MAGAZINE ARCHIVE DVD AVAILABLE

Just to let members know that the next magazine is about to go to print, so should be with you in a couple of weeks.  Advertised in this issue, apart from the very important UK Annual Rally at Hatton Country World on 13th - 15th June, is the newly-available DVD containing an archive of ALL the Club's Newsletters & Magazines from before our formal start in 1977 up to the last issue 143.  Apart from the fact that this gives you the chance to read all these fascinating back-copies without having to have a pile of paper mouldering in the corner, the BIG advantage is that the DVD is fully searchable by text, so you can search individual copies or the whole archive for a particular word or phrase (go on - you know you want to do a search on your car's reg!!).  This fascinating & invaluable record of our Club's publications comes professionally presented in a crystal case & protected by a padded envelope, for the member's price of £12.50 + £1.50 UK P&P (overseas P&P on application) - cheques made out to The 6/80 & MO Club please or by PayPal to 'wolseleypat@aol.com' plus the usual £1 transaction fee.  Order your copy from President Pat (contact details on web site & in magazine) & get ahead of the rush when the advert appears in issue 144!

Looking forward to getting your order.

Best wishes to all, Patrick Carroll

Continuing the braking system checks

The test drive after refurbishing the master cylinder although resulting in a reasurringly firm brake pedal, also showed up a distinct pull to the left on gentle braking, although it pulled up straighter on heavier application of the pedal.  After a long winter of relative idleness in the garage (the car, not me!), I suspected sticking slave cylinders, so on a fine Sunday morning I decided to strip the front nearside brake drum down & see how it all looked.
First thing I remembered was that I'm definitely at the front of the queue when we get some hub pullers made, & the second was that I was glad I'd invested in some replacement rubber seals some time ago when I had the chance.  One cylinder was definitely very sticky, & both were weeping a bit - that combined with a probable bit of overheating from a dragging shoe caused by the sticking cylinder resulting in a bit of melting hub grease around the place, also meant that a new set of shoes were in order - again, thankfully held in my stock.
So, after a good clean up & rebuild, the front brakes are performing much better, although I do need to have a look at the offside as well to ensure they are both up to scratch & pulling evenly.
Hope you're giving YOUR car a good look over before getting out & about as the weather improves?
Best wishes, Pat

BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER OVERHAUL

Evidence that your President does indeed get his hands dirty:
Master cylinder removed from 4/50 ...........

                                                   ...................... and re-fitted with new seals.

---

I've just completed an overhaul of my brake master cylinder using the 'Richard Spencer' method detailed on the web site discussion forum, with no real problems, so thanks Richard & everyone else for the technical advice. Richard's full article, which can be viewed via a link from one of his postings, goes into much more detail than in his original posting, but I had just a few comments on his notes as a result of my experiences:
1. I didn't bother jacking the car up, & found that I could reach the through-bolts quite easily.
2. Not sure why it may be necessary to actually remove the nut on the pedal stop bolt - I just slackened it off.
3. Unscrewing the plunger from the push rod was indeed a fiddly exercise as Richard says, but it's still quicker than the workshop manual method!
4. I held the push-rod up with a bit of wire wound around a rod across the top of the chassis rail after I'd extracted the cylinder - that held it nicely in place for re-fitting.
5. I was clearly fortunate that the push-rod & plunger lined up & screwed together first time. Separating the two parts of the push-rod is key to this method, but well worth it as far as I'm concerned.
I didn't use a new or refurbished cylinder, & just got a new set of seals for mine, which worked out OK for me. There was a lot of sludge around the piston & a bit of corrosion in non-critical places, but it all looked fine after a good clean up.
Good luck if you've got to carry out this maintenance task soon.  Don't worry - follow the advice on the Forum & it's done in a couple of hours.
Patrick Carroll

The Practical Classics Restoration Show - NEC 12th and 13th April

The Practical Classics Restoration Show will be taking place at the NEC in Birmingham on 12^th and 13^th April and will be offering hands-on workshops, loads of entertainment including celebrity guests and live restorations by car clubs and the Practical Classics team, as well as auctions and barn finds for sale. It’s set to be a great day out and they are offering our club members £4 off the on-the-door price. To obtain your discount, follow this link: http://restorationshow.seetickets.com/event/practical-classics-restoration-show/nec/757172?OfferCode=RS14NC which will take you to the box office with the discount code for Club Members already entered in.
Have fun!
Pat Carroll

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