Rebuilding an A-series engine - Morris Minor 1000

This is a video documenting my strip down, prep and rebuild of a 1098cc A-series engine for my 1964 Morris Minor 1000. I stripped the engine to its individual components, replaced lot of components with new or reconditioned units and did as much work in house as possible - including pressing and reaming new little end bushes. Some machining work I had done at Lancaster Engines in Morcambe (crank polish, valve guides and seats, valve recutting and camshaft bearings). Towards the end there is gaps in the footage as I was spending too much time on the camera and not enough time building. But anyway here it is.

[@mowoggreen7878]

Well done young man, excellent to see a young enthusiast carrying on looking after these vehicles, We oldies are getting thinner on the ground , keep up your enthusiasm . 👍👍👌👌

[@SpiritEngine]

Brilliant video man, you made it look so easy! With all the bodgery in the car world you’re lucky to be one of those guys that knows how to do the job right!

[@nicholascarter2640]

Nicely done pal, takes me back to simpler times, I could smell the old oil as the sump came off

[@OrnumCR]

Well done. Takes me back to my days at an MG specialist working on these little MOWOGs and their bigger B Series brethren…was enjoying watching you work…

[@roberterskine884]

Beautifully done with a good gentle touch throughout, Master Mechanic!

[@hanskurzen]

Fantastic video , thank you very much. At the moment I have my 1275 out my Sprite and partially stripped but yesterday my 1098 Minor didn't sound so good and has a bit of mayo inside the rocker cover. A head gasket kit arrives tomorrow.

[@grantryder5463]

Great video. Thanks for the nostalgic memories!

[@fixpaana]

Great job man! Both building the engine as well as recording the process 👍🏻

[@scruffyspot9987]

Excellent work, more Morris Minor video’s please 👍

[@kylelewin497]

Thanks. Anything in particular you'd like to see?

[@jimmorrison6676]

Excellent video - well produced and informative. Thank you.

[@Capesthorn]

Great job, and a very sweet sounding result👍👍👍

[@johnobiro5202]

Good job. Well done. Nice to see a decent lad doing a good hobby.

[@kylelewin497]

Thanks for watching and glad you liked it 😊 doesn't get much better than tinkering in the garage 👍

[@nalinfernando8093]

Very well done video. Great guide to rebuilding engines over here in sunny Sri Lanka. Keep posting more videos.

[@kristoffcherian]

Beautiful rebuild! Meticulous attention to detail! Engine sounded fantastic.

[@kylelewin497]

Thanks for your comment !

[@rsridhar63]

Excellent!

[@gordonjamieson861]

Thank you for sharing this very interesting video with us

[@tobymiddleton6763]

Thanks for taking the time to record and upload this. I've saved it for future reference

[@kylelewin497]

Thank you. Youre very welcome hope its helpful

[@Iggysport1]

Great video and congratulations on your new car & engine 👍

[@kieronbradley51]

Great video surprised this is the only one this kinda quality I would of thought you been doing this kinda stuff on KZbin for years keep up the great work and love to see more like this in the future

[@kylelewin497]

Really appreciated, thanks for watching 😁

[@michaelhalsall5684]

Great video! This is very helpful to a "mere mortal" like me who isn't a trained motor mechanic. A lot of information shown hear would be helpful to anyone working on a classic Mini other than the transmission in the sump found on the transverse mounted engine.

[@montyzumazoom1337]

Good work well done, from a fellow Moggy owner. Very interesting vid, many thanks for posting👍

[@kylelewin497]

Thanks !

[@georgebrown6540]

Fantastic video and content, thanks for sharing.

[@andertonm]

Great video and process. Can't believe it didn't need boring and crank grinding. The pistons appeared to be low compression dished jobs like they used in vans and pickups. I'm a van and sedan owner.

[@jonsmith8582]

Good work there !

[@agri-next5546]

I like your job guys good continuation

[@eggybreadplease]

Nicely done and a great video 👍

[@kylelewin497]

Thank you!

[@fredbeverton553]

super job

[@mundanestuff]

Removed the engine from one of my Bugeyes just yesterday. Funny, some of the tools, valve lapper, spring compressor, I've been seeing in my dad's shop my whole life and never knew what they were for.

[@kylelewin497]

Haha well now its time to learn how to use them 😁👍

[@joemclaughlin1349]

Great video 😎😎. You’ve done a really good job doing that!! You’ll have to show me it at some point when I’m in college 🤔

[@kylelewin497]

Aha thanks 👍🏻 definitly 😄

[@banjominer9682]

thanks

[@TheMoneymoneymoney13]

Great video mate! Props on Fat Freddy's Drop

[@kylelewin497]

Haha thanks 😆

[@Yosemite610]

I miss my ColorTune! Thanks for the video ;')

[@kylelewin497]

Useful tools. Thanks for watching :)

[@christhackrsy]

Nice job

[@paull2613]

great to watch Thank you

[@theislandworkshop8453]

Nice one

[@TheGreatest1974]

What a superb job you did on this. If a customer came to you for this same job, how much would it cost?

[@Peter-oz8ec]

Good effort. Usually with an A series it’s a crank re grind and new set of rings. And of course the valves. I wish that the modern engines were so simple to work on , but there again were now having 100 bhp plus from a 1000cc engine and 65 mpg so I guess we can’t have it always. 3 main bearings were never enough. Oil Filter assembly genuine to the minor ?

[@robjones4662]

Sorry to correct you but that's big end shells little end is the gudgeon pin opposed end of con rod

[@kylelewin497]

Yep thats right. sorry maybe it got mixed up in the video / captions, thanks for clearing that up for anyone else watching , much appreciated 👍

[@wokohedgehogs]

Excellent job mate, looks and sounds amazing. Hopefully you’re very proud of yourself. A series engines are a fun engine to rebuild, it’s all very agricultural and would advise anybody to do their first rebuild on one of these. Now after most of a year, how’s it running now?

[@kylelewin497]

thanks. yep they're a good engine, simple and reliable, just rebuilt a second one recently for a mini and just as enjoyable to do as the first. This one is still running brilliantly, just had a recent tune up of the carb and a full service. It has had a few oil changes tough as it must have done well over 10,000 miles now.

[@jayasimhanikam874]

Hello Kyle How to adjust the end float on a crankshaft? Do you have video on this? Or any procedure? I am new to all these mech terms. I do have a old e/e and I am dismantling stage by stage and just knowing and studying. Did you do your automobile course, as you are able to do the job by yourself. I also noticed, that you had not used a piston ring pliers to install the piston rings. Please advice me on my questions how to go ahead. The other thing I want to know is, you used a socket wrench to remove/tighten the crankshaft sprocket hex nut, I do have the socket but I do not have a long handle, what size do I have to buy one. Did you also change the thrust bearings on crankshaft or used the old ones?

[@jayasimhanikam874]

Hello Kyle. Do you have video for the clutch assembly? I watched your video on A series e/e rebuilding. Did you paint the e/e by aerosol spray can or with brush? Nicely done video. Thank you.

[@DC-dp3hk]

Did you hone the cylinders?

[@ingoorth6371]

Hi Kyle, do you have such a great video from the gearbox rebuilding too?

[@kylelewin497]

No gearbox video yet 😊

[@thra5herxb12s]

I hope you used a quality modern oil. The sludge in the sump was due to using low detergent oil, this crap settles in the crankshaft oilways as well as the bottom of the pan.

[@johnjeffries4642]

Great job sounds great how much would you charge to do the same to my minor engine 👍👍👍

[@davidhaswell1074]

Disappointed that no oil was applied to the Big end & main bearings prior to putting the crankshaft in place. Also standard practice to use oil can to squirt oil into oil feeds to all bearings

[@kylelewin497]

No need to be disappointed because plenty of oil and assembly lube was applied 😊👍 did not show the actual application in the video as I was struggling to use the camera with hands covered in oil 😂 but I can assure you there was more than enough lubricant used throughout the build. Thank you for watching and I appreciate the concern. But no need to worry ☺

[@jayasimhanikam874]

Hello Kyle. I watched your rebuilding on the engine. I have questions/clarification. When you tightened the main bearing bolts, you tightened 2-3 times. What's the reason. Is one tightening not enough, or I have to tighten them more?

[@kylelewin497]

Firstly I fitted the crank shaft to check the end float, for this I only torqued to half the full setting. Then I removed the crank to swap out the thrust bearings to correct the end float. Then I torqued to half setting to check the end float was in tolerance. Now that the end float was within tolerance I torqued it to its final setting. Thanks for watching.

[@AdventuresofCeylonese]

Damn

[@denisbooth9627]

HI Kyle. would you be prepaired to do my engine ..all my body has been totaly restored.And I would love to have the engin done as like yours.many thanks Denis

[@frank31011957]

only one comment as you had the head off why did you fit a crappy concertina bypass hose? easier to fit straight thicker wall hose as would have been done originally.

[@kylelewin497]

No reason to be honest. Just got a silicone hose kit and this is what I used. I've yet to have an issue but who know maybe one day I will and you can say "I told you so" 😅 I have heard some stories about them failing but I believe that they weren't silicone. Time will tell. Thanks for watching and thanks for your thoughts 😊👍

[@unclekevin5094]

Its funny you should mention this. 40 years ago I rebuilt and fixed many mini 850 engines while they were in the engine bay and I still remember every time i spent cursing, leaning over the engine trying to get those stupid concertina bypass hoses to fit when putting the head back on. After i had learnt my lesson I always changed them for a short piece of stiff rubber hose. I loved those days when you could tinker and actually fix engines instead of just changing slot on parts like today.

[@gjboulden]

Do you actually sell reconditioned Morris Engines Kyle? I am interested to buy a reconditioned 948cc engine.

[@kylelewin497]

Sorry but no I don't. Good luck in finding one though there is plenty about and many high quality reconditioned units out there. thanks for watching

[@jayasimhanikam874]

What is the socket handle you used, the reddish one, how long is it, is it a ratchet one?

[@jayasimhanikam874]

Could you please give information on the long socket wrench handle, where is it available?

[@MakeDoAndMend1]

Just for info have you watched my video "Morris Minor. A Series Engine. 1275cc Americana Cylinder Head." Cheers from old George 😂

[@welshlyn9097]

Nice job 👍.pity about the music 🎵

[@hankpb1]

what's the largest cc can a moggy be bored out too?

[@kylelewin497]

I'm honestly not sure. As the bare block is the same as any other A-series I can only assume it would be the same as a mini etc which I have seen go to 1400+ cc. Generally people don't seem to bother using the moggy blocks and they seem to swap it straight out for a midget 1275cc A-series to save having to get pistons, head etc to match. If you have a search on Facebook or on the forums there is plenty of people who do modify the standard engines (slight over bore, 1275 heads, cams, superchargers etc) however the majority will do an engine swap to save money and work getting not as much power.

[@Travelingman-1980]

No assembly lube on the mains, no good?

[@kylelewin497]

Yeah i did use assembly lube just didn't record applying it. Messy stuff to be using a camera with 🤣

[@ymefg]

sounds like alan watts. peace

[@chamashaabeysinghe7782]

is it for sale

[@robharris5467]

Don't forget the block-tohead rubber water hose. My Dad (fitter but not mechanic), did a top overhaul but forgot that pesky hose. Final step was to fill radiator and of course water poured out! Everything off again.

[@rhyshutchinson1697]

You skipped the bits I needed to see haha fml

[@kylelewin497]

Haha typical 😄 what you wanting to know?

[@ET-cj8jo]

Why not remove the music and explain what you are doing ?

[@solomonxi-me7bk]

one doesn't put stupid music on instructional video. So bloody irritating. good job on restoration by the way.

[@alro2434]

Oil gallery plugs removed for cleaning & cleaning wire brushing ALL passages? Oil pump disassembled & deburred & light smear of grease for priming? Front pully in cover to make sure it's centered before tightening it? Clean out the rocker shaft? Relief valve smooth & free? Won't scratch gouge burr the ring lands if you use a pretty cheap tool. DO NOT us an old ring to clean, you WILL gouge the lands. Thanks.

[@MATT-xv4bh]

Speed reading is not my fortè. Is there any chance, next time, to keep your words up a tibbit longer .. please?

[@Telephonebill51]

Great video, but the music sucked so bad i had to stop watching. Jesus.

[@kylelewin497]

Lol