Vintage Minor Register

Me too, and much good it did! Anyway, I shall continue to get one now I know that I can. You never know when you might need that piece of paper.

Well spotted Sam! I thought that was a modern idea.

A reverse switch would be really useful. But where to find one?!

Ian

Ian, thanks for putting those photos in. I had forgotten about the earlier ones. For anyone looking for a similar sized one, the length of the barrel is 15" and the diameter 4.5".

If you were being purist you wouldn't have much luck since the original silencers haven't been available for many decades. It seems two makes were supplied, Burgess and Vortex. I don't know how the Burgess is made or what one looks like, but the Vortex appears in many period photos. I have just had ...

It's only the J2 box which has the gear positions changed, though I don't know about Wolseleys. It looks like this remote will fit both a three and a four speed box, so possibly it was on a three and the gate was removed so that it would work a four. Presumably it's just a plate with the gate shape ...

Well, that looks horrible! I can see why you might want to take it all apart. But as you say, there are worse splines being used. I think the only successful repair is hard chroming and then regrinding. Building up with weld is ok to start with but the heat involved affects the rest of the hardening...

If it was me, I would leave well alone! Give the outside a good clean, drain any old oil out and re-fill. Generally, these boxes are bomb proof and yours hasn't been used for decades, so there is still a very good chance that it's in excellent condition. The old adage comes to mind - if it ain't bro...

When Johnsons Gaskets made me solid copper one, I asked about sealing and he also thought grease was fine.

Ian

I have had no trouble and that's with a 6.7:1 compression ratio

Looks like someone has taken a hacksaw to a saloon.

Ian

I don't know if these can still be got, but I once used something called a 'stepped stud'. It had a larger thread at the bottom where it went into the block.

Ian

Not that I've got one, but these come in two different sizes. At least if you buy a whole diff. you can be sure it fits!

I know someone with a Hornet tourer; this also has an added bit on the top of the column. It must have been common practice among coachbuilders.

Thinking about the well-known problem of broken crankshafts, I wondered if the shaft in the side-valve engines was as prone to breaking as the one in ohc type. Are side-valve cranks stronger ? Has anyone out there broken one ?

Ian's posting about the correct location of the eccentric bush intrigued me. Although it is correct I couldn't see why the oil should be cut off. This afternoon I got out a box of rockers and discovered that there are two types - one where the groove is interrupted ( and a small hole, purpose unknow...

Ian, I think you might be confusing the synchro box with some other type. The Minor one is hardly any different to the constant mesh one in size, weight, or appearance. It is about an inch longer in the part between the bell-housing and the gear lever tower but that's about all.