Vintage Minor Register

I am now the proud owner of a reconditioned dynamo for my OHC M type and have a couple of questions which hopefully someone out there can help me with.

1. While the dynamo is out I checked the crankshaft end float, which at 12 thou needs a shim taken out to reduce the end float to about 4 thou. However the starting handle dog is very tight on the crankshaft. I make the assumption it is on a thread but noticed that it has two small threaded holes so could be a push fit. Any ideas on how this can be removed?

2.Are there any torque wrench settings for the dynamo vertical shaft top nut and lower bolt? Not sure if they had torque wrenches in the 20/30s!

Thanks for any help

Peter S

Hello Peter,

Yes, the starting handle dog is screwed directly on to the front end of the crankshaft and should be hexagonal, so should take a spanner to remove. They do get tight because the starting handle tends to tighten them up. I have also had problems removing them in the past, but have done this by preventing the engine from turning (by putting the car in gear if the engine is still in the car - which yours is probably not, so just get the wife to hang on tight to the flywheel), then attaching a suitable spanner and then shocking it with a fairly weighty lump hammer - probably does all sorts of mischief further back, but does seem to do the trick, as long as you give it one hard strike and don't keep hammering away!

As for torque settings, you won't find any for the M or Minor. The top and bottom nuts on the dynamo armature should both be locked with lockwashers, so torque shouldn't be an issue.

Thanks Ian, I will remove the starter and use the ring gear to lock the engine. Also the vertical shaft nut and bolt do have lock washers.

Peter S

Another way is to beg or borrow an impact wrench (air or rechargable) or take the engine to your friendly tyre fitter or garage. It is MOST IMPORTANT that you use sockets designed for IMPACT WRENCHES and NOT ORDINARY SOCKETS as can shatter.
The two small holes in the crankshaft pulley are threaded and are for extracting the pulley with a puller. Do not try to lever the pulley off or you may break the flange of the pulley.

Thanks Simon, although what I don't understand about the small threaded holes is if the dog is on a thread wont it come off as you undo it?

Yes, the dog unscrews, and then there is the pulley to get off if you are dismantling. The pulley is held in place by the dog but is keyed onto the crank and can be difficult to get off - hence the threaded holes to pull it off - once the dog is out of the way. Make sense?

Ian