MG Midget Mark II User Manual

MID

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:

Grams: Emgee,

Abingdon

Pr

opri

eto rs:

Morris

Mo tors

Limited

Mark

II

ABINGDON-ON-TH AMES

Proprietors: Morr is

Motors

Limited

MIDGET

(Including Supplement for

Mark

I)

CO WLEY -

OXFORD

/ "ENGLAND

Sole Exp

orter

s

NUFFIELD EXPORTS LIMITED

DRIVER'S HANDBOOK

Pltone: Abin

gdon

251-2-3

-4

Phone :

Oxford,

England, 77733 T

elex:

83133

Morex,Oxford

, Eng

land

Cables: More x,

Oxford,England

Published by

THE M.G. CAR COMPANY LIMITED

:

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Read

Safety

Fast

.the

magazine

for

those

.who

practise

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as an art

Published by

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makersofyour,

car

and packed

with

f.~,tur.

on·

e DRIVING

TECHNIQUE

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TUNING

FOR PERFORMANCE

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e

CLUB

NEWS

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now,

posted

dlreetto,you,

from

I 'Bafety Fast'. British

Motor

Corporation

.·Ltd.,

~

Abingdon-on-Thames.

Enctand

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FOREWORD

I

N producing this

book

the object has been to

con

fine the contents to infor-

mation essentia l to t he

prop

er running and

operationofthe vchicl '. N v r-

theless, the

operator

will find all the guidance necessarytoma

intain the vchi .lc in

first-class condition

andtoensure

troubl

e-free service.

Every

vehicle leavin ' the

Fac

to ry is capableorgiving ab solute sat islucti 11 if

the

maintenance

instru cti n

detailed in th e followi ng page s

are

carefully car ried

out.

Rememberthat

an

authorized

Di strib utor/Dealer is

better

equipp

ed to

provide

routine

and

repair

service than any oth

I' pe

rator

; he is at y

our

service

and

shouldbeconsult

ed

if you en

coun

ter trou ble. Wh en

eme

rgency

work

ha been

undertakenbyothe

r

than a fra nchise ho lder

th

e vehicle should be submitted to an

authorized

Distribu to r/D ealer for check ing. .

All

Warra

nty work

must

be carried

out

by an authorized

Distributor/Dealer.

When communicating with your

Distri

butor jl)ea)er always quote the car and

engine numbers; the regi

stra

tion number is of no use and is not required.

Fo r

tho

se wan ting

informationofa more detailed an d technic al

nature

than is

contained in

thisHandbookaWorkshopMa

nua l is available at a re

ason

able

price from yo

urDistributor/Dealer.

IDENTIFICATION

Car

number .

Stamped

on a

plate

secured to

the

left-handinner

wheel

arch

,

under

the

bonnet.

Engine number. Stam

pedona

plate

secured to

the

right-h

and

side of

the

cylinder block.

Gearbox number. Stamped on

the

topofthe

gearbox

casing.

Rear

axle

number. Stamped on the

frontofthe

left-hand rear axle tube near

the

spr

ing sea ting.

Ignition

key

number.Toreduce

the

possibilityoft

hef

t ig

nition

switches on

l

ater

car's

are

not

marked

withanumber.

Owners

are

advised to

mak

e a

note

of

the

number

stampedonth

eir

ignition

key in caseoffuture loss.

NOTE.

-Referenc

es to rig ht or

lef

t hand in this

Handbookare

made when

viewing the car from the re

ar.

3

GENERAL DATA

GE

~

R

L DATA

Engine

Engine type
Bore
Stroke
Cub

ic capacity
Compression ratio
Fir

ing

orde

r

Valve rocker clearance (cold)

rdling setting

Oil pressure :

Norm

al (

app

rox.)

Idling (approx.)

Ignition

Sparking

plugs

Sparking

plug gap

Static ignition timing

Contact

breaker gap

Fuel

System

Carburetters

Carburet

ter needles
Spring
Pump

10e G (4-cylinder overhead-valve)
2·543 in. (64'58 mm.)
3·296 in. (83'72

mrn.)

67 cu. in. (1098 c.c.)
8·9 : 1

or

8·1 : 1

1

,3

,4,2

·012 in. ('305 mm.)
1,000

r.p

.m. (hot)

30 to 60 Ib.rsq. in. (2'1 to 4·2 kg.jcm.")
10 to 25

Ib.rsq. in. ('7 to 1·7 kg.rcm.")

Champion N5 (14 mm.)

·024 to ·026 in. ('625 to ·660 mm.)
(H.C.) 5° B.T.

D.C.

(L.C.) 3° to 5° B.T.D.C.

·014 to ·016 in. ('35 to ·40 mm.)

HS2
Standard

AN,

Weak

GG,

Rich

H6
Blue
S.U. (Electric)

Turnin

g circle: Left lock

Right lock

Front

wheel alignment
Wheelbase
Overall length
Overall width
Overall height
Ground

clearance

Weight

Dry

weight

Capacities

uel ta

nk

Engine

sump

(including filter)

Gea

rbox

. .

Rear axle

..
Cooling system (without heater)
Heater

32 ft. I! in. (9'79 m.)
31 ft. 2! in. (9'51 m.)

Para

llel to ! in. toe-in (0 to 3·2

111111

.)

6 ft. 8 in. (2'03 m.)

11

1'1.

5., in. (3,45 m.)

4 ft. 5 in. (1·35 m.)

4 ft.

I

~

in. ( 1'25

m.)

5 in. (12'7 em.)

1,490

lb. (66 kg.)

6 gallons (7,2 U.S. gallons, 27·3 litres)
6t pints (7'8 U.S. pints, 3·7

litres)

21 pints (2'7 U.S.

pints

, 1·3 litres)

It pints (1'8 U.S.

pints

, ·85 litre)

10 pints (12 U.S. pints, 5·68

litres)

t pint ('6 U.S.

pint

, ·253 litre)

)-~

3·5D x 13
5'20

-13

Wheels and

Tyres

Wheel size

Tyre size

..

Tyre pressures:

All conditions :

Front

18 lb ./sq. in. (1,27 kg.jcm.")

Rear

..

20 lb./sq. in. (1,41 kg.jcm.")

For

sustained speeds in excessof80-85 m.p.h. (129

-137

km.p.h.):

Fro

nt 22 lb./sq. in. (1,55 kg. jcm.")

Rear

..

24 lb./sq. in. (1'69 kg.jcm.")

Transmission

Rear axle ratio
Overall gear

ratios:First

With

{Se

COnd

Thi

rd

synchromesh

Fourth
Reverse

Dimensions

Tr

ack:

Fro

nt

Rea r

4

4·22 : 1

13·504 : 1
8·085 : 1
5·726 : 1
4·22 : 1
17·395 : 1

Wire wheels Disc wheels

~

ft~

19ft

!!!~

(1'!7 m) J

[],

lQft in:

(1'

17

m.)

3 ft.

91-

in. (1'15 m.) 3 ft.8!in. (1'14 m.)

5

CONTROLS

AND IN

STR

UM

ENTS

Horn

§witch

The

horn

is sounded by pressing the centre disc of the steering-wheel.

CO

TROLS

A D I

STR

TS

Heater and v ntilati ng control

Thiscontro l pro id s a means of regulating the heatingand ventilating system.

Full operating instructions are given on page

it.

Choke or mixture control

To enrich the mixture and assist starting when the engine is cold pull

out

the

knob

marked 'C'.

The

control, when turned

halfaturn

clockwise, will hold

in any position giving a progressively richer mixture as it is pulled out.

()

no account should the engine run for any length of time with the knob

pull

dull

y out. It should be returned to the 'off' positi on (pushed in) as soon

a.' I ssi Ie as the engine warms up.

Th first 1 in. (6·35 mm.) approx. of movement operates only the throttle

cont

f(

I. '1his initial movement

can

be used to give a fast engine idling speed an d

pre

cut

stalling when drivingat low speeds before the enginehas fullywarmedup.

Driving controls-lef t-hand drive

1. H and brake. 5. Brake pedal.

2.

Hea

dlight dip switch. 6. Accelerator pedal.

3. Horn switch. 7. Direction indicator.

4. Clutch pedal. 8.

Gea

r lever.

7

Headlight bIndippin J 'witch

The headlight main-beam dipp ing switch is located o?

the

toeboard.to the

left of the clutch p dal. It is of the single-acting repeating type, I?Wer.Ing

th

e

beams on one app lication and raising them on the next.. A

wan~unghg~t.

on

the face of the speedo meter will glow when the beams ar e In the raised position.

Ignition and starter switch . .

The

ignition and star ter are both controlled by a single

sWi

tch .~rate by

a removable key. To witch

011 the ignition insert the key and turnI~111a cl ck-

wise direction until a slight resistance i felt.

Further

I?ovem~ n

t

In th .

a~

direction will opera te the starter motor. R lea e the key immediately the n ine
starts. If the eng ine fails t start first time wait until it has come to rest b f re

using the starter a Jain.

6

4 3

(I II! ff

Driving control

s-righ

t-hand drive

1.

Hand

brake. 5. Brake pedal.

2. Headlight dip switch. 6. Accelerator pedal.

3.

Horn

switch. 7. Direction indicator.

4. Clutch pedal. 8. Gea r lever.

Gear lever

The gear positions are indicated on the lever

knob;mak

e certain

that

the lever
is in the neutral position before starting the engine. First and second gears are
selected by moving the lever to the left,

and

engaged by moving it forward into

first gear and backwards into second gear. Third

and

fourth gears are selected
by movi ng the lever to the right through the neutral position until resistance is
felt, then forward into

third

gear

and

backw

ard

s into fourth gear.

To engage reverse gear move the lever to the right in the neutral position until

resistance is felt, apply further side pressure to overcome the resistance

and

then

move it backwards to engage the gear. Synchromesh is provided on second,

third, and fourth gears.

Pedals

The left-hand pedal operates the clutch, the centre pedal the brakes,

and

the
right-hand pedal the accelerator. Keep the foot clear of the clutch pedal except
when engagement or disengagement of any gear is intended, or when in heavy

traffic. Driving with the foot resting on the pedal will lead to rapid clutch wear.

Hand brake

Thehand

brake is of the pull-up lever type, operating mechanically on the

rear

wheels only. To release the hand brake, pull it upwards to take the load,

press theratchet release

button

located in the end of thelever with the thumb

and

push

the lever down into the off po sition .

The

hand

brak

e is automatically

adjusted at the same time as the foot brake

and

requires no separate adjustment.

6

C

ONT

ROLS AND INSTRUMENTS

Ignition warning light

The

ignition

war

ning light serves

the

dualpurposeofreminding

the

driver to

switch

off

the

ignition,

andofacting

as a

no-ch

arge indicator.

With

the

igni

tion

switchedonthe

warninglight

should

onl

y be

illuminated

when

the

engine is

not

ru

nn ing, or is

runningata very low speed. As

the

engine speed increases

the

light

should

dim and

then

go outat

a fairly

low

engine speed.

If

thelight

failstogo

out

until higher engine speeds

are

reachedorremains

alight

at all times,

inspect

the

dynam

o driving

belt

for

correct

tensionorbreakage

.

If

the

belt

is in

order

the

chargin

g system mus t be

overhauled

by a

Distributor

or

Dealer.

Instruments and switch

es-

right-hand drive

CONTROLS AND INSTRUMENTS

Oil pressure

and

water temp

eratu

re ga uge

The

pressureofthe oil in the

eng

ine

lubrication

system ma y rise to ove r

60

lb. jsq . in. (4 ,2 k-Y./cnl.

2

)

wh n the engine is s

tartedupfrom

cold . After the

oil has circula ted

and

become

warm

the press

ureshould

drop to betwee n

30

and

60 lb.rsq. in. (2·1 and 4 ·2 kg.jcm."), with 10 to 25 lb. jsq, in.

('7

to 1·7

kg.rcrn.")

idling prcssur . l- h

ould

the gau ge fail to register

any

pressure

at

all,

s

top

the engine imrn diatcly and investigate the ca use.

The temp.ruturc gauge indicates the

temp

erat

ureofthe

coolant

leaving th e

cylind er hcad . After the initial rise in temperature

duringthe

warmi

ng up

period

any sudden

upward

change in the re

adin

g ca lls for imm

ediate

investigation.

Instruments and switches

-left-hand

drive

1. Speedometer.

2. Trip mileage indicator.

3.

Total

mileage indicator.

4.

Dire

ction indicator warning lights .

5. Tachometer.

6. Ignition

and

starter switch .

7. Oil pressure and water temperature
gauge.

8.

Heater

switch.

9. Windshield washer.

10.

Choke

.

11.

Fuel

gauge.

12. Panel light switch.

13.

Headl

ightma

in-beam warning light.

14. Trip mileage resetting

knob

.

15. Ignition warning light.

16. Windshield wiper switch.

17. Lighting switch .

1. Speedometer.

2.

Trip

mileage indicator.

3.

Total

mileage indicator.

4. Direction indicator warning lights.

5. Tachometer.

6.

Jgnition

and

starter switch .

7. Oil pressure

and

water temperature

gauge.

~

.

I-{eaterswitch .

9. Windshield washer.

10. Choke.

11.

Fuel

gauge.

12. Panel light switch.

13. Headlightmain-beamwarninglight.

14. Trip mileage resetting

knob

.

15. Ignition warning light.

16. Windshield wiper switch.

17. Lighting switch.

Lighting switch

A lever-type switch.

Move

the

lever

downward

-to

the

half-way

position

for

the

side

and

taillights,and

into

the

fully

down

position

for

the

headlights.

Panel

light switch

This

is a lever-type switch.

The

panel

lights will

only

function

when

the

sidelights

are

switched

on.

Fue

l gauge

When

the

ignition

is switchedonthe

fuel

gauge

will indicate

the

quantity

of

fuel in

the

ta~k.

An

important

noteonfillingupwith

fuel is givenonpage

19.

8

Direction indicators

The

dir

ectionindicator

swi

tchismountedonan

armonthe steering-column

I "I w

the

ste

erin

g-wheel. The in

dicators

will

operate

only

when

the

ignition

i.. switched

on,and

the

indicatorwarning

lights in

the

instrument

panel

flash

h .n they are in use.

..'I) -edou -ter

It ad di

ion

to rec

ording

the

road

speed

thisinstrument

also records

the

trip

an I

tota

l di tances.The

trip

recorder

enables

the

lengthofa

particular

journey

~~)h:!":<;QrQ~Q;~!1Q

~~!!

be set t9

?;~r9l>y

pushing

upwards

and

turning

the

knob

locut xl b neath

the

instrument.

9

CONTROLS AND INSTRUMENTS

Tachometer

This

instrument

indicate the revolutions

per

min

ute of

the

engine , and this

assists

th

e driver to usc the most effective engine speed

range

for maximum

perfo

rman

ce in any gear.

Windshield wiper switch

The two windshield wiper blades are op

erate

d by a lever-type switch. Flick

down the switch to bring

both

wiper blades i

nto

operation.The

blades will

park

automatically when

the

knob

is flicked up to witch off.

Windshield washer

To

operate

the windshield washer pres the control

kno

b. When following

other vehicles, particularly

und

er dirty

road

con

ditions, the washer

should

be

operated before the wiper

bladesar

e set in motion.

In

cold

weather

the

reserv

oir

should be filled with a mixture of water

and

recommended washer solvent to

pre

vent the water freezing in the reservoir

and

on

the

windshield.

Do not use

rad

iator anti-freeze solution in the windshield-washing equipment.

OPTIO

AL EXTRAS

The following items of equipment

are

available as optional e

xtra

s:

J Wire wheels .

Cigar

-lighter.

I Locking

petrol

filler cap.

Wing

mirror.

White-walled

tyr

es.

Hardtop

.

Nylon

cord

tyres . / Heater (fresh-air type) .

Ro

ad Speed tyres .

Fresh-a

ir un it.

yHeavy-duty

(6-ply rating) tyres. vTonneau cover.

Windscreen (laminated type). Twin

horn

s.
Luggage grid. Wheel disc.
Rear

compar

tment cushion. Radio.

Fog

lamp. Towing bracket.

Anti-roll

bar

. Headlight flasher.

10

HEATING AND VENT

The

heating

and

ventilating system is designed toprovide heated fr sh

air

to

the

car

interior

at floor level

and

to the windshield for demisting and defrosting.

A valve controlling

the

flow of hot water through

the

heate

r unit is fit ted at the

rearofthe

cylinder

head.The

valve is opened by

turninginan

anti-clockwise

direction

when

heating is

requiredors

hut

off by tu

rning

clockwise when th e

system is to be used for

cool

air

ventilation.

~

~~~

~

I

The air blower switch; turn
the knob in the direction

of

the arrow to switch on the
motor. Switch

off

and pull

the control out to close the

air intake flap

The water valve on the
cylinder block; turn the tap
in the directionofthe arrow
to shut

off

the flow of hot

water to the heater

Airisdrawninthroughaforward

-facing

intake,and

theram

effect

caused

by

the

car's

motion

will

provide

air

for the

heater'srequ

irements at speeds

above25m.p.h.

(40km.p.h.). A blower

moto

r is

provided

for useatlower

speedsorwhen

a greater

quantityofair is required.

The

blow

er is switched on

by

turning

the

control

marked'H' on

the

fascia in a clockwise direction.

A shut-off valve is

incorporatedinthe

air

intake to

prevent

fumes

ent

ering the

car

in traffic

and

is closed by pulling

out

the

knobmarked'H'.

The blo wer m

otor

must

be switched off before

the

valve is closed and c

ann

ot be switched on ag

ain

until

the

valve is

returnedtothe

open

posit

ion.

TWQ

QQQf§

IQg~!~Q

fQfW~rg~

Qn~.~!~~gh§ig~Qf!h ~~~~rgQ~tYnn~IJ

~Qn!rQ!

distr

ibutionofair

between screen

and

car

interior . For he ating open the

door

s.

For

defrosting (i.e,

boosting

flow of

hot

air to screen) close the doors.

11

BODY D T ILS

._ --- -

The external and internal

door locks

Door locks

Both doors may be locked from the outside with the ignition key. The pas-

senger

door

may alternatively be locked from inside the car.

To lock the

doorsturn

the key clockwise ; to unlock the

doorsturn

the key

anti-clockwise.

After locking or unlocking the doors return the key to the vertical position

and withdraw it. . . .

The

passenger

doormaybelo

cked

fro

minSIdethecarby

turning

the

16eRiiig

knob downwards.

Tum

the

knob

upwards to unlock

the

door

Turn the handle anti-clock-

wise to open the boot lid.
When closed, the lid may be

locked with the key provided

Luggage compartment

Turn

the handle in an anti-clockwise direction to release the catch. When

closed

turn

the

hand

le clockwise to secure.

Thelid

can be locked in the closed position with the ignition key.

Doors

Both doors are provided with door-pulls.
A window regulator handle is fitted to the inside of each door.
A draughtproof ventilator panel adjacent to each window may be

open d by

releasing the catch.

Bonnet lock control and

safety catch

The seat-adjusting lever

BODY

DETA

ILS

Seatadjustment

The driver's

and

passenger's seats are mounted on slides

and

are easily
adjustable. Push the lever located beneath the front of the seat to the left to
unlock the driver 's seat slide

and

to the right to unlock the passenger's seat slide;

hold the lever in this position while the seat is readjusted . The

19~k~1l~

pip

!~

spring-loaded and wni autom atically relock the seat slide when the lever is
released.

Bonnet lock

Unlock the bonnet from the inside of the car by pulling the control knob

marked 'B' located below the fascia and on the left-hand side

of

the gearbox

tunnel. Insert a finger under the left-hand front edge of the bonnet

and

push the

safety catch rearwa rds to release the bonnet and allow it to be lifted into the

open position.

12

13

BODY DETAILS

B() Y

IL

Hood

Erecting the hood

Remove the hoo d from its stowed position (see page 16).

Erect th e colla psible frame

and

pull the front stick forward; leave the rear

stick in the collapsed position until the canopy i fitted. "

Place t he ends of the frame in the support sockets

that

are fitted one to each

rear

quarter

panet. The long stick faces forward.

Removing the hood

Unlock the over-centre links on the rear stick to slacken the canopy. ndo

the fasteners

and

release the toggle lever catches on

the

windshield. Rei .asc all

fasteners

around

the rear of the hood. Slide the

rear

hood

rail backwards cl ar

of the two slotted fasteners on th e tonneau panel, and lift the hoo d

from

the

frame.

1"

£1

hood sticks fitted and

erected

Fold the quarter-lights in­wards, folding on a line
between the quarter-light and

back-light

Extend the rear stick and
ensure that the links (one

shown arrowed) pass over

their centres, inset is the
windshield toggle catches

Finally, roll the hood as

shown for storage

Unfold the hood over the frame

and

engage the two locating sockets on the

lower

rear

edge of the canopy with the retaining plates on the rear tonneau

panel. Engage the fasteners

around

the

rear

of the canopy. Secure

the

hood

header rail to

the

windshield frame with the toggle lever catches and the two

fastener assemblies. _ .

E

xtend

the

rear

§tic

kto

tensionthecanopy

and

ensure

that

the

connectmg

links pass over their centres.

14

NOTE.-It

is most important

that

the instructions given should be followed
when folding and stowing the hood in order to obviate damage to the quarter- and
back-lights. Never fold the hood when

it is wet or damp. Wait until it is perfectly

dry.

Folding the hood

Fol

ding the hood correctly is of utmost importance; lay the

hood

on a flat

surface with the lining upwards.

Foid

the

hood

in the way shown in

the

illustra-

tion

and

then

roll it up carefully, avoiding kinking.

15

, - - -

COOLING

SYST

EM

The cylinder block drain tap
is on the left-hand side

of

the
block at the rear. Turn in the
direction

of

the arrow to open

/

/<

"'/

' ,

~

The radiatordrain tap on the
left-hand side

of

the radiator
bottom tank . Turn in the
directionofthe arrow to open

A pressurized cooling system is used on this vehicle and the pressure

must be

released gradu ally when removing the radiator filler cap while the system is h t.
It is advisable to protect the hands against escaping steam

and

then turn the cap
slowly ant i-clockwise until the resistance of the safety stop is felt. Leave thc cap
in this position until all pressure is relea sed. Press the cap downwards against
the spring to clear the safety stops

and

continue

tur

ning until it can be lifted

ofT

.

The hood and hood sticks
stowed away in the luggage

compartment

BODY DETAILS

Sto wing the hood and hood sticks

Withdraw the frame from the

support

sockets, fold the sticks and separate

the two halves of the frame. Place the canopy

and

the fra me in their respective

stowage bags

and

stow in the luggage compartment.

The hood may suffer damage if stowed without the

prot

ection of stowage bag.

Tonneau cover

The location of the tonneau cover on the rea r body decking is the same as

that
of the hood. The front section is located on the press studsacrossthe fascia.When
driving with only the tonneau cover fitted, the front section can be detached from

,the

top

of the fascia and is located on the rear axle body scuttle.

Frost precautions

Water, when it freezes, expands,

and

if precautions are

not

taken there is
considerable risk of bursting the radiator, cylinder block, or heater (where fitted).
Such damage may be avoided by draining the cooling system when the vehicle
is left for any length of time in frosty weather, or by adding anti-freeze to the
water.

Wu~g

l

When a heater unit is fitted an anti-freeze solution must be added in the cooling

§y§t@ID

slncenoprovi§ioni§made

for

drilinin~

th~

heater.

Do not use radiator anti-freeze solution in the windshield-washing equipment

(where fitted).

16

17

COOLING

SYSTEM

RUNNING

INSTR

UC

o

Anti-freeze solutions

Anti-freeze can remain in the cooling system for two years

prov

ided

that

the
specific grav ity of the coolant is checked periodically and anti-freeze added as
necessary. This

oper

ation should be carried

out

by an authorized Distri

buto

r

or

Dea

ler.

Af

ter the second winter the system should be

dra

ined

and

refilled with fresh

water, and the

appropriate

amount of anti-freeze added when required.

Only anti-freezeofthe ethylene glycol or glycerine type is suitable for use in
the cooling system. We recommend owners to use Bluecol Anti-freeze (non­corrosive) in order to protect the cooling system during frosty weather

and

reduce corrosion to a minimum. We also approve the use of

any

anti-freeze

which conforms to Specification B.S.3151 or B.S.3152.

The correct

quant

itiesofanti-freeze for differ

ent

degrees of frost resistance

are:

Absolute

Commences

safe .limit

freezing at

Quantity

of

anti-freeze required

Solution

o c.

OF.

o c.

of.

(%

)

- 19

- 3

- 9

16

20

2

pts. (2·4 U.S. pts., 1·1 litres)

- 26

- 15

- 13

9

25

2

~

pts. (3·0

U.s.

pts., 1·42 litres)

- 33

- 28

- 16

3

30

3

pts. (3·6 U.S. pts., 1·71 litres)

Before adding

anti

-freeze mixture to the radia

tor

it is advisable to clean

out

the cooling system

tho

roughly by flushing out the passages with a hose

inserted in the filler cap while keeping the drain taps open.

Only

top

up when the cooling system is at its normal running temperatur e,

in order to avoid losing anti-freeze due to expansion.

Make

sure that the cooling system is water-tight, examine all

join

ts,

and

replace any defective ru

bber

hose with new.

Draining the cooling system

There are two

draintap

s provided, one on the radiator

bottom

tank

and

the

other

on the left

-hand

side of the cylinder block. To

dra

in the coolant

stand

the

car

on level

ground

and

open both taps.

When

dra

ining in freezing weather, do so when the engine is hot.

Run

the
engine slowly for one minute when the water has ceased flowing to clear any
water from the

pump

and

other places where it might collect. Finally, leave a

reminder on the vehicle to the effect that the cooling system has been drained.

If

the system contains anti-freeze remember to collect it in a clean container

for future use.

Filling the cooling system

To avoid wastage by overflow

add

just sufficient coolant to cover the

bottom

of

the

hsagsr

tank:

Run

tb

~

engine

untiliti§

hQ!

~nQ ~QQ§y

ffi~i~!!!~QQ!~!!!

to bring the surface to the level of the indicator positioned inside the

hea

der
tank

below the filler neck.

18

Starting

Before starting the engine ensure

that

the gear lever is in ne I tral and the

hand brake is applied.

If

the engine is cold pull

out

the choke contr

1.

Switch on the ignition, ensure that the ignition warning light glows and that

the fuel gauge registers, then operate the . tarter. Release it if the engine

f' iI

to

start

within five or six seconds, wait for the crankshaft to stop rotating,

and

then o

perat

e the starter again.

Should the engine fail to s

tartafter a reasonable numberofattempts, check

for possible causes.

Do

not

persist in operating the s

tar

ter as a great strain is

imposed on the battery by so doing.

As soon as the engine starts, release the starter and warm up the engine at a

fairly fast idling speed . Should the oil gauge fai

I to register any pressure or if the

pressure is very low, stop the engine immediately and investigate the cause. Failure
to do so may result in serious damage to the engine. Also check

that

the ignition

warning light goes

out

when the engine is running above idling speed; failure

of

the light to b

eha

ve in this fashion indicates a broken fan belt or other fault in

the system.

Push in the choke control

comp

letely as soon as the engine will

run

evenly

without its use.

Warming up

Research has proved t

hat

the practice of warming up an engine by allow ing it

to idle slowly is definitely harmful. The correct

pro

cedure is to let the engine

run

fairly fast, approximatel y 1,000 r.p .rn., corresponding to a speed of

about

15

m.p.h, (24 km.p.h.) in

top

gear, so

that

it attains its correct working tempera-

ture

as quickly as possible. Allowing the engine to work slowly in a

cold

state

leads to excessive cylinder wear, and far less damage is

don

e by driving the

car

straight on the road from cold

than

by letting theengine idle slowly in

the

garage.

Wet brakes

When the vehicle is being washed or driven through water the brake linings
may become wet. To dry them, apply the brakes several times with the vehicle
moving slowly. Driving with wet

brak

es can be dangerous.

Filling up wi1

When filling up with fuel avoid filling the

tank

until fuel is visible in the filler

intake tube. Should this be

doneand

the

car

left in the sun, there will be a

considerable risk of fuel leaka ge due to expansion,

and

consequent danger from

exposed fuel. If inadvertently overfilled, take care to

park

the

car

in the shade

with

the

filler intake as high as pos sible.

Running in

The

treatment given to a new

car

will have an important bearing on its subse-

quent life,

and

engine speeds during this early period

must

be limited. The

following instructions should be strictly adhered to.

During the first 500 miles (800km.)

DO

NOT

exceed 45 m.p.h, (72 km.p.h.).

DQ

NQT

gp~

rat~

at

full

thrgttlsinany

gea

r.

DO

NOT

allow the engine to

labour

in any gear.

19

RUNNING INSTRUCT

ION

S

Towing-eyes

If

it is necessary to tow a vehicle, use the towing-eyes provided.

High-compression engine (8·9 : 1)

This engine is a highly developed unit and it is essential that you should know
something about the specialized main tenance it requires if you are to maintain
it at the peak of its mechanical efficiency. Special recommendations on the
sparking plugs, ignition settings,

and

fuel to be used are given by the manu-

facturers,

and

it is stressed

tha

t failures are bound to occur if these are

not

strictly adhered to .

Part

icular care is needed with this engine owing to its high

compression ratio, which

mak

es it extre mely sensitive to variations in fuel,

ignition timing,

and

the heat range of the parking plugs.

In

lower-compression engines a much wider ran ge of fuels can be tolerated

without causing serious damage to the engine,

and

ignition settings will stand

variations of a reasonable

amou

nt. Also, even if the incorrect sparking plugs
are used, no more damage may be incurred than burnt-out plugs or leaky valves.
But

with an engine having a very high compression ratio the range of fuels,

sparking plugs, and ignition setting s is much narrower

and

it is essential

that

the

mixture should always be correct, and particularly never overweak at maximum

load

or power.

High-compression engines are very sensitive to variations in spark advance

(over-advance)

and

to fuel/air rat io (mixture). Variations in these settings will
increase the combustion temperature, and if the variation is excessive pre­ignition will cause high shock waves, resultin g in damage to the engine.

The

engine should be deca

rbon

ized at regular intervals as excessive deposits

of

ash from the combustion of lubricating oil

and

fuel can cause pre-ignition

difficulties.

Choice of fuel

When fi tted with H.C. engine (compression ratio 8·9 : 1)

The

octane number of a

motor

fuel is an indication given by the fuel tech­nicians of its kno ck resistance. High-octane fuels have been produced to im­prove the efficiency of engines by allowing them to operate on high compression
ratios, resulting in better fuel economy

and

greater power. Owing to the

high

compression ratioofthe 'engine, fuels with an octane rating below 98 are not
suitable ; should it be necessary to use a fuel with a lower octane number, the
car must be used very carefully until the correct fuel can be obtained.

It is necessary to use Supergrade fuels in the 100-octane

ran

ge unless premium

fuels of minimum 98-octane (Research method) are available.

When fi tted with L.

C. engine (compression ratio 8·1 : 1)

Premium fuels of minimum 93-octane (Research method) up to 97-octane are

required, with preference to 95/97.

Super grade fuels

i?

the lOO-octane range can be used if preferred .

20

IGNITION

Static ignition timing

The point where ignition should start is given in

'GEN

ERAL D '1' '. With

the crankshaft stationary at this position the contact breaker points should be

just beginning to open. When the engine is running timing is varied by a centri-

fugal advancemechanism

and

a vacuum control.

Checking static ignition timing

The information given below describes a method of checking the ignition
timing; it does not detail the resetting of the timing when the distributor has
been removed from the engine.

Check

that

the contact points are set to the correct gap when on the

peak

of

the distributor cam (see page

46).

The rim of the crankshaft pulley has a s

ma

ll groove which will correspond

with the long pointer on the timing cover when Nos. 1

and

4 pistons are at

T.D.C.;

the other two pointers indicate 5° an d 10° B.T.D.C. To turn thepulley

The knurled nut on the
distributor illustrated to­gether with the crankshaft
pulley groove and timing

cover pointers

to the required position, remove the sparking plugs, engage

top

gear,

and

push

the car forward until the groove in the pulley is in the correct position (see

'GENERAL

DATA').

With the crankshaft in this position the contact points should be

just

about

to

open.

If

the points are open,

turn

the knurled

nut

towards'R'

until they are

closed;

if they are closed,

turn

the

nut

towards '

A'.

In

both

cases

turn

the

nut

until the points are

just

parting.

A simple electrical method may be used to ensure an accurate check. Connect
a 12-volt bulb between the low-tension terminal on the side of the distributor
and

a good

earth

point on the engine. Switch on the ignition. If the bulb lights,

turn

the knurled

nut

towards

'R'

until the light goes

out

and

then back towards

'A'

until it

just

lights. This will give the correct static timing.

If

thi§adjy§tmsnt

cannotbemage

with

th~

kfiYr!

~g

nut

, gQn§y!t ¥QYf !?!§tfi-

butor/Dealer.

21