dave

[Norris]

Wow! Many thanks for all of that.

It is very reassuring to be in such good company.

I suspected that the nuts would need re-torquing as one of them was leaking oil. However, I did not get around to it before the events of last Saturday.

In case it had been a bad dream I have just filled the radiator again and the water came out just like that Manekin statue in Belgium! Very odd as it is literally a jet of water - not just a dribble through the seal.

I had no misconceptions about maintenance of a 76 year old car, I just did not expect to be taking on this sort of surgery quite so quickly and the whole thing has been a bit of a shock.

We have joined the Morris Register already and we are looking forward to gently making whatever improvements which may come to light. For the past week Google has been overloaded with my searches for information and anything relating to these great little machines.

Nonetheless, a fab car and this has has not put us off.

Again, many thanks to everybody. Very much appreciated.

[ukdave2002]

Hi Norris

Glad you are not put off !!! You may want to contact Tom Bourne in the Morris Register, he will probably be able to give you some more history on your car, we have a lot of paper records of vehicles in the Morris Register that go back to the 60's; compiled by Harry Edwards. We are looking at how to put these on a database.

Strangely enough, I am typing this on my Iphone whilst siting in a bar on the coast in Lanzarote, I have only seen one classic car here, and it was a Morris 8 series 1 tourer! RHD on Spanish plates , so I presume it's an ex pat, who probably thought I was mad or drunk waving at him! Just goes to show they will run in hot climates!

Dave

[Rick]

[Uncle Alec]

Good suggestion Rick; there won't be any problem catching up with him, even if you don't have a vehicle!

[colwyn500]

Hi Norris Morris. You've had some great advice (as always here) and maybe a bit of bad luck with the engine. I doubt there has been any deliberate bodge here if that's what you were wondering about. Even so, I would have expected a knowledgeable seller /garage to advise you about this "nipping up" the head nuts and after 87 miles seems a bit much; they should have bedded it in as much as they could for you already. Consequently, it all ends the same, I wouldn't want the garage touching it again.

I would just add; carefully check that all the studs have good threads and aren't stretched, bite the bullet and replace any that look suspect (easier said than done), check that the threads on the nuts are good and make sure they move very freely on the studs. make sure the washers under the nuts are heavy duty and lubricated, don't use a torque wrench.

You will be doing multiple tightenings on those nuts and you will develop a feel for the tightness and know if there is the possibility of an extra quarter turn or so. The correct size ring spanner should be all the torque you need. Everyone is right, it is easy and enjoyable but other peoples' experience is a great help in getting things right first time.

PS. By the time you have the head tight it should be time to take it off for a decoke all over again...

[ukdave2002]

[ukdave2002]

[Rick]