Your Morris Minor
will give you many years of trouble free service if it is maintained
properly. Grease and oil is an important part of this. Where parts are
moving there is friction. Friction can be reduced by oil or grease.
If parts are left dry they will wear out in a short time.
In the following
I will give you some guidelines, but you have to adjust this to the
actual condition of your car and your driving conditions.
If your car has
not been greased and oiled at regular intervals, you should shorten
the intervals, or better take the part apart, clean and grease or oil
it. The intervals I suggest are for cars in good condition and having
fair driving conditions.
WEEKLY or before
a long journey.
Check the engine
oil level with the dipstick and replenish if necessary.
Check the water in the radiator. Do not top up if you can touch the
water with a finger. If you top up to the neck, some water will be pressed
out when the engine heat up and next time you check the water level,
you will think it is using water. Fresh water added too often will speed
up corrosion of the radiator and engine water chambers.
Check the tyre pressure. Correct pressure for cross ply tyres is 22-24
p.s.i. For radial tyres 30-32 p.s.i. The lower figure if you are mostly
driving alone. If the car is mostly heavily laden the higher figure.
If you are driving your car like a racing car, increase the pressure.
EVERY 5000 KM or
3 months.
Check the engine
oil level with the dipstick and replenish if necessary.
Check the carburettor. Remove the damper unit and pour oil into the
hollow piston rod to a point ½” above the top of the rod.
Use a grease gun on all grease nipples. There are 4 on the trunnions,
2 on the track rod ends, 2 on the propeller shaft and 2 on the handbrake
cables.
There is also a grease nipple on the steering rack. It is recommended
to use Hypoid 90 oil for this every 10.000 km. The same as you use for
the differential. I have reconditioned many steering racks and nearly
all was full of grease and it seems that it can also do the job. This
is 11 grease nipples, but on elder cars there are also a grease nipple
or a screw on the water pump and on side valve cars there is a 3rd grease
nipple on the sliding part of the propeller shaft, in total 13 grease
nipples.
EVERY 10000 KM
or 6 months.
Drain the engine
oil sump. Remove the oil filter, clean the housing and fit new oil filter.
Fill with new oil. Capacity 3.7 litre.
Lubricate all parts in the distributor as necessary.
Add a few drops of oil through the hole in rear of the dynamo.
Check the oil level in the gearbox and top up if necessary. Only use
engine oil in the gearbox. Capacity 1, 3 litre.
Check the oil level in the rear axle and top up if necessary with hypoid
90 gear oil. Capacity 0,8 litre.
There is much more
to say about lubricating and this is only the very basic, which together
with the video – link
to video - will give you an idea about the job.
Best regards
Anton
June 2009