Vintage Minor Register

I have been trying to get replacement couplings as Sports and Vintage are out of stock. The Morris Register have them but at £55 which I thought expensive. Any way I have contacted a manufacture GMS and have the following details:

I asked for a quote for the following:

5.5 inch outside diameter
4.5 inch pitch circle diameter
2 inch inside diameter
6 off 1/4 bolt holes in square plates held with 4 rivets
1/2 inch thick

Firstly can someone check this against an old coupling to make sure the dimentions are correct. They should fit ohc and SV Minors, M types and perhaps the early Pre Series 8's

The prices are based on volume, I asked for one off, 10 off and 20 off

One off £64
10 off £54
20 off £44

These prices include VAT at 15% but not postage.

It looks likely that we can get to 10 easily but can others please indicate if they are interested. I will also put this post on the PWMN and Triple M forums

cheers
Jeremy

Jeremy,

I can do better than that . I can check it against a brand new one. I will report back when I have found them. I can let you borrow one for a pattern if required.

Jeremy,
I have found mine, they came with a propshaft from Herefordshire Auctions

Outside diameter 5.5 inches
PCD 4.5 inches
Inside diameter 2.0 inches

6 off 5/16 inch diameter holes with asymetrical triangular plates 1/16 inch thick each side fitted with 3 rivets

Ruberised canvas disc [conveyor belting ? ] 3/8 inch thick

Overall thickness at bolt holes 1/2 inch

I will need a pair if not two. I think this would be a good item to stock up on at a reasonable price wouldn't it?

Hi All

Here is a picture of an "original" coupling. The dimensions quoted above are all correct , and I confirm that the bolt holes are indeed 5/16 inch.

This one looks like it is made of several thicknesses of leather !! Tony G

Hi Jeremy, I could do with two Colin

Yes please,
I could do with a couple
oh dear what a pun .
Colin Lee

Unfortunately it does not look like this is a runner.

Mainly as the numbers needed have not reach the magic figure so the price remains at £54, some people off list pulled out which is a shame.

However all is not lost - I have continued checking with suppliers and can confirm that we can still get these at £45 each plus £5 P&P per pair which is very close to our 20 off price anyway.

There seems little point in flogging ourselves to death or taking large numbers of these into personal stock to save a pound on each one.

So can I refer all those interested in couplings to Yesterday's Components Ltd, Wellwood Farm, Lower Stock Road, West Hanningfield, Chelmsford, Essex XM2 8UY - tel 01277 840697. Perhaps if/when Harry runs out we can put an order together.

cheers
Jeremy

Thanks for the leg work on these Jeremy. Much appreciated. Glad to see there is stock at a reasonable price. I wonder what the M Type owners are doing for couplings - or are they all running Hardy Spicers these days?

Ian

No problem Ian, I am sure the details now recorded will help in the future.

from my exploration of the subject an increasing number of both Minor and M type owners are convering thier cars to hardy-spicer propshafts.

There seem to be two approaches:

Method one:
Make discs to bolt to the 3 finger spiders and then bolt the replacement propshaft flanges to these. This seems to work and is the only solution for the cars retaining thier transmission handbrake, at the front at least. Roger Lucke has carried out this conversion using a lengthen Reliant propshaft details are available on this.
Method two:
Get some later Morris 8 or D/J Type gearbox and axle drive plates, the splines on these match the Minor and M type, although some machining might be required with certain versions. You can then bolt the replacement propshaft directly to the new drive plates fixed to your axle and gearbox. This would look like a factory conversion. Some people have converted Austin 7 props for this, they need to be made longer as does the reliant one.

I am trying to source a propshaft that is longer and thus needs shortening as this seems an easier process, but most are rather larger than the M type's propshaft tunnel allows. This will be a longer term project that can be done once 2/M617 is back on the road.

cheers
Jeremy

Jeremy, You seem to know a bit about propshafts. You will have read about my broken back axle (1933) and my later diff replacement. The main difference, and the one I am having trouble with, is the new axle has a flat 4 hole flange and my old one has the three pronged type. These differ internally - my three pronger is small and shorter on the shoulder and I am soon having it sleeved larger and a thick washer/shim made to butt up against the thrust bearing. On reading your last article, could I bolt a round steel disc to the four hole flange and then drill three holes for the propshaft three pronger?? This for me would be easier than the machining route and my propshaft is tele-scopic so should take up the slight increase in length. I hope I have made my self clear. Highlander.

I think the point about those four to three hole adapter plates is that the Hardy Spicer prop shafts are splined at one end and therefore of variable length. If fitting such devices with an original Minor prop shaft, you may well have to cut and shut the prop shaft to get it to the right length. I have done this in the past, but you have to carefully set the two pieces of shaft in V blocks to ensure it stays dead true and in balance when revolving. So I think bushing and washering is probably your best bet.

You can't bolt a disc to the square drive and then bolt the propshaft to the disc because it would no longer be a universal joint. A sleeve over the spider is still your best bet unless you can find someone willing to swap your diff for an earlier one. For anyone using a hardy spicer shaft it would make no difference.

Ian

For a simpler solution using the existing prop shaft see my reply regarding my Jensen Minor under REAR AXLE.

ian judd wrote:You can't bolt a disc to the square drive and then bolt the propshaft to the disc because it would no longer be a universal joint. A sleeve over the spider is still your best bet unless you can find someone willing to swap your diff for an earlier one. For anyone using a hardy spicer shaft it would make no difference.

Ian

That's right - you have to have a flexible coupling in there somewhere. When I bought my first Minor, the two spiders at the diff were bolted directly together with no coupling. Clunked nicely when on the move!