Leaky Carburettor

Just finished fitting a new set of seals & gaskets to the carb on my 4/50, as the main jet assembly was leaking badly over the exhaust pipe! (Float chamber was empty when I took it apart!)  The culprit was obvious when I disassembled the main jet block as the big cork washer was in 2 pieces (called a 'Langite sealing washer' in the workshop manual).
The gasket & seal kit was easily obtained from Burlen (see below), & they advised me to soak the cork washer overnight in engine oil to soften it up & help it seal.  It certainly did the trick, as the carb is now dry as a bone.  Engine started first time on the button on completion, & all I need to do now is fine-tune the main jet once I've had the car out for a run to fully warm it up - not till I've done a similar job on the brake master cylinder though!
Have you checked your carb for leaks recently?  If not, have a look & if necessary give it a treat with a new gasket set - easily fitted, & removes a potential fire risk!
Happy spannering,
Pat Carroll

Morris Vehicles Association

Colin Poland & I attended a meeting at Gaydon on Sunday 9th March, along with other like-minded clubs, to discuss an idea formulated by Ray Newell of the MMOC that we should continue the spirit of cooperation & communication enjoyed during the Morris Centenary year with the formation of an association or affiliation of classics clubs that have a connection to Morris Motors.
I am very pleased to report that the meeting was extremely positive, with all those present supporting the idea & agreeing that any such association should be a fairly informal affair, primarily to exchange information & news, foster joint rallies & events, & utilise economies of scale wherever possible when buying products or services that are common to all participating clubs.
After a suprisingly short debate, a name was agreed on as the 'Morris Vehicles Association' (MVA) - 'Morris' up front to make it easy to find, 'Vehicles' instead of 'Cars' to make it inclusive for commercials, & 'Association' instead of 'Club' to reflect it's less formal nature.
It's still very early days yet, & we're still in the planning stage, but look out for more news as we have it, in the magazine or on our web site.  Many thanks go to Ray Newell of the MMOC for coming up with the original idea & arranging the first meeting, & to the BMIHT for hosting it.
Best wishes,
Patrick Carroll

Another Club Car in the News

Look out for Classics Monthly in April (due out 27th March), which will carry a prominent feature on Steve Lord's Mercedes-engined Morris Six under their 'Engenius' banner.  Judging by the publicity about it in this month's copy, it should make the front cover!  Well done Steve.
Happy reading, Pat