The Morris Minor is back for a Head Gasket replacement

[@o00scorpion00o]

Thanks for sharing mate, great to see the rebuilt engine back in it's home, what a lovely car, and the Mini was smashing too ! Something special about those old cars, a real raw proper driving experience compared to modern cars with all their electronics and refinement , especially electric cars, they are so dull and boring and offer an appliance like experience. You can be sure in 40 years time those electric cars won't be so easy to get back to perfect condition and electronics wear out and can't be replaced because they become obsolete. It's not so hard to make engine bits vs lithium batteries or mush of the electronics in cars these days !

[@graceenginedevelopments]

You're definitely right there.. we are really not interested in electric cars.. old stuff even has a special smell about it when running.

[@graceenginedevelopments]

@brianmac8260 hope you overtook them

[@brianmac8260]

@@graceenginedevelopments 2200TC has a bit of poke!!

[@graceenginedevelopments]

@brianmac8260 I bet..

[@bobwilliamson5574]

That's a nice looking motor , I wish I still had my old green one .😢.

[@graceenginedevelopments]

Yes it is lovely.. maybe time for another one Bob?

[@jamesgraves5738]

nice car, I watched the original engine build, well done guys.

[@graceenginedevelopments]

Thanks mate, when you coming to see us?

[@delzworld2007]

The Moggy Minors were a car mechanic's dream. So easy to work on.

[@graceenginedevelopments]

There a great car

[@kevinmartin9432]

Backin the day, as a breakdown mechanic, we used to fit new headgaskets on A series motors at the side of the road, just to get the car going to get people home, take the stat out, leave the rad cap off, and tootle along. The bypass hose on the mini was a pain though!

[@graceenginedevelopments]

That's awesome, definitely wouldn't do that now to get someone home.. yes the bypass hose is a pain

[@joansmith8215]

Make you right. My husband was an AA patrol, started in 1975. He said that that bloody by pass hose was a nightmare. At least the convoluted replacements were slightly easier to squeeze into situ.

[@graceenginedevelopments]

Those bypass hoses definitely are a pain.

[@pottsy9143]

Proving, yet again, the best moves are made with grace .

[@graceenginedevelopments]

Love that.. thank you

[@edsmachine93]

Nice work James. That is a beautiful little car. Have a great day.👍

[@graceenginedevelopments]

Thanks Ed, yes it is.. you too 👍

[@stevenbrown8857]

Lovely car, perfect for summer days out, just what you need and nothing more. Starts better than many modern cars

[@graceenginedevelopments]

It's a lovely car.. I'd like to use it in the summer

[@derekbolster8028]

Lovely little car, good that you stand by your work, a rare thing these days 👏. Reminds me I need to come and see you at some point

[@graceenginedevelopments]

Thanks Derek, kettle is always on.

[@StephenBrown-ti6mm]

Well done mate standing on your workmanship 👌

[@graceenginedevelopments]

Thanks mate.

[@benfrancis4628]

Stand-up stuff as always, top man 👍🏻

[@graceenginedevelopments]

Thanks mate

[@davidball9815]

I too watched the first video, lovely car in fact the first car I drove after passing my test.

[@graceenginedevelopments]

@@davidball9815 thank you.. I was honestly shocked how nice it was to drive

[@mreuropa88]

Tidy pair of A series 😎

[@graceenginedevelopments]

Thanks mate, been filming a certain lotus today

[@raymondgill9796]

Great video.

[@graceenginedevelopments]

Thanks Ray

[@andrewwolf4430]

back then I'd spray the head gasket with copper kote and never had a leak

[@graceenginedevelopments]

Yes I definitely think it needed something

[@justinsheldon5015]

I am sure I saw this car hurtling through Thatcham a couple of weeks ago. I think luck was on his side as he wasn't doing 30 past the camera , then I followed until he went on towards Woolhampton. Both the driver and his missus making decent progress 😎

[@graceenginedevelopments]

I don't know Justin to be honest.. they do use their cars though so quite possibly then.

[@justinsheldon5015]

@@graceenginedevelopments They both could hardly see over the dash with their silver locks, if it was !! Weirdly I have also seen a british racing green woody as well, locally and wondered if that was the engine you built previously. Seem 'common' around here That had stickers on the back side windows as well . Think I am going mad 🤣

[@graceenginedevelopments]

@justinsheldon5015 😂😂 don't know about the green one.. might be a sign you need one

[@justinsheldon5015]

@@graceenginedevelopments Too much time at Browns place eating bacon sandwiches on a Saturday morning watching everything rolling in. I'll stick with my MX5 ND for sunshine driving . I used to build A series engines for my '61 mini when I was in my teens. Now thats too long ago to think about . Seeing the minis at Browns makes me wonder about how small they were. I take it you know the Powell family and their minis?

[@graceenginedevelopments]

No I don't know them, but my wife's maiden name was Powell so I'll ask her tomorrow.. I'm originally from Derbyshire, I'm moved to Newbury 26 years ago

[@raymondgill9796]

About thirty years ago Dame Edna was doing a live piece to camera in Stratford Upon Avon when someone went by in a white traveller and quick as a flash she said "look possums a tudor car!"

[@graceenginedevelopments]

That's funny Dame Edna was quick with the one liners

[@johnkendall9776]

Did you try re- torquing the cylinder head first to see if that cured the leak? Stupid question I know 😊

[@graceenginedevelopments]

@@johnkendall9776 yes I did, to be honest I should of wellsealed it on the original build.. my customer was very good about it, so we just replaced it. It's a lovely car so needs to be right.

[@davidgerrard8661]

A pair of beauties, credit to owners 😍

[@graceenginedevelopments]

Thanks David, yes both are lovely

[@Free_Ranger_CT110]

Had a Cortina with a 'mystery' coolant leak. Yep, the old welsh plug behind the bell housing.

[@graceenginedevelopments]

@@Free_Ranger_CT110 that would of been a tricky fix in situ

[@Free_Ranger_CT110]

@@graceenginedevelopments yeah, gearbox out...

[@graceenginedevelopments]

@Free_Ranger_CT110 definitely a rubbish job that

[@christophercullen1236]

G'day James my engine builder stipulates on this warranty agreement to only use water for the first 1000k then use antifreeze. I ask him why he said with modern gaskets he was get weeping issues through the gasket with antifreeze ! That was a copper gasket ? Kit from down under

[@graceenginedevelopments]

That's interesting, yes it was copper

[@martinhibbert1428]

I suspect the heater valve was the culprit and the head gasket was fine. They do tend to leak those heater taps.

[@graceenginedevelopments]

@@martinhibbert1428 I do think the gasket was leaking a bit to be honest.. definitely wasn't after the change.

[@davestephens6582]

think I would have pressurised water system to twice cap pressure and checked for leaks before I changed head gasket copper gaskets not usually a problem. Got caught out once with a head gasket problem on a cat D6 turned out to be a liner seal since then always pressure test first.

[@graceenginedevelopments]

Yes Dave I probably should have really.. it definitely looked like it was leak though

[@captainchaos3053]

Should of check torqued it like the instructions say. You can't torque a copper gasket cold and just expect it to be fine. No need for sealant which will cause problems further down the line.

[@graceenginedevelopments]

@@captainchaos3053 it was retorqued

[@captainchaos3053]

@graceenginedevelopments Oh OK. I have seen hundreds of these fitted on the bench and then leak once in the car because they forgot or didn't know to heat cycle the copper. I'm not saying your a bad builder just that alot of young guys don't understand copper gaskets as they don't really use them in modern cars.

[@graceenginedevelopments]

@captainchaos3053 yes I completely understand what you mean.. we've fitted lots of them

[@paulrunell7821]

copper

[@graceenginedevelopments]

Thanks Paul